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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 10:35 am Post subject: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Well it seems after searching and not pulling the trigger for close to ten years I have FINALLY joined the VW club with this 1964 Split Window Camper. I am a complete neophyte to both this forum and owning a VW, so if I do something wrong, please be gentle and correct me accordingly. I hope to take possession of this puppy next week. Engine and trans have just been overhauled and I look forward to putting some personal touches on this vehicle. So much to learn, so much to do I don't know where to start. I have been diving deep down the Samba rabbit hole looking for inspiration and info.
A few plans that I have so far:
* Learn how to be ready for any regular mechanical issues.
* Redo the cabinets inside (have a wood working genius of a friend to help me with this)
* Get a full length rack fabricated (I surf and do a ton of camping/road trips), hoping to include rear corner ladders as part of this.
* Thinking about putting in safari windows (live in south FL and it's HOT down here).
* Figure out a AC solution that won't break the bank and/or mess with original state of vehicle (thinking of some solar options).
* Confirm that I have all parts for the side shade and look into getting a full tent/canopy.
* Take her to my first VW meeting/swap event (looking at Bulli Brigade this fall).
Going to keep the original paint on the body, but considering cleaning up and painting the bumpers and maybe doing a few highlights (thoughts?). I want to keep this camper as original as possible.
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sgellis Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2016 Posts: 2014 Location: SW Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 11:28 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Welcome!
Looks like a nice bus. Don't be shy posting photos.
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Learn how to be ready for any regular mechanical issues. |
Best first step. They are quite simple once you get to know them. Feels good to do the work yourself also. Loads of info here but takes a bit of searching. If you cant find it just ask.
Knowing how to diagnose and repair can save you a ton of money and disappointment. I lost my fuel pump on the way to my first show Saturday morning. Having spare parts and a little experience meant I made it to the show and didn't have to be towed. _________________ My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings) |
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mandraks Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004 Posts: 7050 Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:04 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Do you know what the original paint was? some sort of red visible in the engine compartment?
look at your mcode plate, it will show you what color was original.
Bumpers and Wheels were silver white, which also looks nice.
The camper windows you have are my favorite as far as looks go.
Safaris may be your only choice for Air Conditioning. They also leak when it rains.
AC while you are driving? or AC while you are parked at the beach? In the latter case you definitely need to invest in a small, super quiet, fuel efficient (honda?) generator. Solar will never pull your AC. _________________ regards
Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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mandraks Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004 Posts: 7050 Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Waterborn wrote: |
...
* Get a full length rack fabricated (I surf and do a ton of camping/road trips), hoping to include rear corner ladders as part of this.
* Take her to my first VW meeting/swap event (looking at Bulli Brigade this fall).
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maybe you can combine these activities and shoot a rack while you are there?
Also: since you are in florida, check these out:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1621045 _________________ regards
Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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easy e Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008 Posts: 3931 Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:38 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Congratulations & welcome aboard.
Your pointy ended rear bumper & windshield washer squirrel nozzles hint that it may be a 1965 model bus (built after July ‘64).
We can tell you more detail with a pic of the M-code plate.
e _________________ aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List |
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oakman Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014 Posts: 1715 Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Congratulations!! You have an early Alabama Camper made by Miller Wood and Metal Products in Mt. Olive, Alabama. There are some differences between the early and later campers, but your sliding closet, headliner wood, and of course the huge tent mounts give it away.
Here's a thread on my old 67' Alabama Camper with lots of info buried in it.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=595804&highlight=montgomery
Good luck! Looking forward to following along. _________________ Brandon |
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flemcadiddlehopper Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2011 Posts: 2332 Location: Kelowna, BC. Canada.
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:15 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Awesome Bus, good score.
This is the right place to be. The people on here are the most helpful you'll find anywhere and you'll have a vast amount of pooled knowledge in the stickies to help you out also. As well as all the classified ads to sift through.
So, start posting.
Gordo. _________________ Everybody Dies....Some Never Live.
Retrograde Garage. Vintage Aircooled, and others. |
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nineteensixtyfiveVG Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009 Posts: 456 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 10:55 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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oakman wrote: |
Congratulations!! You have an early Alabama Camper made by Miller Wood and Metal Products in Mt. Olive, Alabama. There are some differences between the early and later campers, but your sliding closet, headliner wood, and of course the huge tent mounts give it away.
Here's a thread on my old 67' Alabama Camper with lots of info buried in it.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=595804&highlight=montgomery
Good luck! Looking forward to following along. |
I love your Alabama camper. Did you notice its for sale on Craigslist here in SoCal? |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 6:49 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Thanks for the welcome and all the info! So many threads to read, so little time. Reading through Oakman's post now and loving it. I meant to grab a pic of the mcode plate yesterday. Did not realize it would list original color (I did see the mcode sticky but just glazed through it briefly). Anyway, I can't wait to meet some fellow vw owner's and pick their brains. What I love about having a bus is the amount of personalization that I will be able to do over time. So stoked. |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 6:53 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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easy e wrote: |
Your pointy ended rear bumper & windshield washer squirrel nozzles
e |
Can you elaborate on what you mean by this? As I am new to all this I have yet to get all the lingo down. |
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easy e Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008 Posts: 3931 Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 7:34 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Squirters weren’t standard equipment until ‘65 model (and that round style wasn’t used past ‘65).
Your front bumper has a “slash” end. ‘59-‘64 had a slash rear. “Pointed” end bumpers appeared in ‘65... but only on the rear. ‘66 (and ‘67) had pointed end style on the front & rear.
The very tip top #1 thread in the Split Bus forum is called the FAQ thread (Frequently Asked Questions). Tons of key info.
There’s one there called Bumpers and Bumper Trim _________________ aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:29 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Thanks for the input. Definitely been making my way through the splittie FAQ. Had about 8 windows open this am. Will check out the bumper Thread when i get back home. What amazes me about busses is the variability in styles. It can be overwhelming trying to figure it all out. Is there a good reaource that has pics of each year/make/style? Have done some searching here and on the internet in general but haven’t found anything comprehensive yet. |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:43 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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easy e wrote: |
Squirters weren’t standard equipment until ‘65 model (and that round style wasn’t used past ‘65).
Your front bumper has a “slash” end. ‘59-‘64 had a slash rear. “Pointed” end bumpers appeared in ‘65... but only on the rear. ‘66 (and ‘67) had pointed end style on the front & rear.
The very tip top #1 thread in the Split Bus forum is called the FAQ thread (Frequently Asked Questions). Tons of key info.
There’s one there called Bumpers and Bumper Trim |
OK Skimmed through the bumper FAQ and think I have it. Looks like I have slash ends on both front and back.
When you say squirters, I presume you mean fluid ports for cleaning the windshield? |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:49 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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On a side note, as I mentioned in my top post, I have been looking for a bus for close to a decade. As a result, I have also accumulated a good bit of VW Bus art, mostly given to my by my wife. I guess until now it was her way of giving me a little piece of the bus culture to keep the dream alive. Here are my two favorite pieces.
This plaque is over our front door.
My wife snagged this painting on wood at a local art festival and somehow kept it hidden from me until my birthday 6 months later. |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 10:09 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Going through some of the other restore threads and saw that some of these campers came equipped with dry ice boxes. I REALLY want to install one on my bus. Currently it has a cabinet where the sink/ice boxes usually go (?) - behind the passenger seat. I’ve searched samba some and have not found any threads on the subject but let me know if i missed something. |
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oakman Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014 Posts: 1715 Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:23 am Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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nineteensixtyfiveVG wrote: |
I love your Alabama camper. Did you notice its for sale on Craigslist here in SoCal? |
Thank you, it was a tough decision to let it go. I didn't see it on CL but it had been listed here too for the last couple months. I believe it is headed back East to it's new home somewhere in PA. _________________ Brandon |
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easy e Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008 Posts: 3931 Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:57 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Waterborn wrote: |
easy e wrote: |
Squirters weren’t standard equipment until ‘65 model (and that round style wasn’t used past ‘65).
Your front bumper has a “slash” end. ‘59-‘64 had a slash rear. “Pointed” end bumpers appeared in ‘65... but only on the rear. ‘66 (and ‘67) had pointed end style on the front & rear.
The very tip top #1 thread in the Split Bus forum is called the FAQ thread (Frequently Asked Questions). Tons of key info.
There’s one there called Bumpers and Bumper Trim |
OK Skimmed through the bumper FAQ and think I have it. Looks like I have slash ends on both front and back.
When you say squirters, I presume you mean fluid ports for cleaning the windshield? |
Rear bumper is definitely pointed... front, slash.
Squirters... yes... windshield washer nozzles/squirters. (Not quite sprayers, like today’s cars). They are chrome over brass. If you ever strip the paint off them... be gentle... they are not reproduced and can be hard to find in nice shape. The ‘66-‘67 style squirters are reproduced and have dual streams per head.
_________________ aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List |
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oakman Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014 Posts: 1715 Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Waterborn wrote: |
Going through some of the other restore threads and saw that some of these campers came equipped with dry ice boxes. I REALLY want to install one on my bus. Currently it has a cabinet where the sink/ice boxes usually go (?) - behind the passenger seat. I’ve searched samba some and have not found any threads on the subject but let me know if i missed something. |
Your camper came with an ice-box originally. You can check the classifieds here for one, also check e-bay or craigslist for vintage camper cooler etc.
One for sale here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2191909 _________________ Brandon |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:11 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Easy, now I get it! That side view pic is what drove it home for me, thatnks! |
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Waterborn Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018 Posts: 179 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL - USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper |
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Don't think the ice-box is still there, but there is a cabinet behind the passenger seat. I thought I opened it up, but maybe not. Will swing by and check it out this week.
Here are some additional pics that I took yesterday of the interior to send to my friend who is a wood worker for some idea on what we need to do to get the inside restored.
I assume that these curtains are original, yes?
Here's the cabinet behind the passenger seat.
I know that this is a repost, but this is the "closet" that sits along the back passenger side. I am hoping that that shelf is for the door as I definitely want to reinstall/install a shelf for a camp stove. I already have a modern day coleman gas stove and will probably just use that for now, but will be keeping my eyes out for something more vintage.
You can also see the canopy hardware. Fingers crossed it is all still there. There was cloth in this closet, but I neglected to get a picture. It is definitely not enough for a full tent, so thinking it is just the canopy. |
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