MauriceR wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:14 pm
Hello All, thanks for the mail.
I'm in Box Hill, Melbourne.
Yes, your right, I'm looking for a bay window, around 1974, or some where there, pop top, manual, with 3 way fridge & gas cooker.
Does not have to be renovated, I'm not precious about the paint, & do want to avoid the rust as much as poss.
I can recommend the pizza & company on the open fire, was very good, Maurice 21.3.18
Don't be tempted to buy the model before, known as a low light because the indicators are close to the front bumper rather than up beside the vent grille. They don't rust as bad as split window Kombi's, but they do suffer severely with the rust problem. If you don't have your heart set on a bay Kombi, the T3 might be a better buy because they were more on top of the rust issues by then.
I'd avoid the 3 ways fridge in preference to an inverter type 240vac fridge that will fit in the build space, if you actually want a built in fridge at all. We ripped all the original camper build out of our poptop '74 Kombi and made a lift up section from the rear floor to level with the door so we could fit the autogas LPG tank under there along with the jack and other gear. The cooking etc we do outside under the awning or a gazebo that stands up over the whole vehicle if we camp up for a while. A great option as the pop top fits inside the gazebo and when all closed up the Kombi can be driven out without needing to disassemble the gazebo. That way your camp spot is staked out and you can drive back in after the trip to town.
The change to dual fuel gas/petrol was one of the best improvements we made, it runs great on LPG and like a Kombi on petrol
You know that "what was it you wanted to happen" when you push the accelerator down after a corner and by the time it gets its act together you need to drop back a gear .... that doesn't happen on gas and it pulls a lot longer up the hills without that sudden loss of power and need to drop back 2 gears.
Without the cupboards and fridge there is a lot more space, we use a Waeco esky type fridge (60ltrs or maybe 80ltrs) and works great with the solar on the poptop and lithium battery. We have a few portable panels for the long stays, otherwise the generator recharges the battery just fine. We also did away with the original 12v flooded cell start battery and use the lithium battery for both jobs. The original position for the start battery means they don't live very long because they get cooked, then the acid eats the battery tray away and attacks the body work around it.
Getting a rust free '74 will require buying a Kombi that has had a full restoration. After 44 yrs no matter how well it was looked after, the body will be rusting from the inside out. The window rubbers shrink and let water in, the poptop looses is tight seal and water gets between the poptop and roof skin, a rust hole starts and lets more water in. The problem is there is a path from the walls to the side rails and this is where the rust really takes hold. The sill rail under the sliding door and corners either end of the front doors as well as the sill rails there are prone to rust as well. Don't be surprised to see weld repairs around the windows, all of them, the water gets in under the rubber and away it goes.
Never mind one or maybe two little people on here 
