TheSamba.com :: View topic - **Old Schoolers** This The Same Bus From Back In The Day?

Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:24 pm

Looking at the ad, it says it is the same bus. Im talking about that 56 firebus that was shipped over from Europe that was in that Hot VW's Vintage issue from back around 1989. I remember that thing was sweet. How did it get so tore up? I think Steve Nye used to own it back then. Old school SOTO days shit. Kinda reminds me of seeing some old washed up actor that got on drugs and all the sudden you see him years later just beat down looking.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=101220

Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:30 pm

I have that issue somewhere in my stash.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:37 pm

I remember looking at the bus on the cover at Darryl Adams place in West Palm Beach back in the mid-nineties. It appears to be the same bus, but I don't know how it got in that shape. The lettering on the door looks to be gone now, did someone sand the whole bus down? I got some photos somewhere.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:06 pm

SHSC wrote: I remember looking at the bus on the cover at Darryl Adams place in West Palm Beach back in the mid-nineties. It appears to be the same bus, but I don't know how it got in that shape. The lettering on the door looks to be gone now, did someone sand the whole bus down? I got some photos somewhere.

Looks like someone dented the lower nose by the headlight too.

the glory days...

Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:10 pm

Skim wrote:
Looks like someone dented the lower nose by the headlight too.

The back corner above the taillight and beside the hinge carrier looks dented as well.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:33 pm

That issue of HotVWs got me into buses. I remember flipping through that magazine until the pages were dog-eared!

Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:57 pm

As soon as I heard that the Bus from that issue was for sale, I got all excited without seeing those current pics. I remembered it being as good as new throughout and a super low miler European spec Bus too. That thing is so fucking far from what it used to be, it reminds me when I saw Diamond David Lee Roth for the first time since his "Just a Giggolo" days with his bald head, wrinkles, and just looked fucking disgraceful, so far from the days of glory and youth. Both the Bus and Dave are total bummers.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:13 pm

I asked the same question: here.

Good thing you got more answers than I did though. :D

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:14 pm

Exactly. I have the issue at home and it seemed to have all the hoses and fire shit in it back then. I wonder how many other busses got washed up like that.
Fuck. 1989 wasnt THAT long ago.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:21 pm

I'd have a hard time believing that that Bus could deteriorate to that extent in 15 years if you drove the shit out of it and then ditched it outdoors in the East, and then came back to find it so many years later. That Bus was a straight up museum piece when it was featured and has now turned into a full blown project/beater-driver.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:26 pm

I don't see how that could be the same Bus... I'm highly skeptical.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:31 pm

There are many similarities but still enough differences that I'd need some more evidence. The wheels are black I believe in both sets of pics, the bumpers were black and red and are now all black. Those funky updated bullets are pretty unmistakable, the cut out large taillights are the same on both. I just don't believe how far gone it is from what it was. I don't know if you could make something look that much worse if that were your goal. Know what I mean?

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:46 pm

has anyone taken the time to ask the seller what happened to it in the last 15 years?

Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:47 pm

if a vehicle gets in the wrong hands, god only knows what could happen. diamond dave's downward spiral wasnt even THIS bad.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:02 pm

BUCIOBATISTI wrote: I'd have a hard time believing that that Bus could deteriorate to that extent in 15 years if you drove the shit out of it and then ditched it outdoors in the East, and then came back to find it so many years later. That Bus was a straight up museum piece when it was featured and has now turned into a full blown project/beater-driver.

You haven't been out East here in a while, have you? :wink: You left a bus outdoors sitting in the mud for 10 years and it'll do that to it.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:14 pm

looking at the mag now... things I see that are different
ashtray is black in new pics
shifter knob is different
there's an extra knob on the dash (could have been added)
and the light up top appears to be in a different location (don't know how they are attached)
Everything else looks to be the same bus... which is very, very sad... the onwer needs to be taken outside and smacked around for letting that happen to that nice ass bus

Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:16 pm

As soon as I saw those funky bullets, I thought that has to be the same bus. Also like Linda stated, the tailights too.
One cool thing I remember about that bus is the pic they showed of the red beading that sat between the hubcap and the rims.

I dont think the bus looks bad in a sat outside sense more so than it fell into the wrong hands and somebody physically beat the hell out of it. Primered it and just beat that bitch down.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:44 pm

Email sent. We'll see if he shows up. Can't wait to hear the story.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:55 pm

I'm getting the full-of-shit vibe from this one. I hope I'm right because the bus pictured in the mag vs. the one in the ad is really sad.

NAES

Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:01 pm

Is the license plate the same one in the current pics as in the Hot VW pics? It would be hard to find the original plate if they were trying to make a fake...