Make: | Volkswagen |
Model: | Bus/Vanagon |
Type: | Minivan |
Year: | 1965 |
Mileage: | 20 |
Color: | Green |
Cylinders: | 4 |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Transmission: | Manual |
Drive type: | RWD |
Interior color: | Brown |
Drive side: | Left-hand drive |
Vehicle Title: | Clear |
Item location: | Surprise, Arizona, United States |
This bus was originally imported to the U.S. as a bare camper and converted into a full camper by Sundial. Not a lot of the Sundial campers were walkthroughs and even fewer survived. Great care was taken to rebuild it as a functional camper including a fold out rear seat bed. The table folds up for when the bed is extended. Originality was key in the restoration and the only variations from what came standard in 1965 were for safety related items such as upgraded brakes, larger wheels (15â€), seat belts and a taller geared (freeway flyer) transmission.
This bus has lived its whole life in the desert southwest. Originally in southern Colorado and now in Phoenix Arizona it was the perfect candidate for a restoration. There was absolutely no metal that had to be replaced due to rust! The lower rear quarter panel had to be fixed due to the bus being backed up with no bumper otherwise it was solid metal all the way around. If you take the paint and body filler off a lot of buses, you would find swiss cheese or a patchwork quilt. Not this bus, after the media blasting it looked like a factory fresh shell! When the body work was completed, epoxy primer was laid down to forever protect this bus. All told 14k$ was spent on this paint job alone.
Inside and out it has a phenomenal velvet green paint job laid by one of the best, high end paint shops in Phoenix. It is hands down a better paint job than came from the factory and will give any other show car a run for its money.
For longevity, all the suspension, bumpers, wheels and any other parts that could come off the vehicle were painstakingly powder coated not painted. So many restorations just let the paint gun cover up these important parts. Not only was everything powder coated but when it came time to rebuild crucial parts, like the front beam, no expense was spared. German parts, professional services were always sourced. All hardware was re-plated or brand new throughout the bus. It is known in the VW world that there is a huge difference in quality when it comes to aftermarket parts. Most of the parts (when not original VW) came from Wolfsburg West, a recognized name in quality replacement parts. Nothing was overlooked during the restoration. All cables, rubber and parts were restored or replaced with new during the process. Something I felt was very important to safety was the brakes. Aftermarket Disc brakes were installed in the front and the bus was converted to a dual circuit master cylinder.
The original motor was not with the bus, so a solid (dual oil relief) 1600 dual port motor was found and professionally rebuilt. Again, noting but quality was used for the rebuild and the detail really shows in the engine compartment. The bus was upgraded to a brand new 12V wiring harness which included the generator and new battery. When the transmission was rebuilt, taller gears were selected so you can drive it to meets and shows. The 1600 has no problem getting the bus up to speed. Stock heat exchangers and muffler give this bus a nostalgic sound that is instantly recognizable anywhere you drive.
The devil is always in the details. Below is a build link you can see the bus built from start to finish and it should answer most questions but feel free to ask any that may come up. Lots of closeup pictures were taken to really show off the build quality and level of attention that this bus received. Higher grade parts were always selected, and the details mattered even when parts would not be seen. For example, 1965 had a one year only wiper motor. It takes a lot to have one work on a 12v system and of course this one does. The interior seats are a copy of what Sundial did back in the 60's, the Birchwood is the same kind used back then. The front seat frames were powder coated before being recovered. Over the shoulder seat belts were used as they are a big safety improvement over the factory spec parts. Upgraded billet door and dash pulls give the interior a shine that it never had before. The interior smells like a new car and the seats are surprisingly comfortable. The wood covered interior give the bus a warm fun feeling that you usually don't find in a VW bus. The interior is also surprisingly useful, and you can relax in it during a car show or take it camping as it was originally intended.
At the time of listing there are right at 20 miles on the bus. This is as close to a brand-new bus as you can get without a time machine or doing it yourself. I have almost 25k$ in receipts for this restoration. This restoration was a bucket list item and I wanted to do it right. The only reason I'm selling it is my interests have shifted to travel and other projects, so I am ready to see it go to another home. Please ask any and all questions or I can be reached at 1-480-527-7425 (text or call). I am not open to offers, I have a very reasonable reserve or of course you can buy it now. I am happy to assist with domestic or international shipping. Here is a link to You-tube so you can see it start and run.
https://youtu.be/tyq4cNO4tqw
Build link: Copy and paste into address bar
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=690569&start=100
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Please note that the sale is binding and final. Vehicle is sold "as-is" with no warranty expressed or implied. Please carefully consider this purchase and ensure you have the means to complete the purchase before bidding. Winning/Buy it now of this auction obligates you to complete the purchase!
PAYMENT
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