The links will open in a new window (but only one).
Shopping
VW Heritage An Aladdin’s cave of parts based in the UK. We used them extensively for sourcing parts for the restoration of both my and Tim’s Beetles.Type 3 Detectives For many of the parts shared with the Type 4. Very helpful on the phone.
Machine 7 I could spend hours here shopping ... a great source of customisation parts. I am using some of their stuff to complete the Variant conversion project.
Cool Air Another site I came across whilst looking for parts for customisation. They specialise in the whole air-cooled VW family as well as stocking parts for buggies, trikes and other derivatives of pre-79 cars. They seem to have everything you could possibly want or need to repair, replace, tune, modify or customise.
Frost Restorers Equipment A superb source for specialist tools and other equipment for restoration work. A slight frustration with this firm is that they often list hard-to-find tools but don’t list the range of accessories made for that tool, and they don’t provide any technical help on their stuff. I have bought quite a lot from them for work on the Variant conversion project.
Bughaus This is a great site for parts in the US that I discovered. I bought some parts from them whilst visiting the US in 2007. They carry parts for all VW air-cooled vehicles including some listed for the Type 4.
Another US site I found ... Stock Interiors, the Auto Carpet Experts. They list most VW models including the Type 4 but they only make mats for left hand drive cars, which puts the driver’s rubber heal mat on the wrong side for the UK. I did ask if they could put the mat on the opposite side and they said they couldn’t help me. Their pricing is very competitive but the amount they want for shipping to the UK is prohibitive, and of course the UK Customs people would want to add their slice to the final bill.
Screwfix A superb, good value source for fastenings, tools and other stuff for general work with a guaranteed next-day delivery. I have used them a lot whilst working on the Variant conversion project as well as for general maintenance work on my home.
Information
The Complete VW Type 4 Jens Vagelpohl has compiled a superb account of the car and its foibles. It has extensive information on the car’s history and pictures from the original sales brochures. He even has information and circuit diagrams on fixing the Eberspächer heater and fuel injection equipment. This site keeps growing and it has to be the site for the Type 4.The VW Type 3 & 4 Club Homepage This is the official owners’ club in the UK. They have pictures of events and information on the car’s history. They will tell you how to decipher the VIN plate codes to date your VW. There are also a few very handy tips on repairs – including a brilliant tip for welding small holes! They are in the process of constructing a brand new website but only have the forum section up as yet.
The Historic VW Club is dedicated to all Volkswagen models built before August 1967 and all special bodied VWs.
The Samba.com – now one of the largest Volkswagen-related online communities with a global audience. The site currently includes free classifieds, a user gallery, an extensive archive of Volkswagen literature and manuals, a worldwide events listing, club listings, links, and a business directory.
Shop Talk Forums is a good source of information on all air-cooled VWs
Ephemera
VW’s Experimental Safety Vehicle – pages from a brochure produced by VWoA in 1972.Rear Engined Cars is a site by Allan V. Lacki dedicated to rear engined cars and includes this page on the Type 4.
Volks Zone A truly amazing site leading to everything you might want to know on Volkswagen cars and more.
Internet Movie Cars Database You will find here one of the most complete list on the web about cars, bikes, trucks and other vehicles seen in movies, image captures and information about them. This link takes you straight to a page of Type 4 appearances!
Thoughts on driving a classic car – I recently came across an article about the environmental implications of driving older cars. I reproduce it here with my own thoughts added.
If you have a suggestion for a new link, let me know and I’ll maybe include it.
Last updated 26th July 2012 © J S Rastall.