A Guide to the VW Type 2 Van

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The Volkswagen Bus, as the much loved Type 2 is commonly known, was originally built as a factory utility vehicle in Volkswagenwerk, Wolfsburg. It was a spin-off of the popular Beetle, using the same drivetrain, assembled on a simple ladder frame chassis with not much more than a load bed, a single seat for the driver and a steering wheel. It was built by a few factory engineers on their lunch breaks and was used to transport materials and people around the vast factory floor.

Later, Volkswagen, seeing an opportunity to expand their model range to cover commercial vehicles, saw a use for this simple vehicle. It was in 1947 that the first plans for the Type 2 were drawn up by a man called Ben Pon, a Dutch Volkswagen importer. The first plans were not particularly aerodynamic, adopting a very simple box like shape. They did, however, possess a split windscreen, one of the characteristics that is probably most recognised about Volkswagen "hippy vans" today. Designs were modified, and aerodynamics were improved, meaning the curves were much more aparrent and much more appealing as well. The big V shape on the front was adopted, and in 1950, under the approval of Heinz Nordhoff, the first Volkswagen Type 2s were rolled off the production line, greeted by instant success, copied by many but rivalled by none.

The first vans were very simple. They were manufactured in the Wolfsburg plant until 1956, when a new van factory was built in Hanover. The Type 2 used the same engine as the Beetle. It was a flat 4 aircooled engine, meaning that it didnt have coolant that could freeze in harsh German winters. It was easy to manufacture at that time and was lightweight. It was a 1200cc engine which meant that it was economical but wouldn't pull you out of bed! This engine was used until 1962, when the option of a 1500cc engine came on the market. This accompanied a weight limit increase from 750kg to 1 tonne. At that time, it was only an option, but this option was so successful that the following year, the option became standard, and all vans were made to this specification. The Type 2 T1, or splitty as it is commonly referred, was built up until the end of 1967, where a radical new design change was made, bringing forth the Type 2 T2, or Bay.

The name Bay comes from its windscreen, a distinctive feature of early transporters. The new design did away with the split windscreen, in place of a bay window; a single curved pane of glass instead of the 2 flat pieces in splitties. The revised van was larger, had more room in the cab and was heavier. Changes to the drivetrain were also made, introducing a new system called IRS, or Independant Rear Suspension. This now meant that the 2 wheels at the back were only connected to each other through the gearbox, and meant that wheel camber was far more controllable. Again, this was an extremely popular van and found uses everywhere from ambulance corps' to ice cream vans, and probably most commonly available nowadays, the camper van. Its success was largely because of its rugged build, comfort, wide cargo door, and reliability. The T1 (Splitty) had made a name for itself, and the T2 was following in its footsteps. Larger engines were introduced from 1972 onwards. These new engines also accompanied other changes, such as wider air intakes for the engine bay, and a smaller engine bay hatch. Indicators on the front panel were moved up to beside the front air intake, and rear lights were made larger. Bumpers changed and crash protection was improved. The engine range now started at the 1.6 twinport engine; an improved version of the Type 1 engine found in early Bays and Splitties. It had more torque and now put out a whopping 50 horsepower! Type 4 engines, so called because of their use in Type 4 Volkswagens, or Variants, were now being used in bays, which gave the options of a 1.7, 1.8 and 2.0 litre models. The 1.6 is the most popular engine given its simplicity and cheap, readily available parts. The Bay was made up until 1979, the first year since the war that Volkswagen failed to turn a profit.

So in 1980 the first T3 rolled off the production line. This van was referred to as the brick or wedge (or T25 if you're in Ireland or Britain. I still dont know why). It was a radical new design, with a wide plastic grille at the front, big sloped windscreen and squarer shape. It was heavier and wider and was only available initially with the Type 4 engines used in bays, but with a 1.6 litre version of this available as well. Provision was made in the front for a radiator as well! This was something very new for VW vans. And yes, they did bring out watercooled versions, starting with the 1.6 diesel engines. The 1.6 JX diesel engine was arguably Volkswagens replacement for their venerable aircooled engine. It was used in everything from the Audi 80 to the Golf and Passat. Aircooled engines remained in use until 1985, when waterboxers came into use. These were effectively a watercooled version of the Aircooled flat 4. The largest of these was a 2.1 litre, putting out a respectable 112bhp with lots of torque. Hardly an economical machine though, returning around 18mpg. They also came in 1.9 litre, and at a later stage, a 1.9 diesel was introduced, but not with a turbo option as the 1.6 JX had. The earliest 1.6 diesels put out 50bhp. In a van the weight of a T3, this was dog slow and the engine struggled to keep it at 60mph. Longevity of the engine suffered as well. Then Volkswagen had the great idea of bolting a KKK turbocharger on the side of it, bringing it up to 70bhp. Hardly a rocket but was certainly quick enough for most uses. This made this engine more popular than the now available 1.9 AAZ engine. If you wanted speed out of the T3, the 2.1 waterboxer was for you either way though.

Now, given that the T3 was volkswagens last rear engined Type 2, I feel that I must mention that they did something very pioneering and daring with this van. In 1985, the Syncro was introduced. This was a four wheel drive version, using a viscous coupling to transfer drive to the front wheels. This was not to be confused with the Audi quattro of the time which used a Haldex coupling (common misconception). The ride height was dramatically increased, the undercarriage was armoured and new suspension systems were used. The 4wd system was not engineered by Volkswagen themselves, but by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, or SDP, based in Graz, Austria. SDP, now called Steyr because I dont think anyone could pronounce Puch correctly, were in the habit of making extremely formidable military vehicles, tractors and even guns, so they were good at what they do, and the Syncro was no exception. The German army took possession of quite a few, and I got myself one too! They had the option of the slow but steady 1.6 JX turbodiesel engine or the quick off the mark but thirsty 2.1 waterboxer. This was not by any means a popular vehicle, simply because it was too expensive. The logistics of getting the 4wd system installed in Austria meant that VW just couldnt do it cheaply.

Production of the standard 2wd T3 ceased in 1991, but continued in the Syncro flavour until 1992, when the last of the rear engined Transporters rolled off the production lines (in Europe at least).

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