My 58 PG/SG Bus project

[AlanInMass54]

Hello! I had made a topic some months back looking for information on a Bus I came across in NY through one of my junkyard Facebook groups that had had the VIN section hacked out. I figured it was a very long shot that any information would turn up. I was unable to find anything and the plumbing company name on the Bus didn't go anywhere. I couldn't bear to let it sit there and paid the hefty $200 for its remains. It had been picked over pretty well, even the dash was gone. People had posted it in the gallery back in 09 and in those pics it was more complete, the front bumper and brake light engine lid were still there. Eventually it was brought home and given a thorough once over. It's pretty roached but certainly doable!

I had talked to a number of people in similar situations who used the body number to title their Busses, if worse came to worse I figured I'd do that. About this time a very nice fellow down in NC was parting out a wrecked 58 Kombi he had. We made a deal and I got all the seats and a rear pressed bumper from it. They're all in need of repair but are better than nothing!

Then I found a nose off a 59 not too far away which needs the lower portion repaired but had a decent dash with all the trimmings!

I then came across a very nice guy named Robert Skinner who does amazing Bus restorations out west and he made me a great deal on a pair of pressed bumpers! I welded up some cracks and holes after getting them sandblasted. Now they're put aside in primer for later!

About this time a fellow named Cris Torlasco in NY started listing a bunch of stuff on FB as he was going to be moving. I had talked to him briefly about the Bus as he had posted a pic of it in the gallery, come to find out he had gotten a bunch of parts off it years back!

In one FB ad was a bunch of ID plates. But by the time I saw the ad he had already had someone interested in the bunch. I said damn that sucked but arranged to come check out his other stuff that coming Saturday. I got there and he had not mailed out the ID plates. He opened up the box and we looked at them. There were two Type 22 ones. One turned out to be for April or March 58, I think. My Bus was built in October, so that one was out. The other, however was VERY rusty and what numbers we could make out put it right there. He contacted the buyer who was cool and credited him for the plate.

As we were looking around his stuff he said he had some parts that came off the Bus and that I was welcome to it! It was easy to spot as the inside rear of the Bus had been sprayed with this weird metallic green paint.

The rear hatch prop rod was in with this box of door parts, see the green paint!

After getting home I soaked the ID plate in Evapo Rust for 2 days and followed that with cleaning it with anything I could find from brass brushes to dremel tools.
After all that it could only be read from the back and I had this.

After messing up and thinking that the 4th digit was a 5 I ordered a Birth certificate from VW and got one for a UK delivered RHD Kombi in dove blue set up for a camper.. So I assigned my 14 year old niece who has GOOD eyes for an examination and she decided the digit was a 3. I contacted the VW Museum and explained my error and they were good enough to send me a replacement certificate and guess what!!

That's my Bus! Million to one shot! So the plate is back with the Bus it came from and so are some of the other parts. As it warms up I'm going to tear into it and start with fixing the frame, it's a little 'spotty' in places. Then start at the front and work my way back. The plan is to swap on the 59 nose and dash as one unit after replacing the front frame piece behind and under the nose, it's not really all there anymore. Then so on.

This emblem will go on later. It's off my old 67 SO42. It was rusted to hell but my Dad, God rest him, patched it back together and I've saved it all this time hoping I'd get another Bus.

The whole reason I'm doing this Bus is in His memory. Back in the late 50's when he was going to Villanova he worked at a home for disabled kids and what did they have for a transport vehicle? A Palm Green / Sand Green microbus! He said how great it was in the snow and that he enjoyed driving it. I've always wanted one. I've started fixing small parts. I purchased the worst (and cheapest) brake light decklid in the world and am going to fix it, if I can.

The plan is to separate the outer skin from the frame and fix both as necessary. Oh, I also found the original headlight and ignition switches at Cris's place.

I'd say both are probably only useful for small paperweights, but they're there.
Well, that's where I am. Any tips for getting the rest of this engine lid skin crimp pried up? There's little to no clearance to get the panel knife in there.
Onward and upward and so on or something..

[BarryL]

[karl h]

wow, what a project, i love it!
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[LAGrunthaner]

Congratulations AlanInMass54, great story and contacts. You have been doing your homework and it paid off. Keep up the good work. Your thread is officially bookmarked. Looking forward to updates. Your dad would be proud.

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