TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1954 barndoor

Fri Jan 10, 2020 3:24 pm

A friend asked me this today, and I didn't remember. I had a 54, in 1967 (yes, I was 18, and a real budding hippy). I remember a sort of open space, but not what was under there. Or what it was for. I also remember a valve, with a white plastic knob. Was it under the seat, or in front of it? Was it for the useless heater?
He asked if the space was for storage. Hell, the whole van was storage!
Thanks And thanks all, for keeping these antiques alive!

Fri Jan 10, 2020 4:31 pm

Underneath the seat is an open storage area. Below the front edge of the seat mounted on the seat pedestal (behind the shifter, not underneath the seat itself) is the heater control knob.

Do you have any 1967 pics of your 1954 to share? that would be awesome

Fri Jan 10, 2020 5:15 pm

I keep my jack, tool kit, and crank handle under the front seat bottom, in the little area there:

I think that was where those things came originally.

Yes please on the pics, it would be cool to see it

Fri Jan 10, 2020 6:37 pm

Everett you need to vacuum that thing out!!

Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:22 pm

Thanks for the photos. Perfect!
And my photos? I wish! My first car was a TR3, in high school. I sold it for a new guitar and amp, for that band San Francisco was just waiting for. After I got back, 6 months later, I found the bus. $80! My gear never made it back. Hippies are great. Junkie hippies will steal anything for money...
What I'd give for a photo of each of these cars.

I'll tell you what the bus looked like - but no mocking! I described it when I first joined. The nasty responses burned my butt! Turns out, some thought it was a prank post, from a Samba member. Once I got clued into that - I had to laugh.
Anyway, the next adventure was to Provincetown. I had 4 months to fix it up. I insulated and paneled the inside, hung an 8' California state flag on the roof, as a liner. And curtains. Tie dye, of course! My artist-buddy had just learned how to do it before we left SF. So cool - except that summer, you could buy shirts like that at Sears! But I loved that van. The awesome places it took me. The motor blew 3 times? All 28hp of it! My neighbor's mower has more than that, today.
What do I drive today? When my wife lets me? She bought a Tesla 3 last spring. Great car! She had a Leaf, before that. Progress?

Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:15 pm

Here's his older threads with some descriptions:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=252537
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=251010

Sounds like a typical Beater Bus from back then but cool that it was a Barndoor and did a lot of miles

Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:50 pm

jondoe wrote: Thanks for the photos. Perfect!
And my photos? I wish! My first car was a TR3, in high school. I sold it for a new guitar and amp, for that band San Francisco was just waiting for. After I got back, 6 months later, I found the bus. $80! My gear never made it back. Hippies are great. Junkie hippies will steal anything for money...
What I'd give for a photo of each of these cars.

I'll tell you what the bus looked like - but no mocking! I described it when I first joined. The nasty responses burned my butt! Turns out, some thought it was a prank post, from a Samba member. Once I got clued into that - I had to laugh.
Anyway, the next adventure was to Provincetown. I had 4 months to fix it up. I insulated and paneled the inside, hung an 8' California state flag on the roof, as a liner. And curtains. Tie dye, of course! My artist-buddy had just learned how to do it before we left SF. So cool - except that summer, you could buy shirts like that at Sears! But I loved that van. The awesome places it took me. The motor blew 3 times? All 28hp of it! My neighbor's mower has more than that, today.
What do I drive today? When my wife lets me? She bought a Tesla 3 last spring. Great car! She had a Leaf, before that. Progress?

Awesome, thanks for sharing. It's really interesting what our beloved old VW's have been put thru over the years before they were collectible.