TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:56 am

Hello to everybody,

you can not image what a pleasure is for me to open a topic in the "sancta sanctorum"'s forum.

A couple of weeks ago, we discovered an incredible barnfind '53 in Siena, tuscany Italy.
The bus owned to Marco, a real VW enthusiast http://www.90fisso.it/

you can see the round hole over the right tail light were the owner placed the methane cylinder, for the engyne, not the stove.

As usual in Italy, the tail lights are from a FIAT 850, because during the 50's the government has changed the laws on headlights and all the circulating vehicles have been updated with what was on the market.

The owner ran with cars at that days, and this bus was the mobile motel on race fields.

that is the adhesive of the Siena's drivers racing team

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:10 am

Wow what a great find love to see some interior pictures

Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:14 am

Whata great find! yes, please post up some pictures of the interior.

What are your plans for it?

Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:31 am

unfortunately the interior forniture is missing.

But we are convinced it was a campingbox.

the bus still have these special trims

something already seen...

on this magazine

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:39 am

sedatavo wrote:

you can see the round hole over the right tail light were the owner placed the methane cylinder, for the engyne, not the stove.

so is the motor still converted over to run on propane?

Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:53 am

What are some other indicators that it is a camping box? I don't see any evidence of any cabinetry being mounted anywhere. I would expect some mounting marks at least on the cargo door where the storage shelves would have been. Some odd modifications for sure, propane, cut bulkhead, bulkhead panel modified to fit the rear engine wall etc.

Sweet find either way. Congrats!

Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:00 am

the engyne still has the methane pump system, you can see it in the left side of the engine bay.

Unfortunatly it hasn't got the original block, but a '58 (I believe)

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:47 am

I believe it has to be found in a barn to be considered a barn find. Cool bus nonetheless. More pics are always appreciated.

Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:26 am

terrific find !
considering the wet conditions you found it, it still looks very solid !
all windows there and the roof looks decent. alos knowing the history of the car makes it even more precious, I just love the Siena piloti sticker.

Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:25 am

RPGreg2600 wrote: I believe it has to be found in a barn to be considered a barn find. Cool bus nonetheless. More pics are always appreciated.

sorry, in Italy we use the speech "barnfind" to indicate every car or bike found in a hidden place that was there for many years.

in this case, we can consider to call it a "next to the chicken coop-find".

:D

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:51 am

BulletBus wrote: What are some other indicators that it is a camping box? I don't see any evidence of any cabinetry being mounted anywhere. I would expect some mounting marks at least on the cargo door where the storage shelves would have been. Some odd modifications for sure, propane, cut bulkhead, bulkhead panel modified to fit the rear engine wall etc.

Sweet find either way. Congrats!

first of all, the owner told us it was an original camping conversion.

- the brackets over the front windows arches were hang the two children bed.
- what remain of the rear wardrobe over the engine bulkhead
- all the panel trims that (I think) weren't of a combi.
- the fact that the partition panel is not in place.
I can also imagine that the export campingbox conversion included the demolition of partition panel to allow hinging of the front seat back and create the chirdren bed.
Obviously I can wrong and the partition panel can be removed over the years for other reasons.
But if we take a look to the Popular Mechanics article, the partition seems to be absent.

every opinion is wellcome

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:06 am

more pics

roof is incredibly solid

left side

poor front

Maria's medal, every italian 50-60's car had one of it!!

WE in Venice?

I'm checking the VIN number on the Eccles's book

what they did for engine breathig!

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:05 pm

Porco dio!! :shock: Che bel ritrovamento!!

Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:30 pm

Barndoor Mafia wrote: Porco dio!! :shock: Che bel ritrovamento!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: quando ci vuole, ci vuole!

sorry, I'm not able to translate it, at all... :D

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:50 pm

fantastic find... would love to see what the front bed brackets look like... :wink: :D

Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:56 pm

:? me too...

:D

sed

Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:41 pm

sedatavo wrote: Barndoor Mafia wrote: Porco dio!! :shock: Che bel ritrovamento!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: quando ci vuole, ci vuole!

sorry, I'm not able to translate it, at all... :D

sed

penso che ......... hell yes ?? As close as you will get to an English translation. Sono amico di Fabio. lo conosci??

Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:44 pm

Incredible find, many congrats.

Love the fact you have some history and a few old photo's as well, regardless of model thats a lovely bus to own.

I look forward to seeing the progress over time.

Best
Ian

Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:56 pm

Missing bulkhead...
Better check it's not a surviving Barndoor swivel seat :lol: :lol: :P

Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:12 pm

I know who Fabio is, we have a mutual friend in Rome, Fabrizio.

The missing bulkhead is a puzzle, is too much well cut to be done to make room for hens.

For istance, we start to clean up the outer surface from the resin plant that covers the entire body and protected it for so many years.

After that we'll consider if we can drive the "patina"way or a complete restore.

Sed