ok type 2 gurus, i got a 61 kombi and need to learn

[sled]

alright so like the title states, i bought a january 61 all OG sealing wax red kombi. this is the first bus ive owned although ive worked on a few.

i want to learn as much about buses and their specific attributes/history as possible...be a sponge for information. ive been reading extensively on the samba and other type two websites and have already gathered a wealth of information.

but i have a few specific questions about my bus that hopefully some guru's can shed some light on.

first one being interior. i understand that kombi's were a utility vehicle..one step up from a panel. the front cab had grey board panels. what im wondering is, what all was included aft of the bulkhead? did kombi's come with any rear and middle seats? ive read that some came with none, some came with rear only, and some came with both middle and rear. middle being a flip down seat correct?

well my bus didnt have original rears, only the correct hump bench front. ive got a bay window rear and 2/3 middle from a walkthrough that i will use temporarily for comfort and convenience. i have an upholstry shop at my disposal...so how can i make these bay seats appear as correct as possible. i know the legs are probably wrong...but if i had them covered and stitched the same as original, could they look half decent? obviously the grab handle and ass tray would be removed from the back of the 2/3 seat.

im also planning on getting a complete set of interior grey board panels from Clara @ Sunrise bus. did kombi's ever have any interior panels behind the bulkhead? i think it would be a nice look and still look 'kombi' and utilitarian. thoughts?

my m-code plate is quite boring and unfortunately not loaded (only "north american export two popouts) but i still think its an awesome bus. my question, at the bottom it simply says RED and the model number is 231. does this mean it was not painted at the factory...just in primer? does RED mean sealing wax or could it have been ruby?

another one...is my bus supposed to have a thin or fat lipped package shelf? mine is thin and as far as i can tell its original.

i havent seen much in the way of all SWR buses, and fewer kombi's. is this a relatively rare color/model combo or do i just not know where to look.



another quick question, the lower hinge pin on the passenger front door is tight, what is the best way to remove it and replace with another?



thank you!
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drive your split.

[pyrOman]

Pix!
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[67texan]

Middle and rear seats were standard equipment on Kombis. They didn't have any panels behind the bulkhead, including headliner. Sealing wax red is a cool color and that's what 'RED' indicates on the m-code plate - if you search for 'sealing' in the gallery you'll find a few early kombis. Ruby red was used on commercial busses starting in '62.

I'm not sure about your seat question concerning how close you can make baywindow seats look to stock, but I know a lot of folks run 'em. And I have no idea about the package shelf.

Now, how about some pics?
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'60 Kombi
'67 Beetle

[derv]

[Campy]

Sled--
Try spraying some PBblaster several different times on the door hinge pin.

[krusher]

[obus]

from theSamba dictionary under "K" for Kombi:

[67texan]

[Lind]

[bill may]

[Clara]

On a Jan '61 RED is SWR. They also used RED to mean Ruby Red, but that was not available for a '61, AFAIK
SWR is a beautiful color.
model 231 is a kombi. post your entire M-code plate if you like.

You should have a thin lipped parcel tray, like this early '61 SWR DC

(see the og paint drip to the left of the ig switch)

Thick lipped trays started ~ April 1961

For sticky hinge pins, just use PB Blaster or your favorite penetrating oil. You will find when it is lubed, it is not tight.
Oil all your hinges and door mechanisms, actually. Lightly grease the striker plates.

searching the gallery for "sealing" or "SWR" brings up loads of SWR buses, including these:

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[sled]

ive searched sealing and found a few in the gallery...but i was looking for more specifically kombi's that are SWR...there appears to be very few (on the samba anyway) there is only one other ive found and its a guy down in florida.

here is mine. it is the same one on the trailer that clara posted. its a very complete bus, with i believe 78,xxx og miles. the only thing missing was the ash tray and rear tail lights. i have gotten an og paint SWR ash tray and will be ordering some flat tail light sets. has correct hump front bench seat. there is odd rust on this thing...the left and right front floors were bad which is common, but there is zero nose valance rust and zero rust in the doglegs *except for the lower steps are pretty bad. also the front cargo door inner structure is gone...while the rear cargo door inner is really nice . the cargo rocker is shot as well. the bus tipped over at one point and there are some scratches on the drivers side...but it didnt even break the stationary glass.

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drive your split.

[Stocknazi]

looks like a pretty good project. i really like 61 buses. if you don't have option M503 your bus only had front cab panels. you will need the correct seats for your bus. the bay seats are different, but will work ok until you find the right seats.
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[EverettB]

Here's the '61 I used to own:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/scrapbook/61kombi/

It is not original paint on the outside.
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[RINC]

Ahhhh.............that shite will buff out Sled.

Nice.

[Clara]

Ah, you bought the bus from Aaron... nice
So, what are you wanting to see in the pics, anyway?
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[sled]

???


nothing in the pictures i posted, i was hoping to find more swr kombi's. but its proving to be tough. just the one down in florida and everetts old kombi.

did you happen to get my pm clara?
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drive your split.

[SkyDawgVW]

14 years later…looks like we have a similar bus
Mine was built Aug 2 1960
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1961 SWR Kombi