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Thu Aug 14, 2003 5:31 pm

This is me and my first bus. The photo was taken in 1983 about a year after I acquired it. I've been driving a bus daily ever sense. OK, almost everyday.

Thu Aug 14, 2003 8:36 pm

Looks like a proud new papa showing his first born :!: :)

Thu Aug 14, 2003 9:58 pm

Do you have a pic of it now?
You could get someone to take a photo of you leaning on the bus in the same place.

Fri Aug 15, 2003 5:48 pm

Unfortunately it was ripped, stripped 3 years later. When I got it back there was very little left on it. And I do mean little. An empty shell. I had already bought my second bus so I cut it up into little pieces and though it out. Some where I have a picture of it in pieces on my trailer. Before you all start giving me grief it was back in the days when you could buy old buses for a dime a dozen. If I had only known then what I know now. My second bus I still have and will never part with it.

Fri Aug 15, 2003 6:39 pm

My second bus (Brunie) in 1987.

And in 2001. I own two model number 215s, VW Delivery Van (Double doors left and right, LHD) A 1963 Lagwagen (camper)[Brunie] and a 1964 Kastenwagen (panel)[J]. The 64 is stock and the 63 is not.

Sat Aug 16, 2003 12:20 pm

Nice busses! That beach campout looked like it was fun.

Mon Aug 18, 2003 5:50 pm

Lots of sand, but no water. It was taken out near Glamis (Sand Toy capital of the world) in the Imperial Sand Dunes.

Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:54 pm

Found an old picture of my bus about a year before it was stolen and stripped by Roland Knobs.

Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:15 am

Found a few more old pictures. The first one is the day I brought her home in 1982.

Testing out my friends new trailer.

1985. My new motor. 1776 dual 40 webers full flow oil system and sump. Dog house shroud. Probably a few other things.

1986 stolen, stripped and found in Poway in a rented garage. Parted out and cut up for scrap in 1987.

Mon Sep 14, 2020 7:55 pm

That's so cool Fish. I feel I'm getting to know you.

I've posted this picture before of my first car. a '66 bus. My CB handle was Blue Baron.

All I have left of it are these headlight buckets, which I paint matched at the time.

Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:04 pm

Blue Baron wrote: That's so cool Fish. I feel I'm getting to know you.

I've posted this picture before of my first car. a '66 bus. My CB handle was Blue Baron.

All I have left of it are these headlight buckets, which I paint matched at the time.

Blue Baron, thanks. I like your bus as well. Growing up in the south west I was influenced by the desert crowd. I've been reading your post for years and I feel the same about you. If you ever find yourself out west drop me a line. I always have a cold one in the fridge.

Tue Sep 15, 2020 2:33 am

liking those wheels on your bus, fish.
here's a photo of my first (and to date only) bus, back in 1988...rhd of course

a previous owner had fitted a small steering wheel and bucket seats which I managed to replace with stock items. I was doing a lot of defence related work at the time and my boss told me to park it round the back of the office as he thought it looked like a cnd hippy bus! another memory is driving back from a pub and my friends having a snowball fight in the back!
I recently saw it for sale, all decked out in new paint and gingham curtains! glad it's still around but I prefer it how it was when I owned it!

Sun Sep 27, 2020 4:08 pm

finster wrote: liking those wheels on your bus, fish.
here's a photo of my first (and to date only) bus, back in 1988...rhd of course

a previous owner had fitted a small steering wheel and bucket seats which I managed to replace with stock items. I was doing a lot of defence related work at the time and my boss told me to park it round the back of the office as he thought it looked like a cnd hippy bus! another memory is driving back from a pub and my friends having a snowball fight in the back!
I recently saw it for sale, all decked out in new paint and gingham curtains! glad it's still around but I prefer it how it was when I owned it!

Those wheels were Jackman Stars. 15x6 in the front and 15x8 in the rear. I bought them at the factory in El Cajon. Every year Jackman had a big parking lot sale.
I like your bus, but then there isn't many I don't like. I drove an Australia rhd bus once here in the states. Different to say the least. It's nice to see when your old bus gets a new make over. My black and white bus was completely redone to stock sometime after I sold it. I saw it for sale and was checking it out when I noticed something that I had built that I've never seen on another bus. I did a double take and more looking and sure enough that was my old bus. So both of the buses I owned have been restored to stock like condition- campers.

Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:55 pm

Mrs. Fish surprised me the other day.

Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:44 am

that's neat!

Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:50 pm

I had a baywindow before but my first split was this '67 13 window I bought in December 2004. It had been sitting for 20 years in the same spot. The engine had a bad rod bearing and was half disassembled where the middle seat should have been. All four brakes were frozen solid and it had moss growing on the roof.
I got a lot of discouragement here on thesamba forums but that didn't stop my 19-year old self determined to drive a split Bus. I remember my mom telling me that I would probably give up on it. It felt so great to walk in the house that night and tell her that it was in the driveway running.
This was taken in April 2005 when I fired it up for the first time.

Fri Nov 13, 2020 5:55 am

1989 i was 20 years old. bought this bus after i ditched a beetle i bought for $50. Bus cost me $625.00. Sold in 2006 for just over $10k. Do i wish i still had it? yes and no. Its value has soared as you all know but it needed a boatload of metal work.

Wed Dec 02, 2020 4:06 pm

My second bus, but my first car show award. BYOB 2000? 2001? Swiss Chesse Award.

Thu Dec 03, 2020 7:08 am

This is a photo of my first bus a 64 Deluxe, in around 1989 or so. It didnt look like this when I got it, it was slammed by the PO when he pulled a bunch of leaves from the beam and over adjusted the rear spring plates. He also painted it with Zolatone paint which was what was used to paint trunks on US cars, but solid other wise. I bought all of the parts to bring it back to semi-stock at VW swaps meets, bus parts where still easy to get then and not over priced. :)

Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:25 pm

Bought this baby for a mere $200 about 1984 with middle seat which was removed. My buddy helping me clean it out after another buddy towed it to my house with his S-10.

Didn’t check the lug nuts and one wheel almost got loose. Sold it 6-8 months later for $450 to a young couple who said they were professional scuba divers headed for the Keys.