Pimp your panel

[johny__utah]

[/img]
Hoping I can get started "pimping" this one out again this summer!
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1956 L31
1961 L346 L347
1963 L380 L289

[shortwing]

My 1960 swivel seat panel. On its way back to the road

j

[shortwing]

oops, forgot to caption the above post.
My 1960 swivel seat panel. On its way back to the road

[Stanagon]

Cool, a swivels seat. Do you have the front seat?
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Stan's Classic Service, specializing in air-cooled VWs:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=614073

www.stanagon.com


My '61 Mango bus thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=110367
My '64 vert thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=386344
My '71 squareback thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=637709

[shortwing]

Just sold it

[easy e]

No more swivel... a truly "pimped out" panel.
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aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List

[shortwing]

I will have two swivels in this baby. My plan is to have a nice usable bus that I can camp in and drive anywhere. I've had some buses before and I've loved every one. I intend to mortify out a few of the most painful "characteristics" and enjoy the rest of them. This bus has not driven under it's own power since 1978. I acquired it in 1989. It has been stored more or less out of the elements at my house in Oregon. I now live in North Florida.

[chgrec]

Just found this thread, some great panels....
A couple shots of mine, its resto-mod is currently underway.

Chris

[shortwing]

Nice, let's see some in process shots

[chgrec]

[Stealthy]

My RHD 57. Love the old girl. Great to drive and spend a night in.

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STEALTH
61 RHD Gulf Blue DC

Australian CKD

[Ellectronico]

Hey I can post in here!

my 1956 DD Panel

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www.56panel.com
www.killerjunk.com



"you need to lower it", "it would look better lowered", "Slam that bitch!", "That would be a slutty bitch if it was lowered", "That bitch would be a bitchin bitch of a bitch bitch bus if it was on its nuts, bitch"

[Stanagon]

[cww]

My 58 panel

[mandraks]

very cool
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regards

Uli

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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[cdennisg]

[cww]

[EasternNotch]

[henk]

Some progress on mine.

Henk!!!

[b-man]

My 1956 Dove Blue panel van, pictured back in late 1983 when I first purchased it from a friend in Kennewick Washington. He had purchased it for the princely sum of $150, I gladly paid him $1150 for it with no engine and towed it home to So Cal behind a '75 Chevy Luv (Isuzu) pickup using a modified bug tow bar.

Sitting in my parent's driveway not long after the trip home. I took some thinner and removed that goofy smile my friend had spray painted on it.

On the street in front of my parent's house.

Unfortunately my panel was hit in the rear by the distracted driver of a compact Nissan in the summer of '84, right in front of my parent's house while I was waiting for an oncoming car to pass by to turn left into the driveway. After the impact I ended up facing the opposite way with the bus falling over and laying on its passenger side.

I had a local body man pull the body back into shape after I hunted down a good used pair of cargo doors, a passenger door, a rear apron and decklid. Unfortunately the NOS rear bumper I had recently picked up for $100 was destroyed. It was repaired pretty well, but it just wasn't that cherry original paint bus anymore.

Disenchanted with my now less than perfect panel bus I soon sold it to my younger brother for $800 (about what the repairs cost me) and went searching for another Type II. I ended up buying a pretty decent '66 single cab pickup for $2800 using the settlement money I received from the accident which was paying pretty much top dollar back then.

Fast forward to July of 2017, I reacquired my 1956 panel. My brother had moved out of state in 1993 and left the bus sitting in the backyard of my parent's home, so I rescued it and am now resurrecting it.

I see it in a completely different light now, it's about as rust-free as you're ever going to find and the body can be massaged to perfection with some attention from a good body man.

Recent pictures, languishing in the backyard

I cleaned out the three spare 36 HP engines and other various parts stored inside to reveal a super nice cargo floor.

NOS cardboard divider I picked up a a S.O.T.O. meet back around '84.

Dash paint is still very nice and the floors are excellent.

1959 36 HP engine I picked up for $100 back in 1983. It had been sitting on top of a wood pile at the side of a garage for about 10 years and fired right up after receiving a little TLC.

After sitting idle for roughly another 23 years she fired up after a minor point adjustment, a squirt of gas in the carb's float bowl and bit of cranking using the original hand crank that was stored under the driver's seat.

I have started removing the spray bomb primer job to reveal what remains of the OG Dove blue paint. I found a nice set of four 15" wheels for it (only 2 good ones came with the bus) and purchased a new Klassic Fab reproduction rear bumper and brackets. Diggin' my panel again!

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1956 Dove Blue Panel
1966 Velvet Green Single Cab
1957 L41 Black Oval Window Beetle