Every upgraded version of any vehicle is better than the last in terms of how it rides, power etc., but the Split looks the coolest. Harsh to drive. Depends if you can live with it. I'd prefer to look at a Split on my drive, than the bay. Never liked that plastic dash and in fact VW went back to metal dash in the T3, so they never liked it either.
Bay window is better, mine is apart and I'm not sure if I'll get it back together (poor health), so now I'm bouncing around in an old, slow, noisy split window bus (now I see why the hippies did drugs).
After owning and daily driving a bay window I totally agree. My bay is also apart (I’ve made a few vids on the process to get it painted) and I can now only drive my dad’s split whenever I wanna drive a bus. It’s much less soft in the suspension and steering.
Great video. Everyone has their own favourite VW model they love. I do like the bay window. I own a T3 Syncro what a lot of people call the ugly duckling.
It’s good to have this “ out there” for folks, real owners giving their views & experiences. However…….. neither bus cools well, especially if lowered! It’s not only air-cooled but OIL-cooled, so regular oil changes are vital too ( amongst other things)! This video is great for anyone who’s gonna be a first-time owner though, and since you daily-drove your bay for years your experience is authentic and valuable. My bay has a 2.0 type 4 engine, worked on by great mechanics. My ‘67 Split has been continually brought-up to an outstanding level (with much diligent work). My Bay Window 1977 has discs up front and power assist booster for those brakes, over the past 15 years I’ve gone on long trips on interstates with no problem. If I’m ever in a prolonged reckless mood perhaps I’ll do that with my split, along with a lot of prayers. Again you’ve done a great job here showing and talking through these two buses.
Great video. Thanks. I love the driving experience in the bay bus and the extra leg room. I’d say the most diference I felt was that in my recent bus I did the entire engine and the mechanic revised the entire vehicle. That really helped with making it run well. No longer being stuck somewhere because of random issue and having to tow it to the mechanic 😂
My father owned a 1967 or '66 split Westfalia camper in the 1970s (not exactly sure of the year of make as neither my father nor mother ever mentioned the year of make but the type of popup was on the '66 and '67 models). It was white and the VW logo had black primer sprayed on it. I had tons of great memories riding in it as a small child, unfortunately my father got rid of it in 1979.
My mother had both. The best and most reliable one was the split window 1965 Bus. The lemon was the 1971 Bus with the 1600 dual port motor. The 1971 bus also sounded like a tin can when it was running. In 10 years the 1971 bay window bus also needed to have three engines due to valves being sucked down into the crankcase. The 1965 split window bus was still running when mom sold it 27 years later, and only needed one engine. The 1965 bus also had a 1500 engine that ran forever. I also hate the bay window busses.
It’s interesting you had such a different experience with these busses considering they use almost the exact same engine. Granted, I would prefer to have a split window, but the bay window offers the same drivetrain and a similar bus experience at a fraction of the cost. The only reason I might suggest your valves burned up so frequently was a lack of maintenance. The valves need to be adjusted every 3000 miles for both of these cars or you run the risk of damage your engine.
@@jakeandcameron7022 My mother did have the oil changed and valves adjusted every 3000 miles. It did nothing to prevent the problem with the 1641 dual port engine. Her VW mechanic said they increased the horsepower, and engine size but failed to increase the size of the exhaust valve, and this was where the problem started. Many people also installed an aftermarket engine oil cooler to try and cool the engine. In 1972, VW came out with the 1776 engine. In that engine they did install a oil cooler inside of the fan shroud. A relative of ours bought one, and it was reliable like our old 1965 Bus with the 1500 engine. Many people who bought the bay window busses made from 1968 to 1971 all had the same trouble. I was alive at the time, and many of them were running with the oil cooler modification where an external oil cooling unit was installed on the outside on the side of the bus. The cooler was installed by drilling through the block, and brass fittings were mounted to take rubber fittings to supply the oil to the cooler. Many people did say it worked, and they quit having valves being sucked into the crankcase. My mother went through three engines in 10 years on the 1971 Bus. It was something like every 30,000 miles a valve went into the crankcase.
