Just got a '79 Bay cheap. Is rear A/C rare ?

[DannyK]

Here's a '79 Bay I just got off Craigslist for $550. The body sucks, but is restorable with patch panels. It was running when parked and is complete except a missing back bumper and taillight. It has front AND rear A/C. I've been told the rear air is rare. Is that true?

[WestyPop]

Have seen the rear A/C on quite a few Vanagons (even air-cooled earlies), but never on a baywindow bus.

J.R.
'68 Westy
(+ others)

[DannyK]

Thanks Westypop. I've only seen one Bay with rear a/c and the guy said it was a rare N.O.S. item he installed during restoration.

[DannyK]

Here's some pics. The compressor is still there too.

[Stray Catalyst]

Take the cover off and have a close look at how it's fastened to the rest of the bus. If the brackets are hacksaw-cut angle iron, it's an aftermarket. If they look like the rest of the VW mounts, it may be factory installed.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/mcodest2.php

If you check out the M codes (stamped into plates in a couple of places on the chassis of the bus) you can find out what factory equipment the bus had originally, in addition to when it was made, original color, etc.

Stray

[DannyK]

Thanks Stray. I'll punch the M codes into Mplate.com tomorrow. If the rear a/c isn't rare, I'd just as soon take it out for the headroom. My head hits it and I plan on wood headliner and side panels anyway (camper conv.). I'll box it up and save or sell it though.

[Sneaks]

...send it myyyyyy wayyyyyy. I'm 5'3", headroom isn't an issue.

[DannyK]

...send it myyyyyy wayyyyyy. I'm 5'3", headroom isn't an issue.

I'll keep ya in mind for it Sneaks. It'll be awhile before I start on the interior though. This weeks goal is to get it driveable (Hedrock and I towed it home Monday) and then I'll start on the body. Interior will be last.

[Sneaks]

I'm that way on the blue one. The white one I need to assemble the motor so I'm working backwards. Dunno about you, but I never touched a bus until I got the bay, now I love the things.

Huge inside, ain't they? I compared them to my Suburban XL and with the back seat down, they hold about as much crap. Impressive.

So what is the ultimate goal for it? Stock? Basic transportation? Off road beast? In the weeds?

[ajdenette]

sneaks you think a bay is great you need a syncro vanagon

[DannyK]

I'm that way on the blue one. The white one I need to assemble the motor so I'm working backwards. Dunno about you, but I never touched a bus until I got the bay, now I love the things.

Huge inside, ain't they? I compared them to my Suburban XL and with the back seat down, they hold about as much crap. Impressive.

So what is the ultimate goal for it? Stock? Basic transportation? Off road beast? In the weeds?

My goals for it are: #1 Just to save it from the indignity of rusting away on flat tires for ten years and probable scrapping out. #2 Get her running, looking and performing well. #3 Convert to semi-camper for canoeing/camping trips. - It's a lot like a sad, abandoned, neglected dog.....I feed them too !

[DannyK]

BTW, I couldn't find any M plates on it. There's some rivet holes in two places where POs had installed a seat belt and did a poor rust repair. It has the dash vin and door post silver sticker though. The original colors (under mats,behind chipped re-paint etc) seems odd. It appears to have originally been two-tone w/ Tan upper body (and interior paint) with Sage Green lower body. It has the mentioned front and rear A/C, rear window defogger etc. Did they make a Tan/Sage green two-tone? I'm thinking of re-painting with Tan everywhere. (yeah, I don't know the proper VW name for the tan yet.)

[Sneaks]

M-code plate on a 79 Bay is under the dash on the driver's side on one of the dash vent tubes and not behind the seat like earlier Buses. I had to use a mirror to see mine. I hear you can also see it by pulling out the driver's side turn signal but that is a lot of work just to read a plate.

sneaks you think a bay is great you need a syncro vanagon

You've been talking to fuser too much. He tried to get me to buy one a few weeks ago. Obviously, he thinks my neighbors don't hate me enough yet...

[DannyK]

M-code plate on a 79 Bay is under the dash on the driver's side on one of the dash vent tubes and not behind the seat like earlier Buses. I had to use a mirror to see mine. I hear you can also see it by pulling out the driver's side turn signal but that is a lot of work just to read a plate.

sneaks you think a bay is great you need a syncro vanagon

You've been talking to fuser too much. He tried to get me to buy one a few weeks ago. Obviously, he thinks my neighbors don't hate me enough yet...

Thanks Sneaks, I was looking all around the seat and door areas. I found it (where you said) and de-coded it. I laid a piece of paper over it and rubbed a pencil lead over it, because the mirror-backwards thing was too confusing- lol. The results are in my '79 Bay thread. I'll post there as I make progress on her. P.S. If you think a Vanagon drives well, try a late model T-4 Eurovan ! 200 h.p. stock and handling to boot !