TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:56 am

As many of you know, I bought Clara's Baja Single Cab in 2012 with the intention of picking it up and driving it to the Barndoor Mafia's Barndoor Reunion at the OCTO meet in June.

I'm doing some freshening up on the old beast, so I thought I'd start a thread on it.

Its a late '55 barndoor, it was the second youngest of the 59 barndoors at the reunion. Back in the '70's, Dave Beeson of Long Beach, CA built the bus to run Baja races in the then new light import truck class.

Never met Dave, but the story goes that he figured that the light pickup truck class, which at the time was mostly RWD Datsuns and Toyotas would be no match for a VW truck with the engine in the rear. 4X4 import pickups didn't appear on the market until 1979.

The truck was featured in Hot VW's and VW Trends issue #2.

Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:06 am

Clara had the bus for a bunch of years, and used to haul stuff and participate in the Shasta Snow Trip. I had heard of it, and first saw it in the flesh about five years ago. It was for sale.

Hauling Lumber:

Snow Trip:

Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:39 am

classic weekend 2012

Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:39 am

I dig John Pickénez' Single Cab!

Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:34 pm

one of my alltime favorite BDs !!! way cool !!

Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:16 pm

Photos from the trip by myself and Ann down the coast from Olympia, Wa, to Long Beach, CA:

Oh, did I mention somewhere along the line it picked up a smooth rear gate?

So, the bus is solid, has an amazing modified "no hop" suspension with RGB's, extended springplates, and 8 total shock absorbers. Two in the front and six in the rear:

It also has a unique solid tranny mount:

But the bus has lots of holes everywhere, great for increasing cooling to a racing vehicle, but not good for general use and off roading for the long haul.
The rear truck bed has holes for a large air cleaner to protrude up from the four barrel carb used back in the day, as well as a section cut as a scoop to let air in.

There are holes to either side of the engine, also for more air, and lots of holes for wires, mounting a CB whip antenna, and on and on.

In addition, there is some body rust at the front nose valence, at the base of the B pillars, and the normal rocker rust.

Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:24 pm

all makes it even cooler ! :D

Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:27 pm

I delivered the bus to Josh Hibbler for some welding up. Not to "restore" the bus, but to seal it up from water and debris, as well as to fix some of the rust damage.

Current work:
New seamed dogleg, with roll under for wheel clearance:

Driver's lower B pillar and wheel well closeout, inner rocker:

Passenger side:

Extra air vents in engine surround. We're trying to just close it up, not make it look purty. This is a baja/Trailbasher, after all:

Closing up the holes in the truck bed, and fixing the right rear gate hinge:

Closing out the ragged hole at the top rear roof for the roll cage:

More to come!

Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:57 pm

Late dash?

Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:33 pm

GTV wrote: Late dash?
Yes sir, and its staying!

Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:00 pm

digging the dogleg repair. glad to see the old girl getting some love.

Thu Jan 09, 2014 6:43 pm

looking good jDOT! you will look bad ass getting outta that beast wearing your SPVC colors

Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:31 pm

Hell yes! Gonna have to start making some serious jumps in your backyard!

Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:46 pm

According to Roger Nang, he saw a barndoor rear engine lid with a strange oval hole in the middle at OCTO in the late '90's. Perhaps the very engine lid missing from this bus, the oval hole to pass the stinger exhaust as shown in this photo:

If any of you SoCal boys has or has seen the wherabouts of said engine lid, let me know. Thx.

Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:59 pm

John I have a very repairable flat decklid no brake light, at the warehouse, just like the one in the picture, that I don't think anyone would feel too bad drilling a hole into it to make it work

Thu Jan 09, 2014 8:30 pm

mannys66 wrote: John I have a very repairable flat decklid no brake light, at the warehouse, just like the one in the picture, that I don't think anyone would feel too bad drilling a hole into it to make it work
I may take you up on that offer, Manny. But it would still be neat to find the one in SoCal. if its still around.
Thanks,
j.

Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:26 pm

First Place, Baja Class.

Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:49 pm

This is a great shot of the dogleg and rocker damage. The nose is next up for repair.
mattcuddy wrote: First Place, Baja Class.

Sat Jan 11, 2014 1:43 pm

This is one of the best trucks out there, love the history. Great that you are keeping it true to its roots! 8)

Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:06 pm

Noice.

Is the truck getting repainted medium blue?