[SOLD] 1971 Bay Window Bus for sale.. [SOLD]

Sadly the time has come to sell my Bus

Brief history of BouBou the Camper van...

It started life when it rolled out of the factory in 1971 as a mustard colour Danbury camper van, the years between then and 2000 are unknown to me but it had 9 owners before I got hold of it. I brought it off an old lady back in 2000. It had an mot but was a mess so I drove it round in the very damp smelly state it was in until the mot ran out and then the fun began.

First up was to sort out the bodywork, I fitted new panels including a complete front panel, inner and outer lower front valances, left and right front arches, left and right doors, outer sill under the sliding door, inner and outer lower sliding door panels, left and right rear arches, left and right rear corners and a few other small repair sections. I then re-sprayed the inside and outside in two tone green/off white. the green is the colour of the plastic garden chairs you can get (I took one into the paint shop to get the colour made up ) and the off white is just one I picked out. The interior was all coated in a high zinc content red oxide paint to prevent rust. After painting the bodywork the whole underside and all chassis areas were given a good coating of wax-oil.

The windows were refitted with new seals, along with all other body seals being replaced with new. I also sourced some original chrome opening 1/4 lights for the cab doors. New headlights and rims were fitted. The brakes were all renewed and goodridge flexi lines fitted.

The engine is one I built and it has never let me down. It is a 1641cc with an Engle 110 cam, Shadek oil pump with 30mm gears, chromoly cam followers, chromoly push rods, bolt up rocker shafts, swivel foot adjusters, stainless push rod tubes, silicone seals, ported and polished heads with matched manifolds, twin Kadron carbs (originals NOT Empi reproductions) ceramic four into one header and a ceramic Mondo exhaust. It is running an alternator, 009 distributor with electronic ignition and a high voltage coil, the tin wear is all new painted black with a 36hp style fan housing. Fueling is via a Facet fuel pump.

I first ran it on a set of 18" wheels with a red9design coilover kit fitted and it's debut was at the Volksworld show back in around 2001/2002 (can't remember what year!)

I built an interior using the original 3/4 rock and roll bed frame but all new wooden base and cabinets etc I rolled it round like this for a few years to the shows mainly plus a few trips to the 24 hour Le Mas race in France and a couple of holidays to Devon etc

It looked like this:







Then it was time to buy a house so I sold it to a guy down in Devon. Skip forward four years at a time when I had broken up with the ex and lost the house and I find myself answering the phone at work to a customer wanting a Facet fuel pump as he was trying to sell his bus but when someone had come to view it it just wouldn't start to go out for a test drive even though it had driven somewhere with no problems in the morning, I recognised his name and well one thing led to another and I brought my old Bus back

So now I had it back in my hands I have done a few more bits to it due mainly to the changes he made. The main things that he had done were to raise it back up to standard height and fit some 15" Empi five spokes.

Looked like this (that is mud not rust on the lower side!):



And at the first show I drove it to after just buying it back:



Summer 2010 I fitted a complete new/reconditioned front adjustable beam assembly with new torsion leaves, reconditioned trailing arms, new ball joints, new heavy duty front anti roll bar and new tie rods. I adjusted it down to a sensible height and lowered the rear one spline to match.

This is the front beam and arms just before being fitted:



Here it is just after this work was done:



Winter 2010 I rebuilt the engine (now 10 years old) with new stainless push rod tubes, new piston rings, and new seals. I have repainted the tin wear satin black and fitted a few more choice parts such as an angled oil filler neck plus a couple of other new items. I don't have a picture of it fitted but here it is waiting to go back in after the rebuild:



The guy I sold it to had 'looked after it' by polishing it with that nasty turtle wax colour polish which has taken me forever to remove the traces of! Anyway heres a few pictures of it recently during a good clean up session and I'll get some more of it to add asap as I have made some new cupboard doors due to them not being fixed on when I brought it back!



























It is not a mint show car and there are signs of ten years of use on the bodywork in a few places.

If I had my way I would keep it as I love it! It really is a reliable Bus that goes through the mot with no advisories and is tax exempt along with being cheap to insure due to it's age and condition.

This is a sad sale but it has to go, whoever buys it will not be disappointed!

£10,995 ONO

MOT was passed with no advisories and expires on 7th July 2011.

You can either PM me or ping me over an email with any questions at work: neil@coolairvw.co.uk

I may have to put this on Ebay if there is no interest on the forums but I really what it to go to an enthusiast who will take care of it as it deserves.

Glad you found us! Hopefully someone will be interested!

~Lee

Yep, registered last night although my post in the new members section seems to of gone somewhere that I can't find...?

I would try again, I havent deleted it? :/

Thats five pounds more than my house was in 1975.
Can't drive it around though.

Hatch DLM wrote:

Thats five pounds more than my house was in 1975.
Can't drive it around though.

Your not doing anything to help you sounding so old!

~Lee

Hatch DLM wrote:

Thats five pounds more than my house was in 1975.
Can't drive it around though.

It says ONO, I'll let you have five pounds off if you like?

very nice daughter wishes she could have it, but two more years at uni before she can afford to buy one!

Sybl wrote:

very nice daughter wishes she could have it, but two more years at uni before she can afford to buy one!

Haha! That reads a bit wrong - I read it that you have a very nice daughter and she would like to buy it in two years! Then I realised you meant 'very nice, my daughter would like to buy it in two years'!


Hopefully it will sell before then but if not then get in touch in two years

Are you comming to the meet on the 5th perhaps we could have a look?

5th.... Tuesday night right? I doubt it to be honest as I'm really busy at the moment, but I might try to make it. Where do you guys meet and what time?

We meet at The Red Arrows Club, Newington road, Ramsgate.
(next to Ramsgate swimming pool)

Meet starts at 7.15 and ends around 9.30ish.
would be great to see you there

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=The+Red+Arrow+Club,+Ramsgate&aq=1&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.783636,43.286133&ie=UTF8&hq=The+Red+Arrow+Club,&hnear=Ramsgate,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.339922,1.403439&spn=0.003411,0.010568&t=h&z=17

Tony

Austin powers wrote:

Meet starts at 7.15 and ends around 9.30ish.

Usually gone 10 before I leave! Ohh and Neil I shall probably be up to see you Monday at the latest at work for some bits!

~Lee

Ok, if I can make it then I will but I doubt I will manage this one I'm afraid.

Lee - I'm off for two days so I won't be in until Wednesday.....

Spindle wrote:

Ok, if I can make it then I will but I doubt I will manage this one I'm afraid.

Lee - I'm off for two days so I won't be in until Wednesday.....

Bum, your the most useful! Lol

I won't see you then!

~Lee

Thats because of all the useless vw information I seem to of collected in my brain over the years!

Sorry bud.

Spindle wrote:

Thats because of all the useless vw information I seem to of collected in my brain over the years!

Sorry bud.

Not useless, very useful to somebody less educated than yourself such as I.

Think Dad has sorted the worst of it, just want shocks for all corners, will take a drive up Monday!

~Lee

Take the shocks off the bus, park it on a level surface and measure from the bottom mount stud to the top mount hole in mm then the guys (Rob is probably best to talk to) will be able to work out the correct length shocks for your ride height fella.

Don't just go and buy the shortest ones you can get... get the right ones the first time.

Spindle wrote:

Take the shocks off the bus, park it on a level surface and measure from the bottom mount stud to the top mount hole in mm then the guys (Rob is probably best to talk to) will be able to work out the correct length shocks for your ride height fella.

Don't just go and buy the shortest ones you can get... get the right ones the first time.

I was looking at the coilover ones in the catalogue?

Geez this for sale thread has gone waaaay off topic!

The Spax ones or the budget ones? The budget ones are going to be too long I expect and the Spax ones are loads of money for something you don't really need unless your trying to stiffen the suspension up loads.

Spax coilovers work in the same way as a modern coilover shock ie/ height adjustable. You can not adjust the height of your bus with the shock as that is determined by the torsion leaves (or bars at the back) so if you fit Spax coilovers you are going to pay loads for a shock that will probably give you an awful ride unless you set them up right. If you want adjustable damping then just get the normal Spax and save yourself some cash.

My Bay has KYB Adjustables all round. They are not adjustable it's just the name KYB gave them for some reason but they are gas filled and give a nice firm but not harsh ride on a Bus. Plus they are only about £50 each rather than the £80 for a Spax shock..

Up to you though dude, it's your money and your Bus...

Spindle wrote:

Geez this for sale thread has gone waaaay off topic!

The Spax ones or the budget ones? The budget ones are going to be too long I expect and the Spax ones are loads of money for something you don't really need unless your trying to stiffen the suspension up loads.

Spax coilovers work in the same way as a modern coilover shock ie/ height adjustable. You can not adjust the height of your bus with the shock as that is determined by the torsion leaves (or bars at the back) so if you fit Spax coilovers you are going to pay loads for a shock that will probably give you an awful ride unless you set them up right. If you want adjustable damping then just get the normal Spax and save yourself some cash.

My Bay has KYB Adjustables all round. They are not adjustable it's just the name KYB gave them for some reason but they are gas filled and give a nice firm but not harsh ride on a Bus. Plus they are only about £50 each rather than the £80 for a Spax shock..

Up to you though dude, it's your money and your Bus...

Ok cheers for that mate, makes it much clearer! Do you want me to delete/move all this randomness. Thank you!

~Lee

No worries dude.

Nah, it can stay here, all relevant to Busses anyway!

Spindle wrote:

No worries dude.

Nah, it can stay here, all relevant to Busses anyway!

At least it proves you know your stuff!
Are you at Elemental this weekend?

~Lee

This is still for sale!

~Lee

Just spoke to Neil and it is still for sale! Some one should grab this as owning a classic car (especially a VW) is better than having money in the bank, all they do is increase in value and you can have fun in it!!

~Lee