VW Bus Found 35 Years After Being Stolen...

[Dain Arns]

Stolen from a repair shop in Spokane, WA on July 12th, 1974 during the World Expo. Found in a shipping container bound for the Netherlands in Los Angeles in 2009. VW Bus today is valued at $25,000. Owner could have had it back for the $2500 they settled on back in 1974, but Spokane police were unable to locate them.

Looks like it was really well taken care of, but seriously. Who would have stolen a microbus?... :icon_lol:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_13725042

[demorier]

I wonder how many people have been shagged in the back of the thing since '74 ?

[Dain Arns]

Or "Grateful Dead" concerts its been to... :icon_lol:

[Lionheart]

I love those things. I have had 2 version two busses in my days. Always wanted a version one Microbus. They are just too cool...

Driving in one is like being in a boat. When you take a curb into a parkinglot, you raise up into the air in a flight like motion (being forward or 'on' the front axle), which makes you feel like you just went over a huge wave. Great fun...

I called my blue baby my U-Boat. Blue and light blue stock paint exterior. Installed wild blue shag carpet, Land Rover Discovery seats, Land Rover sound system, beanbag chair in the back.

What a fun ole vehicle..



Bill

[Ickie]

I had a 72 westfalla

[Piglet]

Learned stickshift in the ole family '71 Campmobile. Sometimes still wished I had that thing. Well, except for going up the Grapevine on Hwy 5 north.
SoCal folks know about this...

[Bjoern]

Who would have stolen a microbus?... :icon_lol:

Stoners? :icon_lol:

[Lionheart]

Tim, I picked up my orange Campmobile for like $650.00.. Working everything. But....... This is the crazy part. It had a Ford V-6 in it, lol.. Giant truck radiator was attached to the front on top of the bumper. Sounded like a V-6 Fiero. It was crazy on accelleration. I just couldnt shift it fast enough. (Same gearbox, adaptor plate on it fit the Ford to the box. I think he rotated the axels out to opposite sides so it spun in the correct direction).

Engine froze about a year later. Never did get to go camping in it. Never cooked in it either. arrgh..



Bill

[Pauke! Pauke!]

Here are 2 things that just seem like a sin against nature:

Stuttgart, we have lift off!

loPHiH2m3Io

A 20 foot python in a shoe box?

ZTB_6g-apY0&feature

[Panther_99FS]

Wow!
That VW also looks like it's in great condition too!

[srgalahad]

Learned stickshift in the ole family '71 Campmobile. Sometimes still wished I had that thing. Well, except for going up the Grapevine on Hwy 5 north.
SoCal folks know about this...

and all the gas you didn't use going down the other side... while trying not to use up the brakes before Bakersfield...

[Dain Arns]

Stoners? :icon_lol:

Kinda answered my own question, didn't I? :icon_lol:

[Dain Arns]

Wow!
That VW also looks like it's in great condition too!

I know that's the weird part! :kilroy:

[Dain Arns]

...But....... This is the crazy part. It had a Ford V-6 in it, lol.. Giant truck radiator was attached to the front on top of the bumper. Sounded like a V-6 Fiero....

Bill

Nothing sounds like a V-6 Fiero. I know! :icon_lol:

[Lionheart]

Nothing sounds like a V-6 Fiero. I know! :icon_lol:

Actually yes.. One does.

A Ferrari 308 GTB and GTS... They sound remarkably similar. Especially if the Fiero has Anza exhaust pipes.. (I know.. I used to work for Ferrari at a Dealership, and I used to work for a kit car firm that made a BB512 replica Boxer Ferrari on Fieros).


:d

[Lionheart]

I think that the kids that did that 'jump' in that bus should be smacked...

Thats just me though. Perfectly good classic being abused like that. Dangit...

[Dain Arns]

Actually yes.. One does.

A Ferrari 308 GTB and GTS... They sound remarkably similar. Especially if the Fiero has Anza exhaust pipes.. (I know.. I used to work for Ferrari at a Dealership, and I used to work for a kit car firm that made a BB512 replica Boxer Ferrari on Fieros).


:d


Bill, I wish my Fiero sounded as throaty and sexy as a Ferrari. Yeah its kinda close, but nothing sounds like 308GTS: :d
Each Ferrari sings it's own special tune.

(I love this video at the 3:07 mark. Tell me the officer wasn't out hunting Ferrari... :icon_lol:)

EJgY_0-1seo

[Lionheart]

lolol...

Well, to me, the 2 V-6 Fiero's with Anza exhaust systems sounded just like 308's from outside and behind. Brilliant sounds.. Music...



I found some stored cool Type 1 Bus pics.. Love those things..


EDIT: That last one, if you look inside... Junkers Ju-52 airliner interior? :d


Bill

[Moparmike]

Since this thread is already wandering from the long-stolen microbus (and what would have been a new owner)...

Here's my answer to the V8-conversion VW in Pauke's post. All factory too (except for a few tweaks under the doghouse lid). :d
And yes...I know it needs paint!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/284388799_8ef85a6c37.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/moparmike90/284388799/)




Dain, is that yer Fiero? That's a nice looking little fireball! I'm guessing a V-6/5-spd GT?
I love the color...but you gotta rip that 2.8 out and stuff a 3800 in there instead! Yes, it'll bolt up but it's a tight fit. That's "driving excitement"!
There used to be a 3800-powered Fiero running around Aberdeen a few years back. Was the only V6 powered car around that could touch my turbo'd 4.1L V6 '84 Regal...mine was basically a 252 cid (from an old RWD Electra) Grand National in a plain-jane Regal body. :ichile:

[Lionheart]

The guy that did the Boxer kit, also did a bolt in kit that allowed you to put a new Cammaro V8 fuel injected engine in that little thing. Mind you, you had to literally squeeze that thing into the belly of the Fiero. I have seen it though. It does fit, lol...

Great looking Fiero Dain. Sorry not to comment on it before. Great to see one in awesome condition. Here in Phoenix, you dont see them very much anymore.


Nice looking classic van there Mike! Are you going to convert your baby into a wheelie van like that famous dragster van that one guy made years ago?




Bill

[AckAck]

Right - and do it before it burns up!

And, even if it doesn't sound like a Ferrari, you can probably get the kit to make it LOOK like one...

Brian

[Moparmike]

The guy that did the Boxer kit, also did a bolt in kit that allowed you to put a new Cammaro V8 fuel injected engine in that little thing. Mind you, you had to literally squeeze that thing into the belly of the Fiero. I have seen it though. It does fit, lol...


I remember seeing a few SBC powered Fieros in Hot Rod magazine back in the 80s. That IS a tight fit! The 3800 is pretty wide for the Fiero engine bay...I think that's all the more engine I'd want to stuff in one of them little rockets. (Okay, maybe I'd try to stuff the supercharged version in there. :d) Fieros were skittish little cars even with the plain ole 2.5L 4-cylinder!





Nice looking classic van there Mike! Are you going to convert your baby into a wheelie van like that famous dragster van that one guy made years ago?


Nah, the engine is staying up front where it belongs. And I'm sticking with my small block too. No big block or Hemi in this thing...it's thirsty enough as it is!!!
It's just gonna get an overdrive automatic tranny, new wheels, and some new paint (haven't decided on colors or scheme yet though).
I've got a slow start on replacing the one rust hole & prepping the body for new paint. Been trying to get paint on it for the 12 years I've had it now...it finally retired from daily driver duty a few years ago so I can spend some time on it now.

[Dain Arns]

Right - and do it before it burns up!

And, even if it doesn't sound like a Ferrari, you can probably get the kit to make it LOOK like one...

Brian


Heh. Funny. :icon_lol:

I still get an admirer, usually at a gas station, come up, tells me he really likes the car, and then out of concern for my personal safety, tell me that my car is going to burst into flames, they read it somewhere! I'm amazed at how the engine fire myth keeps going after all these years.

Fact is, the fires were mostly in the first production year, 1984. The connecting rods were found to be poorly cast, but the problem was, young guys were over-revving the engines, probably to show off that sound. In all cases, it was found the engines had little to no oil in them, during investigations into the incidents. The folks had either not changed the oil or not checked it. Highly over-rev the engine, bearings seize, rod fails, catastrophic damage to the engine, BOOM!. Even then, there were hardly any fires. There were also some fires involving a wiring harness. Usually what happened is someone didn't secure it back in place properly after servicing and let it drop onto the exhaust manifold. Pontiac went ahead and did a dealer recall where you could go in and have additional shielding added. This car had that done, it's documented.

Fires however compromised a whopping 0.07% of the total production run. So 99.93% produced have never spontaneously burst into flame, which if I remember right, is better than the national average for most passenger vehicles.

The second weirder one I get, is that the state of Minnesota has permanently banned all Fieros from it's highways. I love this one, as I am the second owner of this car. The original owner kept the documentation, and I also have a CARFAX with all of its registration years and locations.

So I'll get some dude come stomping up to me, telling me my car has been banned in Minnesota and I shouldn't be driving it on 'their' roads, it's a fire hazard and he's calling the Cops. I say "Oh really? Hold on a moment...", bring out the documentation and proceed to show them this particular car was in fact sold by a dealer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, well after the supposed "ban" date. Furthermore, I show it was continuously registered by the state of Minnesota, and operated on Minnesota's highways for more than 20 years, by the original owner. This usually results in silence and a blank stare. I encourage them, nicely, to go home, and Google for this same said ban, which I then tell them they will never ever find, because its a myth. Then to finish, I give them the web address for the "Minnesota Fieros Forever Club", http://www.fiero.mn.org/ and tell them if they have any additional "concerns", the club is a good resource for information"

They usually grumble something, and then stomp off, and I laugh to tears for about the next half-hour. :icon_lol:

Oh and I've seen that kit. It's nice. I have thought about doing the hood like the one in the picture to help with the cooling.
Bottom line though, this is mostly a garage queen and Sunday-go-to-meeting car, on nice days now. :d

[Dain Arns]

I remember seeing a few SBC powered Fieros in Hot Rod magazine back in the 80s. That IS a tight fit! The 3800 is pretty wide for the Fiero engine bay...I think that's all the more engine I'd want to stuff in one of them little rockets. (Okay, maybe I'd try to stuff the supercharged version in there. :d)

That was the fate of my first Fiero. I traded up for this GT I have now. A guy is currently putting that 3800 in the old one. I thought about it, but didn't want to lose the "Trunk" space. Ha ha. I've seen one with a Northstar crammed in it. Looked good.



Fieros were skittish little cars even with the plain ole 2.5L 4-cylinder!

Nah, just need need to lower them a bit, and add a good rear anti-sway bar. Drive on rails then. :icon_lol:

You just have to remember to be light on the accelerator during wet road conditions though. Hehe.

[Lionheart]

Dain,

Here is the Corson BB512 replica Ferrari kit we used to make. I worked for Randy personally for a while making turn-keys for people that could afford to have their Fiero's converted without touching it. (Bring in the Fiero, 2 weeks later, its done with fresh paint).

The convertable shown had the V8 in it. It was scary fast. We had to reinforce the belly (mainly due to the topless structure, which weakens the uni-body). But the torque on that chassis was quite a bit... (Alot!!! lol).

Randy made alot of the parts retrofitable with the actual Boxers, like the nose grill, top radiator hood grille, etc. The tail lights and front hood orange turn signals were factory Ferrari parts, and we soon ran out (depleted stock to zero in Italy) so Randy had to have them manufactured which brought the prices up unfortunately. But he could sell parts back to Ferrari owners as well. So that worked out.

V8 kits were really selling well the last I heard, which was probably 10+ years ago. (I hope he's doing ok.. His real job was flying a biz jet for a car dealership mogul).

EDIT: The way you can tell if its a Corson and not a real Boxer is;
* Pure black rear quarter window (under it was metal). The real Boxers have a rear cargo shelf back there.
* Dash with center AC system facia and that rear pod pocket structure between the seats
* The rear bonnet assembly was also shorter. (Only covered a straight 4 or V6, not a flat 12). :d

Man, they were fun... .






Bill

[PRB]

The tan one on the right was mine. I loved that thing. It was a 1972 model. This was taken during a trip through Death Valley. In 1985-ish. In July. It was hot. The VW Bus will get airborne if properly coaxed… While driving on the highway that runs through Death Valley, we were going about 55-60. There were dirt streaks running across the road for miles. Looked like wind blown sand. It wasn’t deep or anything, just a quarter inch or so, but the light angle was such that when we happened upon one of these things that was, basically, a sand dune, about a foot high, it looked just like all the other ones, and there was no time to slow down… I was impressed at the roll stability of the bus during the final approach and landing phase…

[Bjoern]

Kinda answered my own question, didn't I? :icon_lol:

Yep! :d



I think that the kids that did that 'jump' in that bus should be smacked...

Thats just me though. Perfectly good classic being abused like that. Dangit...

See it as demonstration of the durability of old technology. The T1/T2 is just like a 707/DC-8/DC-9...built so crudely that it'll potentailly last for centuries to come. ;)



EDIT: That last one, if you look inside... Junkers Ju-52 airliner interior? :d

Looks more like an old motor yacht to me.



I was impressed at the roll stability of the bus during the final approach and landing phase…

LoL!

[Moparmike]

Should re-title this one The Fiero Thread. :d


Heh. Funny. :icon_lol:

I still get an admirer, usually at a gas station, come up, tells me he really likes the car, and then out of concern for my personal safety, tell me that my car is going to burst into flames, they read it somewhere! I'm amazed at how the engine fire myth keeps going after all these years.


Good on ya Dain for keeping the worry-warts straightened out with the real facts! That's classic. :icon_lol:

I still call em "fireballs" even though I know that's just a few isolated cases with the wiring harness. :kilroy:

You're right on the early ones being the problem-child cars. As you know, the Fiero is about the only model that the 2.5L Iron Duke got a bad rap in (because of the lower-end problems...I was remembering that it was a weak crank but you're probably right that it was bad conn rods).
It's one tough little engine but they can grenade just like anything else if you abuse em.

A local family bought a Fiero for their daughters as a school car. BUT...once they found out how much it was gonna cost to insure 3 high school girls on the thing it wound up being their mom's toy instead.
That car floated around town for a few years and wound up in a classmate's garage in the mid-90s. That's where we found out how tail happy they could get on gravel roads (or rain).
They're no worse than any other rear-engine car...lotsa fun if you're heavy on the gas pedal!!!

Heck, Pontiac kinda brought it on themselves when they named the thing after the spanish adjective for ferocious!

I love em...they're neat little rides!

[Lionheart]

Some interesting VW Van pics..

:d

And the new VW mini thing.. Very cool..

[Piglet]

LH
Before we had the '71 Campmobile, we had a '60's somethin' Split Window Microbus. Green and white, I think, was really young piglet back then!:ernae:

[Lionheart]

you lucky person!!!

Those were wild...


* Did you know.. (auto trivia time) that the small windows in the back sides of the roof of those busses were called Alpine windows and designed for when you drove through the Alps, you could look up at the picturesque mountain sides...

Land Rover came out with that in the Discovery, the upper side top windows, curved..

Very rare...

Whats really cool on those is the kits for hinging the front windshields up a bit.



Bill

[kilo delta]

Bill, I wish my Fiero sounded as throaty and sexy as a Ferrari. Yeah its kinda close, but nothing sounds like 308GTS: :d
Each Ferrari sings it's own special tune.


I was lucky enough to get a go of an F-355 a few months ago....awesome machine...identical to this one

http://www.ssip.net/upload/ferrari-f355-berlinetta-rear-2_64.jpg

[cheezyflier]

i see ferrari's and lambo's pretty regularly around here, as well as lots of other exotic cars. some i cannot identify. it's one of the cool things about this area.

[Lionheart]

Ferrari make some nice cars... I loved their 348 TB, but heard alot of bad news on them, parts breaking alot, dependability, etc. Great looking lines though.

I was in a Testarossa once, road test after a tuneup. I wasnt driving. We came to a stop from 125 MPH, gear selector in neutral, hard breaking. I actually felt the weight of my face skin pulling forward from my skull. I have never felt that before. I think we did a G of gravity in that braking manuvere, lol... That was wild. No tire noise, nothing. Just idled through to a stop. Quiet.. Sort of like the Galactica coming out of a hyper jump.

[djscoo]

There's one Ferrari, and one Lamborghini in town here. I was in Houston for an air show last week, and afterwards we went downtown to the museum district. Under the porte-cochere at a single hotel we saw a Ferrari F430, a Porsche 911 Turbo, an Aston Martin Vantage (extremely rare in the states), A Mercedes SLK, and my personal favorite, a BMW M6 coupe. In typical Texas style, there was also a lone customized Ford Excursion parked at the back :icon_lol:.

[cheezyflier]

We came to a stop from 125 MPH, gear selector in neutral, hard breaking. I actually felt the weight of my face skin pulling forward from my skull.


coolest description ever:applause:

if i was a teacher i would put a star on your paper for that one.

[Chacha]

coolest description ever:applause:

if i was a teacher i would put a star on your paper for that one.

That is an A++ :applause:

[Willy]

Getting back to the original VW bus that started this thread, they found the owner that it was stolen from. It was her party wagon back in the early 70s before it got stolen.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,574031,00.html?test=latestnews

[Dain Arns]

Getting back to the original VW bus that started this thread, they found the owner that it was stolen from. It was her party wagon back in the early 70s before it got stolen.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,574031,00.html?test=latestnews

FAR OUT, MAN! :icon_lol:


That's too cool. I'd want it back too. :applause: