Author Topic: 65 Soon To Be Dormobile  (Read 3910 times)

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Offline vwboop

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65 Soon To Be Dormobile
« on: October 25, 2005, 09:08:04 PM »
OK Here's the deal. I first owned this bus about 17 years ago. There were a few bus guys around back then. Scan Automotive (N.Van) was just gettin some custom Busboys stuff in. Chris Carter (now passed away) and I started the VW Van Clan of BC. Steve Woss was a part of it (had his same red/white 57 camper at Coquitlam this past year), and a few other guys, plus some really great people who'd come up from Bellingham (Whatcom Vintage VW Club). This was my first split window bus I ever owned. Back in the day I had pretty big plans for this thing. I was gonna paint it an aqua/turquoise and white on top. I bought deluxe trim for it (on a Kombi? WTF was I thinking?) I installed a lowered beam in it (first one Scan ever did). I was gonna do all this stuff to it, but over time my interests moved on to other busses etc.. and I ended up selling this bus to a guy in Delta.  More below





For a recent slideshow click here
« Last Edit: October 26, 2005, 12:10:07 AM by vwboop »

Offline Geoff

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« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2005, 09:25:28 PM »
Chris, This brings back memories. I was building my white 71 westy around the time you guys started the club. I remember you bringing in flyers to the shop to promote it.  :D

It's good to see you online here at ASF, You have a lot of knowledge on the T-2 (and others)that will help aid forum users with their restorations.

Remember the Barndoor that got parted out at Scott's!?!??!?!? What were you thinking :o

 :wub:  

Offline vwboop

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« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2005, 11:10:42 PM »
Quote
This brings back memories. I was building my white 71 westy around the time you guys started the club. I remember you bringing in flyers to the shop to promote it.
Funny thing (haven't got to the part where I buy the bus back, but the guy I sold it to kept everything I gave him with it. Old receipts, owners manuals, transfer papers, and the following (since you mentioned it).

FRONT



BACK



Also got back a picture I made. Picture was my old bus when I got it, in front of my dad's house....cut the girl out of a swimsuit magazine. You gotta understand, there was always lots of girls in Hot VW's back then, so I made my own little magazine shot. Funny thing is when dad recently came over I had the picture out. He said \"I don't remember Gina ever being at that house\" :lol:

« Last Edit: October 25, 2005, 11:14:14 PM by vwboop »

Offline vwboop

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« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2005, 11:55:41 PM »
OK roughly just over 30 busses later (yeah, let some go we shouldn't have....thanks for bringing up the Barndoor Geoff....actually was a 53 double door panel...I saw Mark Merz advertising one on Big Bulli awhile back saying his was one of three known to still exist....It didn't get cut up though, and is still around in Oregon....saw a picture of it not too long ago.... yeah and Hans K and I ponder that 55 23 window every once in awhile which we both had owned at different times...what ever happened to???.....). Gina really compliments me as she doesn't let me sell stuff, and I used to sell everything. Back to the story, We were looking for a bus to make a DORMOBILE out of (MW's Dormobile's are my ultimate, but very tough to find...I've only owned 4 in varying states....Oh yeah Geoff remember that one we cut up at Scott's? That bus was pretty decent but I couldn't live with all that flat sheet metal the guy welded in, and the cut bulkhead (paid $200 for it). Remember he had that panel full of NOS engine stuff..cases..heads...he said I could grab whatever I needed to build an engine for the bus but I didn't know what I was doing so I left all of it). Anyhow over the years Ron Groom (whom I met through Bwaz) had refered to a guy he worked with or something that had a 65 pop-top camper. This actually took a couple of years of conversations, but at the great Canadian a couple of years ago I asked Ron if the guy still had that 65. Ron said he did, and that the guy had bought a motor home and the 65 was kind of out of the picture for this guy now. Ron said he would probably even let it go pretty cheap. After getting his name there was something that felt kind of familiar about it, and I mentioned to Ron that this sounds like it might be my old bus. Ron kept saying it had a pop top which really threw me off because I knew mine was definately a solid roof westy. To shorten the story when I finally went to look at  the bus, sure enough it turned out to be my old sweetheart. It was still owned by the same guy I sold it too (Henry Ross), and had basically sat in his carport all these years. It did have a pop-top, but it turned out it was just sitting on top (Henry bought it but never installed it). Then Henry mentioned that he still had all the stuff I gave to him with the bus, and asked me if I would like to see it? I was so stoked that he kept everything and it brought back so many memories. I ended up buying this bus back for $900. It came with the most complete Westy kit I've ever come across, and although rough in spots...pretty unmolested. Anyways, we have a complete MW's interior and top that we have been saving for the right bus, and I guess it's gonna be this one. We are just starting out and don't have lots of $$ so progress may be slow but you'll at least get to see the body paint process over the next couple of months. For all that took the time to read this many thanks.
Chris & Gina B)
« Last Edit: October 26, 2005, 07:31:37 AM by vwboop »

Offline silas

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65 Soon To Be Dormobile
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2005, 07:05:27 PM »
wow. very cool to hear that story chris. it sounds like the bus has come full circle to its rightfull owners again and that you both have a very concrete plan of attack.

all the best with the project.

Offline vwboop

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« Last Edit: November 10, 2005, 05:20:00 PM by vwboop »

Offline Type2Meister

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65 Soon To Be Dormobile
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2005, 11:08:10 PM »
Super cool Chris!  Keep the photos coming.  
Got any of the '53 double door BD?  I saw pics of a very rotten '53 DD BD here on the Island a while back.  I think it is chopped up now.  I saw the roof in a guy's yard outside upside down :(

 

Offline vwboop

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« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2005, 10:15:58 PM »
Here's some pics from today

Once we have all the metal we need they'll get right into it.

Oh, BTW sorry paul no pics of the BD (wish I had)
« Last Edit: November 02, 2005, 10:17:02 PM by vwboop »

Offline Type2Meister

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« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2005, 07:01:51 PM »
Sweet Chris!
Do you have the Dormobile top already?  Did you find out where it is supposed to be positioned?  What colour/s are you going with?  Can't wait to see it...

Offline vwboop

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« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2005, 09:24:05 PM »
Stock for the bus color (pearlwhite with silverwhite bumpers/wheels). Have the top and the MW's interior. it will pretty much be stock but the top canvas cots and curtains might be a little different (just the top canvas from MW works out to about $700 before shipping so we might go with some Sunbrella colors in the spirit of original use). We got some info about positioning from MW, but looking at the pics you sent the tops aren't placed a whole lot differently (MW to Westy installed, just installed opposite sides I think). I'm probably going to just center it (front to back) between the two metal roof braces. I'm pretty excited as most of the time we just look for something with paint and body we can live with......this is only the second car we've had painted. The first (Barry Guscott painted) went to BWAZ years ago. He put a Dorm roof on that one and ended up selling it to the US East Coast. Recently found out it was sold to Mark Smith in Oregon who sold it to a client in Japan.

Should look pretty much like this. This is Ryan's 67 for sale on the Samba. should last about a day or two.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2005, 11:28:22 PM by vwboop »

Offline bwaz

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« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2005, 09:27:20 AM »
I'm sure I took pics of where the roof was on the old bus I bought for the roof doner Chris, I'll have a look and send them to you if I think they're of any help
Brian
brian waz

Offline vwboop

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65 Soon To Be Dormobile
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2005, 02:12:24 PM »
That'd be great Brian. Thanks.

Also Paul/Geoff here is the DD Barndoor as it is today. Still waiting......

Offline Type2Meister

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« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2005, 10:18:02 AM »
Quote
That'd be great Brian. Thanks.

Also Paul/Geoff here is the DD Barndoor as it is today. Still waiting......
Whoa!  Is it local?!  Super cool.
Yes, Ryan's bus looks nice and is a good price.  I am kind of torn as whether to keep my bus original (rust and all) or find something like that and transfer it all, including Dormobile top.  I am working on Uhauling down here to start work on it.

Offline vwboop

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« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2005, 07:08:33 AM »
It resides in Oregon somewhere now. Ryan's bus would be ideal to convert into something like that. If you can get yours into class that'd be the way to go too. ;)  

Offline vwboop

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« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2005, 09:47:22 PM »
Feel a bit silly but due to a circle of events (I don't want to get into the details) the 65 has changed hands. It may come back to us again someday, and probably will...... but for now we are again saying goodbye to it. Ryan's bus pictured above is now going to house our Dormobile stuff. Of course we'll keep you posted ;)