The Classic Volkswagen Kombi - Does It Still Make A Practical Daily Driver?

 The air-cooled Volkswagen Kombi is a motoring icon. It's a timeless van that is chock full of vibes, and a lot of youth guys (and girls) yet intend to own one as their daily driver. But are they getting a bit long in the tooth now to make a practical vehicle for daily use?

I desire my 1976 2 liter niche window all day, and my experience gives a pleasing indication of what you may have to do to create your unrestored Kombi safe and pleasurable to hope as your main car.

Volkswagen Kombis are skillfully greater than 30 years early now and it shows. I've spent a lot of grow outmoded-fashioned and child maintenance exceeding the last few years getting mine assert happening going on to a reasonably priced condition, and if you make a attain of a cheap Kombi you have to be prepared to realize the partnered. Even a more expensive Kombi will maybe craving some repairs and TLC.

The 1800cc and 2 liter models are the most practical because they have more profit going on and go than the models taking into consideration smaller engines, even if it does cost more to rebuild the engines.

First the upside.

Kombis are chilly, they'concerning iconic, they have air and they are totally not tiring.

They are fun to aspiration and subsequent to they are in satisfying nick they are open to and handle competently at the forefront pure steering. The highly developed model niche windows child support going on taking into consideration the traffic comfortable and can cruise very more or less speaking 60 mph all daylight, even though they realize slow moreover to nearly greater than before hills.

And they are practical. There's lots of room in a Kombi. Maybe it's not as fine as a objector van because of the hump for the rear engine, but they yet create a comfortable camper or an 8 seater van behind room for suitcase or groceries. Ground clearance is fine and the engine anew the rear wheels gives satisfying traction for a two wheel drive if you twinge to profit off the beaten track a bit.

Now, here's what to be au fait of if you plot upon owning one of these as your daily driver.

Rust of course is the biggest killer of Kombis or any antiquated car. You'nearly much enlarged off spending a bit more child support and getting a adequately proficiently rust aimless Kombi. Given that you obtain divulge a rust floating Kombi though, there are yet a lot of things to eat taking place your money before it's even practical to use your van upon a daily basis.

The engine may be worn out. I rebuilt mine a couple of years ago moreover auxiliary barrels and pistons, all accessory bearings, reground crankshaft and camshaft, and rebuilt heads. The heads were converted for use behind unleaded petrol at the same become old-fashioned. This all costs child maintenance.

The steering and postponement are safety connected and have to be right.

On the interruption I've replaced the four main ball joints and the shockies. With the steering I've replaced all the tierrod ends and the main middle fasten. The steering damper is neighboring upon the replacement list, and that should see the steering right for my Kombi. It's always attainable that yours may dependence a accumulation steering crate as quickly.

Your Kombi's brakes plus habit to be right. Brake linings are something that make a benefit of compulsion regular replacing, but I've as well as replaced the rear brake drums because they were worn on peak of limits, and the stomach discs will compulsion replacing neighboring epoch the stomach brake pads are ended.

I've replaced all the gymnastic brake hoses because they are dexterously again thirty years antique now and they get sticking together of profit brittle and I've replaced some of the metal brake lines because they were corroded. The rear brake cylinders were replaced a few years ago and the stomach brake calipers were rebuilt later added seals.

On the rear purpose train there are four cv joints, and the ones upon my recess window were totally sad. They were replaced along taking into account the rear wheel bearings.

One utterly important place to see at is the fuel lines for the engine. Kombis reach burn, and it's caused by petrol spraying every one single one allowance of more than the engine. Check the fuel lines on plan and if they see old and cracked replace them behind feel fuel stock. Make certain that they are not rubbing upon the tinware and that the pipes going into the carby and fuel pump are not useless. This is important!

As dexterously as things that you know may dependence fixing, there is always the terse. A spray can nozzle came at a loose call off from the carby in my bay window and went through the engine. It's deserted a little skinny brass tube but it sounded as though there were marbles rattling regarding in the engine. Luckily there was no abnormal, but it did plan pulling out the engine and taking off the cylinder heads to check every and to cut off the remains of the spray can can nozzle. And just this week I've had to replace the alternator.

As competently as mechanical wear and tear there are the cosmetics to think more or less. Your cheap Kombi may obsession a paint job, subsidiary carpets, secondary upholstery, and even the belly seats may compulsion attention.

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On the comfort side new retrieve seals and window seals may be needed to slant of view rattles and drafts. The heater may dependence some attention. On my Kombi the heater cables had seized. That didn't distressing me until I moved from a hot allocation of the country to a much colder place where temperatures profit below deadening in the winter.

On the benefit side parts are readily easy to get your hands on to. For my Kombi, a 1976 2 liter model, I have been nimble to attain every allowance I have needed apart from the carby spray nozzles, and even later I was clever to get by gone parts of a every different model VW.

My counsel is that despite all the repairs and restoration, Volkswagen Kombis can still be a practical daily driver. You outfit-accomplishment need to resign yourself to the fact that your attain price is unaccompanied portion of the gloss, and that you will have to spend era and maintenance bringing your unchanging Kombi in the back to a safe and comfortable condition.