TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Mar 16, 2010 6:42 pm

My love affair with the splitties started in '94 when I bought a raggedy little '65 Kombi that was all alone in the woods behind some apartments in J-ville. My girlfriend and my best bud pushed her home for me while I was at work. (Thanks Glandnut :wink: )

In 2002 after marriage and my first child I sold her for a song, I've regretted it ever since. :cry:

For years I have cruised the classifieds and lurked on the Split forum waiting to find another Type 2 that wasn't priced at it's weight in gold. Well, I have a friend that is part of local group mountain bike ride. He told me of a '65 Sundial he drug out of Mississippi and parked at his dad's place many years ago. I bug him to sell it to me every few months for two years, I even pulled the dirty trick of pursuading his wife. :wink:

Well he finally buckled, we drove out to the "river house" to check her out. This is what I found:

Yes, those are tent poles in the bottom of the closet. :shock:

Yes, that is the OG side tent in the back. :D

Weird home brewed oil filter, I hope this isn't in place of the oil cooler???

I can't explain how excited I was, I instantly fell in love. We still have to work out the details and perform the "extrication" but my bud is a man of his word and the handshake was made. :D

Tue Mar 16, 2010 6:49 pm

Sweet!!! Looks like a great project!

Tue Mar 16, 2010 6:51 pm

Great find, it looks pretty clean and complete.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:09 pm

looks solid and dry for the most part. Good Luck and get it out of there!!!!

Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:11 pm

Nice find. I don't see the brackets on the roof for the tent. Soooo I'll take those tent poles off you hands. :D

Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:38 pm

Get a title in hand and drive er outta there. That always pisses em off. Beep the horn a few times on the way out. Ha I love that. Done it twice. Once w a 1964 Kamper and once with a 1984 Mazda 626.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:23 pm

very dry bus, congratulations bro, how long had it been since they pulled it out of mississippi? because those tires are pretty deep in the dirt at your friend's place.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:25 pm

I did that once with a 65 beetle that the original owner parked for 18 years because it wouldn't start. I was so proud I got it rolling and running till down the street I pressed the brakes and the brakes stuck frozen shut at a four way stop. After rocking it back and forth it took some volunteers to push it off the road. I walked to get my truck and tow bar. GOOD LUCK she is a gem!

Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:24 am

This is a good friend of mine that is cutting me a super deal on it. I won't be rubbing his nose in it and beeping the horn on the way out of the field. I'll probly be buying his rounds of beer for a while and giving him lotsa help on his Westy project in return. :wink:

It has been sitting there for a few years, she's definitely good and stuck. I'm just glad she was sitting out in the open not under some trees staying moist, otherwise she would have been rusting away and returning back to the earth from which she came. I've seen that all too often here in Florida.

I'll update with pics of the extrication! :D

Thu Mar 25, 2010 8:40 am

Sweet! Lemme know when I need to roll down in the Taco to yank that thing to the house!

Thu Mar 25, 2010 8:52 am

your sundial interior is exactly the same setup as my old one. dave pechumer needs to look at your spice rack on the cargo door because he needs to make a new one for it. sweet find or buy which ever one it is. hope to see it up in jax soon!!!

Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:23 am

With last days of school, soccer tournaments, weekend trips to Farfigtubbin', weekend shifts and various other sundry issues it was hard to arrange the "extrication". However, my buddy and I finally found time together to make it out to the Sundial and get her home!

A few weeks ago I pulled the wheels, sandblasted and painted them, mounted up a set of Yokohama 185r14's (one of the few 14" LT tires available) They seem like good rubber.

My son always eager to help out Dad, he's an awesome little guy. :D

No winch on the trailer so we got creative with rope and the 'Noggin pulled her up with little effort. No injuries or major mishaps.

Sweet! Strap her down and lets roll.

Down town High Springs Florida, 2 miles from the where the Bus has sat for the past 15 years. I've been kicking around this area the whole time. :roll:

The angle in the driveway was perfect, she rolled right off like she was home. Whole event went smooth as butter. :D

My sweetheart of a wife actually spent several hours with me giving her a CLR rub n' scrub in the driveway. This is only about 3/4 done.

Passenger window is busted which allowed a litany of flying insects, critters, birds and the like to make a home over the past 15 years. This is a fraction of the wasp and mud-dobber nests I found. I got tired of collecting them. Sorry little mommy finch. :cry:

I also set off a bug fogger and watched the roaches scurry out. :shock: This thing was flat infested! After quite some time spent with the wet-dry vac and a hefty supply of chemical cleaners it was time to enjoy the honorary "first cold beer" at the table inside. :D

Still more CLR treatment to come. But it was time to roll her into the garage and finish the six-pack by the pool. More to come........

Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:55 am

want to sell it?

Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:25 am

Nice work bro- 8)

Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:38 am

Nice Find! I once pulled a robin nest out of the back of a rescued Riviera camper...sorry mama Robin.

Great project!

Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:02 am

An abosolute specimin there. You have saved up many units of fate to have that bus on your side. This bus is so complete, as if to tell PO and others not to pick off me, (tent poles, wiper blades, floor mat, etc.!) I have this person thats coming to pick me up next century.......that person my freind........... is you, WOW.

Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:29 am

Very Nice.

Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:45 am

Very nice. I'm curious to see the oil filter setup once you pull the engine, so pretty please take some pictures of it. Good luck on your new project!

Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:00 pm

Helluva nice bus...

Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:56 pm

Dang thats nice! Keep us updated with progress :D