I have just bought (sight unseen...wish me luck!) a 1969 deluxe bus (at least i'm guessing it's a deluxe by the interior, there is no exterior trim
indicating it is a deluxe...am currently chasing up the VIN to confirm).
I won't be able to pick it up for a few weeks so the couple selling it sent up some photos including this one of the dash. Has anyone seen a dash
like that on an early bay? I never have. I thought the metal dashes went out in 1967 and in came the plastic ones with the new shape.
Anyway, any info would be appreciated. I've also included some other photos for interest. All comments welcome. I'm looking to do as much as a resto
as I can afford.
Soulsurfer, you're my inspiration!
Dave.
Pic (hopefully)
Another pic
And another
few more
sweet, looks real nice hay!
and another
The exterior paint (below the waist) is house paint! Who knows what i'll find underneath!
Last pic.
Yeah...gotta admit I like the dash. Just surprised I've never seen one like this before on a bay.
Yes it is the right dash for an early Bay. It appears to have some of the delux bits like headlining, the red trim on the cab dividers, coat hooks
etc.
Here is a pic of my old 71 bus'es dash.
Cheers
Steve
Ah-ha. Thanks for that.
I got the VIN and it starts with 229 so it's a standard 69 bus. I wonder if the interior deluxe bits were added later or whether the original owner
was able to option it up at purchase.
All bay (T2) kombi dash's were steel just like yours, right through to '79. Infact even even T3 (wedge shape) kombi's still had a steel dash.
Factory colour was mat black though, not white or other colours (in Australia).
The only changes were in the dials (speedo, fuel gauge etc) they varied in look slightly and colour. They went to darker grey ~'73 and to black ~'76
(not exactly sure on years).
The only difference in the dash was in USA they had a padded dash, which was padded vinal over the stock steel dash. I don't know of other markets
that got this. Only in the later years though I think post '73.
As for being a Deluxe, what was imported varied a lot over the years, so what options it came with as a Deluxe varied quite a lot.
Looks like a great beast, hope you get plenty of fun out of it!!
Nice early Bay, I like these busses and to find one with all the trimings is great to see. These busses (68-72) will be the new split window kombi's
soon and the value will only go up, up, up
Well done and hope you enjoy it.
My old 73 Westy was the most nicest rides i have had in a kombi, stopped well, rode beautifully and was nice and quiet.
I feel like a Goose. I just had a look at an old pic of my 71 kombi and sure enough...metal dash. It must have been the colour that threw me (that's
my excuse anyway).
Cheers.
good looking bus all the same!
Where is it at the moment if not with you?
[Edited on 12/5/2005 by Grock]
It's in Nowra. I'll be picking it up at the end of this month. Looking forward to seeing what i've bought!
Yeah, thats like my dash.... only my dash is really dirty and not quite as smooth :thumb
My 72 Bay ahs a black steel dash - smooth and clean
My 69 bay has a white painted dash and a mate has a blue painted dash, both are still in their original factory paint, so not all dashes were painted
matt black. So yours is correct.
This doesn't show it too well but you get the idea...
Yeah...it was the fact that it was painted the same colour as the body that threw me - I hadn't seen that before in a bay. I guess I now know the
original colour (lotus white I'm guessing) - same as yours by the look of it!
Cheers.
my '69 doublecab and '71 panel both had factory body colour dashes.
'73 has a black dash.
I've seen a padded dash on a german '79 bay.
the "silverfish" model, which also has factory blue velour interior, steel sliding sunroof (like the "clipper" model),
deluxe padded steering wheel, and deluxe guages.