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ronjonlasvegas Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 899 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:17 pm Post subject: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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I had been in the market to buy a factory 11 window sunroof bus for about a year. I first saw this bus at OCTO, in October 2019 and it was on a trailer for sale. Here are a couple of pics.
It was for sale at OCTO 10/2019 and it was a bare shell with no front or rear suspension, no wheels, no engine or trans and no seats or interior. It also had a rusted out cargo floor and battery tray from sitting outside with no sunroof cover for a long time. I decided to pass on the bus that day, the owner Greg Hale told me if he didn't sell it that day he had a friend who wanted it and had a solid offer on the table. About a month later the bus was posted up for sale on this website for the same price. I reached out to the owner Greg and told him I was interested, but the price was too high for the condition and everything it was missing. We talked some more and I found out he restores and sells buses for a living so I negotiated for him to install a beam and a big nut transmission and put four 14 inch stock wheels and new tires and to cut out the cargo floor and battery tray and replace those with brand new replacement metal pieces. I also had to throw in a drivers seat and a rear seat from a bay window. We struck a deal and it was contingent upon him getting the title back in the mail from the DMV. So I waited a few weeks and it came back right around Christmas 2019. My buddy offered to help me pick it up from CA as he had a manx he had to get so we ran down to get it on a weekend. Here are a couple of pics.
I did some research and found out this bus was originally found by user name mrjobe in Nebraska in 2012. Here are two pics he posted on this site when he originally found it.
I tried to find out more history and sent a couple of PM's to mrjobe but he is no longer active on this site and never responded to my PM's.
I go the bus home to Las Vegas, NV and started to make a plan for what I want to do with it. My plan right now it to leave the original paint and to just finish pulling out some of the dents, buff out the paint and get it running and back on the road and to leave it mostly stock. It was missing the SWR decklid and the SWR apron so I found replacements. I was also saving up money to get an engine and all the other parts that were missing. Here are a few detailed pics of right after I got it home.
So I have had the bus here for about seven months now and I have acquired a good used 1600dp engine and the missing walk thru passenger seat, short middle seat and correct split rear seat as it had a bay window one. I put my name on my buddies Telly's list at his shop to get it in and running driving and the brakes to work. In late July Telly called me said he was ready for the bus. So now it has had new front disc brakes installed, the front beam that was in the bus was a bay window beam so that was swapped out with a correct split beam and the beam and spindles were rebuilt. He installed a new master cylinder and new rear brakes. I also sent the steering box out to Wolfgang to be rebuilt and that has now been installed. He also fixed the broken hinges on two doors and the decklid and went thru all the wiring and got all the electrical to work. As of this week it now runs, drives, steers and stops. Here are a few pics of the bus in his shop.
Here is a pic of the first drive.
So I now have all the correct seats and placed an order with Lenny for a complete new interior, all seat covers, headliner, door panels, ragtop cover, etc... I am waiting on that to be completed it should be another 30 days or so. I also sent all the door handles out to be rechromed. Here is how my bus looks today.
I did also order the birth certificate from VW to confirm the build date and options. Here is what came back.
I now have a DMV appointment to get it registered for three weeks from now and am patiently waiting for the rest of the parts to come in. Once I get it back home I will do all the small stuff. _________________ September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint. |
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earlywesty Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2004 Posts: 2357 Location: In the woods, Ontario
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Nice! I considered this one too. 11w sunroof is where its at! |
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velvetgreen Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2004 Posts: 2744 Location: Canada
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Great looking bus- logo looks like original paint logo too. Good for you chasing down all those hard to find pieces! |
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velvetgreen Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2004 Posts: 2744 Location: Canada
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Any idea what the 798 Mcode corresponds to?
Looks like a tourist delivery bus? |
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AS350driver Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2016 Posts: 1340 Location: Tucson
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:59 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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It looks pretty darn solid for a Nebraska bus. Especially if it sat with the sunroof open |
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ronjonlasvegas Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 899 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:17 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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velvetgreen wrote: |
Any idea what the 798 Mcode corresponds to?
Looks like a tourist delivery bus? |
It is a tourist delivery bus. The birth certificate confirms that but my picture is sideways and hard to see.
I am not sure what m code 798 is. The birth certificate says code 798 is unknown. _________________ September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint. |
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ronjonlasvegas Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 899 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:28 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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AS350driver wrote: |
It looks pretty darn solid for a Nebraska bus. Especially if it sat with the sunroof open |
Yes. I would love to find out more history on this bus from someone in Nebraska. It isn’t very rusty at all. The front floor has a couple rust thru spots no bigger than a pencil eraser and the lower exterior rockers. Most of the rest of the bus is rock solid. _________________ September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint. |
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oakman Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014 Posts: 1715 Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:39 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Killer bus!! Sunroof standards and kombis are great, and yours being walkthrough is even better. I still think about adding a sunroof to my mango standard.. _________________ Brandon |
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Braukuche Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004 Posts: 10997
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:54 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Congrats on the bus, my son has the exact same bus, though his is Sea Blue.
Seems like most of the sunroof standards that pop up on the site are 65s.
Weird that the dude who found it would remove the beam and trans on such a rare and nice bus? But glad it found the right owner to put it back right.
_________________ Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
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 |
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ronjonlasvegas Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 899 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 7:24 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Braukuche wrote: |
Congrats on the bus, my son has the exact same bus, though his is Sea Blue.
Seems like most of the sunroof standards that pop up on the site are 65s.
Weird that the dude who found it would remove the beam and trans on such a rare and nice bus? But glad it found the right owner to put it back right.
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Thanks.
I saw a few early sunroof standards pop up for sale before I pulled the trigger on this one, but the early ones needed a ton of metal replacement.
If you sons 65 bus a walk through as well? _________________ September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint. |
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Braukuche Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004 Posts: 10997
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:04 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Yes mcoded for walkthrough and full width middle seat.
Does yours have a full width or walkthrough middle? _________________ Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
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 |
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Ragtop Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2003 Posts: 615 Location: Rio Rancho New Mexico
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:18 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Killer bus. Love 11 window ragtops |
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Clara Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003 Posts: 12399
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:21 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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ronjonlasvegas Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 899 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:38 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Braukuche wrote: |
Yes mcoded for walkthrough and full width middle seat.
Does yours have a full width or walkthrough middle? |
Cool. Mine came with the short middle seat originally. Lind sold me the correct middle seat I needed. _________________ September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint. |
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AC Mack Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2007 Posts: 368 Location: Redwood Highway Caught in the Devils Bargain
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 11:36 am Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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ronjonlasvegas wrote: |
Braukuche wrote: |
Yes mcoded for walkthrough and full width middle seat.
Does yours have a full width or walkthrough middle? |
Cool. Mine came with the short middle seat originally. Lind sold me the correct middle seat I needed. |
Model 285 sweet ! Short middle _________________ 1959 Model M1: 118
1964 Model 265
1965 Model 251 Deluxe walk thru
1966 Westfalia so42 Schiebedach fabrik 4864
1967 Model 231 EZ Kamper # 1940
1978 Westfalia P 31 / 1987 Westfalia Wolfram Grau
Split Bus Club / Lost Coast Bays / North Coast Vans
Long may that Split Bus run!
Always and Everywhere Volkswagen |
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Riff Raff Shivering Sambian
Joined: October 25, 2004 Posts: 3096 Location: Alberta
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Most excellent bus!
Congrats on doing it up right! _________________ The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge
- Daniel Boorstin |
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ronjonlasvegas Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 899 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 3:10 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Thanks for all the kind words. I am excited to bring this bus back. I will post up some more pics after I get the interior completed and get the paint buffed out. _________________ September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint. |
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earlywesty Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2004 Posts: 2357 Location: In the woods, Ontario
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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ronjonlasvegas wrote: |
Thanks for all the kind words. I am excited to bring this bus back. I will post up some more pics after I get the interior completed and get the paint buffed out. |
Please do keep this updated, its a great bus! |
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WildIdea Samba Member
Joined: September 17, 2016 Posts: 928 Location: Black Hills, South Dakota
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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buseric wrote: |
ronjonlasvegas wrote: |
Thanks for all the kind words. I am excited to bring this bus back. I will post up some more pics after I get the interior completed and get the paint buffed out. |
Please do keep this updated, its a great bus! |
Agree! I’m partial to the color myself and the sunroof adds an interesting element! Can’t wait to see more. _________________ 1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion |
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zuggbug Samba Member
Joined: June 17, 2008 Posts: 3479 Location: Anderson SC
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: 65 Standard Sunroof Walk Thru |
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Beautiful bus _________________ SOUTHERN INTEGRITY AIRCOOLERS
58 15 window
56 westy |
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