SOT - To Bus or Not To Bus, Should I Go VW? Options

[seanery]

After watching the super-cool VW Bus in Bullrun the last few months, then being nudged on by a member posting a link to some busses for sale - I'm seriously considering a bus. To keep the budget/cool factor evened out I'm thinking a 13 window walk through. I like the bigger Porsche Cups or Twists, a 2.0+ type IV, disk brakes, nice but simple interior, maybe a 901.

Here's the rub...I think I'd want it to be my main driver. Now, I'm not home too much. The last 2 1/2 years have been 300+ days on the road per year - and the next 18 months I'll be in Europe & Asia. So, it's not like I'm gonna be putting 15k miles per year on it. Plus, I have the 951 still. The Durango may be sold (as of last night).

But, it would need some sort of rustproofing - or, could it be powdercoated then cleared so it looked like nice shiny paint, but with a hard, durable finish? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

I've seen a couple of A/C systems for the early busses, but they aren't very elegant, seat heaters are probably a must - what about real heat? Are the heat exchangers enough? For some reason Gas Heaters scare me, is that a justified fear?

Anyway, here are a couple of color choices I'm playing with.

Tell me what you think...I know this is a bit unconventional - but I am unconventional (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Cap'n Krusty]

I drove the Thunder Bus ('73 Bay Window) for 21 years, 10 of 'em with a 2.4 E and a chillcast 901 tranny with 914 gearing. Other than the fact that the 901 ate a few diffs because we habitually abused it, it was one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. If I were to do it over, I'd use a later 901 with a bigger diff and diff bearings. It had 911 seats, a center seat and a bed platform in the back, largish speakers under the platform, smaller ones in an old A/C pod on the ceiling, nice tunes, it was too fast for safety, comfortable, got a little better fuel mileage than the T4 power it once had, had dynamite heat, and was relatively quiet at cruising speeds. My sole complaint? After you passed everyone on a twisty 2 lane road, you had to pull over and let 'em all by so you could do it again!

At a little under 6 ft tall, I found a splittie difficult to drive at age 30, and it didn't get better as I got older. The seating position is less than ideal, the noise level is high, the suspension is primitive, and they're SLOW. You're hunched over the steering wheel, no matter how you move around, and that's exhausting.

The Cap'n