Random body trivia

[DjEep]

Our '69 and '71 buses feel "different." The doors on the '71 just feel more "plasticky" and the '69 feels more metallic and solid, yet also "looser," closing with a "clank," as opposed to the 71's "chunk."

what gives? just curious.. different materials through the years?

[hambone]

They seem to get "cheaper" the closer towards the 80s....
My friend's '74 and my '69 are night and day with regards to materials. I guess VW needed to stay competitive, and look where it got us, everything shoddy made in China plastic....

[Sluggo]

It's the same between my '72 & bottomends '74. His is in better shape. But in helping him I've noticed that parts that are metal on my Bus are plastic on his. The sheet metal is thinner. Even the bumpers are thinner.

[Amskeptic]

Our '69 and '71 buses feel "different." The doors on the '71 just feel more "plasticky" and the '69 feels more metallic and solid, yet also "looser," closing with a "clank," as opposed to the 71's "chunk."

what gives? just curious.. different materials through the years?

Sound-proofing was added to the doors in 1970.
Latches are all the same up to '74. Some of this "quality difference" is just how the car is adjusted and maintained. The definitive "de-contenting"was 1974.

[hambone]

that's funny because my doors sound like a tin can slamming shut...

[DjEep]

Yeah, that is what the 69's doors sound like. The soundproofing makes sense. And the 71 is all OG, the '69 was a full resto from the mid '90s

[chitwnvw]

The definitive "de-contenting"was 1974.

I like the '73s gas cap door, the door locks, the sliding door hitch up and so forth. Yet, at least with the campers the layout improved as the years went on. Westy-wise there was no perfect year. Maybe we need to do a Johnny Cash and have a '71,72,73,74,75,76,.. one piece at a time kind of bus. I've thought of trying to mount a '79 top on my '73 bus when the kids get bigger.