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obus 
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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 Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 8:02 pm Post subject: OG owner & background history/pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Well, i got a fire under my ass from the "Bob Dowell" thread and decided to look into the past for the original owners Family to try and find out about the Mango. Through some online research back in 2007 when i 1st got the bus i found out the original owners name. I knew he had passed in 2008 but i Facebook messenger'd his Daughter and one of his sons.
His Daughter got back to me with some good info and a few pics. She said "The folks bought it new in 1959 in Columbia missouri when Dad was a college student on the GI Bill. they were driving it after dad graduated and got a job as a state veterinarian in Monticello Arkansas. They were still driving it when they moved back to Missouri to establish a practice closer to the family. David(her older brother) remembers learning to drive in it."
She was born in 62' so she doesn't remember too much about the bus when it was in daily use. She only remembers it being a storage unit in a building on the family property(where it was pulled from and eventually found its way to me after a few owners). She said her brothers remember her riding in her crib where the middle seat would normally be.
She said " My brothers say that when we lived in Columbia Missouri and in Arkansas in the 60s Dad would remove the middle seat and use a piece of plywood to load members of the church who were in wheelchairs into the bus so they could get to church.
She said her dad always talked about rebuilding the bus but never had the time or money.
She was talking to her brothers and on the move out out of Arkansas the bus threw a rod and it had to be towed into Missouri and later repaired. Her older brother said that Dad had to put in at least 2 transmissions and 1 motor during his ownership. She said it threw the rod because they had 3 loaded trailers to move from Monticello Arkansas to NW Missouri . She said Mom and Dad had an argument about if the bus could pull a trailer. Dad said no but Mom insisted. She was wrong. Dad ended up having to pull 3 trailers and the bus through the Ozark mountains! the highway patrol had to hunt down Dad because he was leapfrogging trailers and didn't know she was broke down. Her younger brother was riding with her dad and he got to hear dad venting about Mom messing up the bus by insisting on pulling a trailer.
Pictures to follow:
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July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
March 1956 Beetle convertible https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10419731&highlight=#10419731
Last edited by obus on Tue Jun 23, 2020 5:23 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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d-rick
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2006
Posts: 892
Location: Columbia,MO
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| Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:54 pm Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Very cool story..nice investigation work there!
I live in Columbia,MO....and also have a '59 Mango...both our buses were probably sold new at same dealership in Columbia
I wonder where they lived and if they left that middle seat somewhere???or did you get it with the bus ?
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1959 mango-trailerbus
1962 single cab *1/2
1966 13 window
1967 panel/camper
1968 cig-panel *1/2
1968 passenger bus *1/2
1969 beetle
1969 dormobile
1978 sage green Westy
1990 DoKa
2002 Golf TDI |
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Dustin B
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2007
Posts: 1017
Location: hesperia, Ca USA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:56 pm Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Great story. Being able to track down the original owners is priceless.
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Wanted Victoria motors licence plate frame.
62 og paint L469 type 1
61 og paint L31 DD panel type 2
64 heilite viscount tent trailer
71 sears clamshell trailer
I <3 Brazilian busses
Original paint and patina extravaganza http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=187156 |
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Culito
11010101
Joined: December 07, 2006
Posts: 5882
Location: Columbia Missourah
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:41 am Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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D-rick, ya think that was a Riddick purchase?
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© CJ Industries, Inc.
'64 standard w/2.0L type 4
'62 bug
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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d-rick
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2006
Posts: 892
Location: Columbia,MO
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 5:55 am Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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LSD...(Lee Street Deli) is still up and going over on East Campus.
Looking at the samba Dealership info John-Garrett Motors
was in operation until the second quarter of 1960 ,then looks like John Riddick motors took over. The original building located at 1600 south old hwy 63 is still standing...and for sale at the moment.
I have one John Riddick VW plate frame
_________________
1959 mango-trailerbus
1962 single cab *1/2
1966 13 window
1967 panel/camper
1968 cig-panel *1/2
1968 passenger bus *1/2
1969 beetle
1969 dormobile
1978 sage green Westy
1990 DoKa
2002 Golf TDI |
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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67 Florida Deluxe
Samba Purist
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7990
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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d-rick
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2006
Posts: 892
Location: Columbia,MO
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 11:13 am Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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| obus wrote: |
I was able to see that old dealership and LSD on Google Maps. looks like the old dealership was an RV place before closing? No VW dealerships in that area now or did they just move to a better location?
I have to find one of those plate frames. I'm determined. Lol. My Thing came with the original ones in CA. |
yep old dealership was an RV /rental supply place up until recently. We do have a new VW dealership that opened up around 2013ish? no ties to the old one at all.
_________________
1959 mango-trailerbus
1962 single cab *1/2
1966 13 window
1967 panel/camper
1968 cig-panel *1/2
1968 passenger bus *1/2
1969 beetle
1969 dormobile
1978 sage green Westy
1990 DoKa
2002 Golf TDI |
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EJZero1
Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2004
Posts: 184
Location: Colorado Springs
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:48 pm Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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So cool that you were able to get pics of your bus with the original family, in color, no less!
Still hoping to get similar pics of the Bob Dowell Van!
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‘60 Kombi, The “Bob Dowell Van” |
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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Riff Raff
Shivering Sambian
Joined: October 25, 2004
Posts: 3097
Location: Alberta
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 5:10 pm Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Very cool to dig up history of your bus!!
I too was inspired by the Bob Dowell bus and will be be doing some snooping this summer to see what I can find out about my Kombi
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The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge
- Daniel Boorstin |
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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J Flare
Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2004
Posts: 316
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:49 am Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Love the color picture of the kids. Both boys have the look....
"What? We didn't do anything!" |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 11228
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 7:01 am Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Her dad sounds like a cool dude.
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Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now
1989 Westfalia |
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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Saul Koll
Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2008
Posts: 196
Location: Portland
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 11:01 pm Post subject: Re: Background history and pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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Great story, great photos! Thanks
I love the histories many of these old beasts have. |
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obus
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11716
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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AS350driver
Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2016
Posts: 1346
Location: The Heart of Dixie
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| Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:51 pm Post subject: Re: OG owner & background history/pics of 1959 Mango bus aka Obus |
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| Do you have a build thread on the bus ? |
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