60 Years of the VW Camper
Discussion
Drove a brand new Brazil model recently. It was awful. Huge play in the steering, no brakes, heavy steering once you get beyond the play, no power.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
MarJay said:
Drove a brand new Brazil model recently. It was awful. Huge play in the steering, no brakes, heavy steering once you get beyond the play, no power.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
I don't like the Brazil ones, ideally VW should have let it die instead of letting some South Americans carry on building them. The old "proper" German ones however are just great. In fact, the only thing which makes me like Jamie Oliver (can't stand him normally) is that he has one with a Porsche engine in the back.I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
dpbird90 said:
I don't like the Brazil ones, ideally VW should have let it die instead of letting some South Americans carry on building them. The old "proper" German ones however are just great. In fact, the only thing which makes me like Jamie Oliver (can't stand him normally) is that he has one with a Porsche engine in the back.
As I understand the engine is the only difference between a Brazil and an old model, and in that case the steering is still dangerous, there is absolutely no frontal impact protection to speak of, poor brakes, holes in the floor (for the pedals) six foot long gear lever that bends so much you have no clue what gear you're in. And it still has that huge thirty degree dead zone in the steering...MarJay said:
Drove a brand new Brazil model recently. It was awful. Huge play in the steering, no brakes, heavy steering once you get beyond the play, no power.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
I quite like them, esp the Type 2 T2's! And I can't believe they are any more dangerous than any other vehicle of the same era.I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
MarJay said:
As I understand the engine is the only difference between a Brazil and an old model, and in that case the steering is still dangerous, there is absolutely no frontal impact protection to speak of, poor brakes, holes in the floor (for the pedals) six foot long gear lever that bends so much you have no clue what gear you're in. And it still has that huge thirty degree dead zone in the steering...
I'm confused, I thought we were talking about VW campers, not Land Rovers 
MarJay said:
dpbird90 said:
I don't like the Brazil ones, ideally VW should have let it die instead of letting some South Americans carry on building them. The old "proper" German ones however are just great. In fact, the only thing which makes me like Jamie Oliver (can't stand him normally) is that he has one with a Porsche engine in the back.
As I understand the engine is the only difference between a Brazil and an old model, and in that case the steering is still dangerous, there is absolutely no frontal impact protection to speak of, poor brakes, holes in the floor (for the pedals) six foot long gear lever that bends so much you have no clue what gear you're in. And it still has that huge thirty degree dead zone in the steering...But yes that is what they were (are) like. Though I don't recall having any problem with the gearchange, but the steering, oh yeah! And no heating/demisting in winter if the exchangers were a bit tatty either.
Having said that I once was travelling in convoy with a proper class 1 bib who was in his own car through the Lincolnshire Fens and Wolds. He wasn't in a particularly fast car in overall terms but it was quicker than my Dub. When we got to destination he observed that whilst he could go quicker than me there wasn't much in it due to my higher position enabling vision over walls and crops on bends so could keep the momentum up, whereas he in his low slung whatever had no forward vision.
So don't knock the VW van folks.
rgds
A survivor of the '83 Sheffield to Plymouth flat out without stopping or lifting trip.
(62mph flat, downhill, following wind) :yawn:
MarJay said:
Drove a brand new Brazil model recently. It was awful. Huge play in the steering, no brakes, heavy steering once you get beyond the play, no power.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
Lots of people don't like classics, and that's fine but it's bad form to insult those of us who do.I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Unlike motorbikes, which everyone knows are the safest things on the road?
MarJay said:
Drove a brand new Brazil model recently. It was awful. Huge play in the steering, no brakes, heavy steering once you get beyond the play, no power.
I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
I think you are a fool! Sucker!I'd go so far as to say it was dangerous to drive.
Horrid Horrid vehicles. If you're 'into' these and are an actual petrolhead and not a poseur then you're a fool IMO.
These are fantastic to drive and just charming all around!
I drive them frequently as I do some part-time chaffeuring for a company that has a few of them, all splitscreens but some lhd, some rhd and all different to drive. Steering isn't great, they wander everywhere across the road, brakes are crap, drums all round, not much power (esp the 1.3L) so they struggle on the slightest hill, odd driving position with top of screen at nose level, non-adjustable seats, door mirrors that are useless as when you start the engine the van vibrates so much you can't see out of them, exhausts that spit oil at you...etc etc.
However, I love driving them, no other car I've ever been in gets as much positive attention on the road, driving one is so much work that every journey is an experience, I'd love to own one myself but knowing how much it costs to get a decent one I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on one!
However, I love driving them, no other car I've ever been in gets as much positive attention on the road, driving one is so much work that every journey is an experience, I'd love to own one myself but knowing how much it costs to get a decent one I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on one!
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 2nd June 19:53
Hideously overpriced, hideously underpowered, hideous handling and hideous to look at. It's a fashion statement; there can be no other reason for people spending ludicrous amounts of money on these things.
Get yourself a Bongo Friendee Freetop. Ridiculous name, but it pees all over a VW in terms of being a usable camper.
Get yourself a Bongo Friendee Freetop. Ridiculous name, but it pees all over a VW in terms of being a usable camper.
useyourdellusion said:
I'd absolutely love to own one!
Just bumbling along in one of these really appeals to me.
Shame it pisses of the big queue of cars stuck behind them.Just bumbling along in one of these really appeals to me.
Edited by Mr2Mike on Wednesday 2nd June 21:07
Loved mine, loved driving it, got a lot of love back also but only once parked 
They do handle terribly, bits fell off all the time, used to borrow a chum's Chavalier if I ever went more than 10 miles down the road but I chose a bus over an Alfa33 Sportswagon as my first car so I probably got away lightly as far as reliability is concerned.
I probably wouldn't have another but I'm really glad I did once!
They do handle terribly, bits fell off all the time, used to borrow a chum's Chavalier if I ever went more than 10 miles down the road but I chose a bus over an Alfa33 Sportswagon as my first car so I probably got away lightly as far as reliability is concerned.
I probably wouldn't have another but I'm really glad I did once!
Mr2Mike said:
useyourdellusion said:
I'd absolutely love to own one!
Just bumbling along in one of these really appeals to me.
Shame it pisses of the big queue of cars stuck behind them.Just bumbling along in one of these really appeals to me.
Edited by Mr2Mike on Wednesday 2nd June 21:07
Then I'd crack open the picnic hamper.
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