Short of installing Air Conditioning (which we'll cover in a future "TechTalk" article) there's few remaining functional alternatives. We've tried just about every Rube Goldberg contraption one can think of to keep Hi temps down inside a bus during the warmer months.

So, what CAN you do to decrease the cabin heat of your Splitty?

S.A.F.A.R.I. Windows

Yep, Safaris are tres suave. They add to the already retro-chic visual appeal plus allow for copious amounts of cool summer breeze, inside.

Safari windows were originally available as a factory VW option from 1954 to 1967. Primarily an export only item, the "M-code" for the pre-1963 variety was (M 113) and from late 1963 thru 1967 a second variety of safari (M 132) was offered which utilized safety-glass in place of the earlier non-laminated.

Up until recently, hunting down a set of VW safari windows was akin to searching for the Maltese Falcon. Elusive and fraught with cheap imposters posing as the real thing. At one time the easiest way to tell real from fake was to look at the profile of the frames. OE would be rounded with an apex peak in the middle, repros had sharper edges and no center reinforcing channel.

Today there are several manufacturers of quality reproduction Safari Windows and while the range of craftsmanship varies widely, if properly installed, most function just fine and should offer years of bug-swallowing, breeze flowing fun.

In this DIY article we'll cover the basics of installing a new pair of reproduction safaris. Listed at the end of our article are a few suppliers and manufacturers of Safari Windows as well as links to their web-sites if available.