66 Kombi - Family road trip project

[OTO X58]

We picked up this 66 walkthrough Kombi in Long Beach last weekend. From what I gathered from the seller, it came from the Midwest where it was purchased with 3 other buses. Ours is the green and black one on the left. Does anyone recognize it or have more information on it?


I traded a 57 Ghia for the Bus. (ghia thread)

I only know a tiny bit about the engine.
1915cc 69x94, build around 3-5 years ago?
Heads with 42x37 valves were installed recently
Solid shafts with ratio rockers
Seems like an aggressive cam
40 Weber IDfs
Pertronix flamethrower 009 distributor
Vintagespeed exhaust
It seems to make more power up high than torque down low, maybe not ideal for a Bus.

The Lowlight was my dream car, and I'm really sad to see it go. But my wife had to give up her 60 Doubledoor Bus a few years back to help make the downpayment on our house, and she has wanted another bus really badly. So when this trade came up, I jumped on it. She more than deserves it.

Our goal for the Bus is to build something for family road trips. car shows and camping. She'll take the kids to school with it sometimes, soccer practice, grocery shopping, etc. So it needs to be drivable, reliable, fairly quiet, and safe. Bonus points for heat and AC.

It already has disk brakes, dropped spindles and a straightaxle, most of the rust repair, a nice shifting transmission, all the eletrical works, and it has a modern stereo cut into the dash. Those are all positives for what we want. She also loves the front and rear safaris.

On the cons side, it's totally gutted on the interior, it's SUPER loud inside to where your ears ring, and the bottom half of the body has been rattle canned flat black.

I can work with that! I'll document the light duty build in this thread. I more than welcome suggestions, criticisms, and comments.
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RIP HBB 10.10.84 - 12.25.09
1958 Ragtop Bug Build - Subaru Swap!
1957 Gazelle Beige Ghia
1957 Dove Blue Kombi field find

[OTO X58]

As soon as I got it home, we gave it a bath and got a closer look. We took the rack off and think it looks better this way.

I originally assumed this was Velvet Green, but it's not. The M code plate is missing, but I've gathered this was originally a solid Pearl White bus that was resprayed a random emerald green at some point. The flat black was added more recently, probably when the panels and bodywork were done. I would prefer it be OG paint, but I can make this work.

It's had a handful of Gerson's funky green panels welded into it. Some of the bodywork wasn't completely finished.

I might need to get after that battery tray.

apron has some bondo chunks missing in each corner.

found a bit of rot in the bottom of the passenger door.

driver's louvers need some finishing. I don't think there's a bunch of bondo here, I think it was just speared into the louvers when that panel was replaced and just wasn't finish sanded.

weird hole in the front floor, but otherwise it's solid

Took a bit of wax to its forehead and it actually shined up pretty nicely! We're thinking of picking a color for the bottom half and repainting that but leaving this green on top. Maybe a lighter green color, or maybe even an a yellow/orange? open to suggestions!
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RIP HBB 10.10.84 - 12.25.09
1958 Ragtop Bug Build - Subaru Swap!
1957 Gazelle Beige Ghia
1957 Dove Blue Kombi field find

[panel]

I love the full length rack , just not how it mounted to the bus Gotta be a better more stock/OEM mounting solution.
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My '65-Subaru EJ20 Turbo conversion

[OTO X58]

[Eric&Barb]