I found this car on my travels on the weekend. it is pretty rough, nothing inside except the steering wheel, and i saw some door handles. has all side windows, chassis is stuffed but the body could be worse.
looks like it has been sitting there for years.

First question;
What year are we looking at? It has semaphores
second question;
Is it worth an 1600km return mercy dash to save it? assuming i can find the person that owns it.

Thanks in advance

side view

that is a pretty big looking resto
take it if u want but u aer probably looking at 60 + for a resto
maybe get it and do it REALLY slowely if u have the space and retire with it

it looks like a camel slept on top of it !
good luck!

o yeah i dont know much about buses but early 50's and before had semaphores. they would be worth a few $
:bounce

just looking at it again. It is a shame the prices for parts are SO much now, but if u were handy with a mig then it could look ACE as a custom job.
[Edited on 3-3-2003 by SKEWtYpe3]

[Edited on 3-3-2003 by SKEWtYpe3]

rear view

i also saw a splitty van no windows but there was no paint anymore just a rusted brown colour. Does this mean it is rusted through or is a closer look worthwhile?

that white one is a real oldie, its a barndoor. See how the engine lid is huge and there is no rear hatch. Anyway these are THE BUS when it comes to talking buses. THE BEEZ KNEES !!!:bounce

anything is worth a closer look !
You should have left a number in their letter box !:bounce

where is split bus when u need him ?

tucked in bed where we should all be !

It's a barny. Probably 54 (the majority
here are....).

GO GET IT SON - although if you don't know the owner
there may be a high chance he doesn't want to
sell it.

Rare bus now - missing a few major bits which will be hard to find
and expensive (tailights barndoor bumpers)....

BUT WELL WORTH IT FOR A TRUE BUS PERSON!

RobK

Yes its a Barndoor Kombi pre 55.

As Rob says would be hard to find the correct parts missing bumpers glass engine gearbox seats roof has major dents and it looks full of rust in the usual places... probally better for a parts car to someone who already has one.

The parts could cost more than the actual rust repairs.

Where abouts is it ???

mmmmmm....

later rear running gear will go in. The front
end and steering box is barn specific tho
and that's a problem
if the front beam is out of it...

Later glass will fit. Later seats can be modified to fit....

Would cost an absolute s$%#t load for a 'correct'
resto (ask me how I know).

But because lotsa stuff is missing doesn't make
it an immediate candidate for the chop Dave !

Really need to fully assess the rust issues
(it actually looks reasonably solid to me
front valance may be gone,
but window frames OK - depends what
it's really like underneath and through
the floors and doglegs etc etc).

RobK

location is way out west

i think underneath is completely shot, it has been used as a camp for a while probably 40 years, had a tree awning out the side.

I think its probably a bit far gone for a resto, but am thinking maybe using the body for a rat look or putting it on something else and just building a bastardised barney.

Has no wheels so would be a pain to move around.

hmmm.

Unfortunately bus bodies do not unbolt
from a chassis (like bugs).

They are unibuilt construction and you just
CAN'T lift the body off...

You have to repair the underneath which is
why rare rusty busses are such a bitch to
repair/resto........

RobK

bugger

tell them you will remove it for them for free then you might find it useful as parts for someone else
it looks too far gone unfortunately

nah dont tell them u want it for parts etc.
they will get the idea they are giving you something of worth and $
tell them u are an arts student and you love the VW history and its free spirit etc. talk a lot of hippy stuff to them and they will tell you to take it to just shut u up !
some ppl get greedy when $ comes into the equation - suss them out first !

good luck, its a sweeeet bus. Like said, sont do a resto, do a custom job !!!!!!!!!
:bounce

Thanks for the help i might now try and track down the owner and see what happens.
In the same area there was also a early splitty delivery van, couldn't get close because it was guarded by a goat but there was no paint left. Only saw the top of it.
Also spotted was a country buggy.
And God only knows what else was laying around. i will probably go for another look.
Let you know what happens.

Take heaps of pics of EVERYTHING !!
Get prices on everything and contact detaisl for ppl who may be interested from here but dont forget to tell them they might get calls from interested buyers. See if u can get into their shed for OTHER parts of interest !!!!!!!!
DAMN I wish i could go on that adventure with you ! (shit i need a life and diff. hobby !!!):bounce

Skew when my adventure ends i'll let you know where it was and you can then start yours. there's bound to be more cars laying around you just have to find them.
Its a place where they drive the cars till they die dump them and then start again on the next one, so any car that is hiding in the scrub will still be there in 20 years time.
I first saw this barndoor 8 years ago o a previous visit and it actually looks better now.

its your secret dude, i have enough work on my hands with what i have
i think i am just dreaming of a holiday.
1 day off work a week to have a life is slowely frying my brain, so is the daily intake of 3 odd coffees or more

:bounce

I wouldnt pay more than a $100.00 bucks for it as its going to cost around 20 to 30 K to get the other bits you need to put it on the road again...

and probally another 10 to 15K in panel repairs.

just scare everyone out of doing a bus resto dave ! :P

thats if he goes resto, custom resto will be cheaper
i have a 1600 gear box for u if needed
:bounce

Yeah its a bIt scary isnt it... thats why i wouldnt pay more than 100 bucks for it.

He's found the holy grail of kombi's.
YOU DON'T DO RESTO/CUSTOM ON A BARN DOOR.....:puke

if i do happen to score it,
"a get on the road as soon as possible resto" would be the order of the day

and yeh my wife is now shit scared and doesn't want me to go $50,000 on a vw :o

It's an investment! Spend 50 and
it'll gain you 50 over the next 5-10 years!

(My wife is still trying to work out whether our bank account had been 'had' or not 8-))

RobK

Yeah Spook gotta agree with yar... its got to be restored but bluuddy hell as the poms wood say

Rob your not susposed to tell the dept of WAR re costs on resto work... mine dosent know thats 4 sure.

Hi Spook

Anything happening with your 57.

Tottaly agree do not custom a barny, has to be tottaly stock.

Rob will tell you that there is only a hand full on the road in OZ,

Will cost an arm and a leg to do but will be worth it, and you will not lose money on a good resto.

Cheers
Dave:jesus

Is that true that there is only a handful left in this part of the world.

if so i better get a move on before those english people find it

Rob may correct me, but as far as I know ALL barndoors in this country are private imports. The same goes for split rear window beetles.
VW started mass importing of kombis in 1958.

As for my '57 Dave, haven't had time to put a spanner to it. But I'm not in a hurry.......

Very little formal documentation on this. I believe that there were some private imports prior to 53. I believe dealers did bring out some 54s (which may be why of the ones that are left 54 tends to be the most common year - and there also seems to be more utes than kombis?)

RobK

Ah, basis for this statement is that Monty Lea (of Darrell Lea choc business fame) told me that his family privately imported the 2nd bus into Australia in 1952 - it was used as the family's private transport and they later bought dealer barneys for the business...

He doesn't know where any of them are now - probably all returned to the earth!

RobK