1958 Split Window Bus Westfalia Sub hatch Camping Box find

[vwadct]

Thought I'd share our recent find with everyone. I'm not a hundred percent sure what this is, but I believe it to be a 1958 Westfalia Camping Box. According to the VIN it was born in October of 1957. It was originally Dove Blue, and most of the interior is in incredibly nice original paint! It is a Sub hatch bus, and with some research, also appears to be a pretty rare refrigerator bus. Though, sadly, that is long gone. The story goes, that a very dear friend of ours was approached by an older gentleman that said that he had an old bus that he wanted to pass on to someone because he had to take his barn down, so no longer had indoor storage and hated seeing it just under a tarp. He also was trying to finish a Triumph TR3 that actually fit in his useable garage next to his many motorcycles. He had owned this bus since 1981 and the last time it was registered was 1983! it definitely sounded like those two years were a LOT of fun! He nearly cried when he signed over the title, that's tough to see from an old biker/hippie! So, we towed it home, started cleaning it up and are deciding what to do with it next. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome! It's an incredibly cool bus with a ton of originality and I would love some feedback on it. Thanks!

[mastorna]

Needless to say it sounds like a dream find. Let’s get some photos posted so we can take a look.
_________________
1959 Type II Mango SO-23
1962 Type II Kombi Light Gray
1963 Type II Standard Sunroof SWR\BG
1963 Type II Deluxe MG\PW

[srfndoc]

_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches

[earlywesty]

Nice find! Interior is a bit unusual for a 58 westy. It does not look like an original fridge-optioned bus. No roof vent or propane line to feed it from usual tank location. The positon of the knob on the drivers side cabinet door is atypical, most are centred onthe door not up high. The pass side cabinet has a strange lower door that appears to flip down, I have never seen that before. I do not think its original, knob is different and looks like plywood. Most have had two doors similar to drivers side cabinet, if non-fridge .

Cool bus. Do not throw anything away. Research well. These are oddball vehicles and parts are extremely hard to find. Check out my resurrection thread for my 58 for info. Search pressed bumper westfalia to learn more about them.

[campingbox]

Neat. Have fun with it.

Keep that tent clean and dry. That is a rare find.

[vwadct]

These look right for a fridge bus?

[earlywesty]

Yes, the fridge has been removed by the looks of it then. Is there no copper pipe above the cargo doors? It would have run between the fridge and the stove cabinet that appears to be missing inside the forward cargo door.

[adam beefcake bruno]

Man, I dig this bus!
Something I told Jeff, DO NOT scrub the tan paint off the interior of the bus. It may look like a hippie painted it because of the brush strokes and such, but that was applied at Westfalia. A very special pressed bumper Westfalia detail that IMO should be preserved. Just my 2 cents. Have fun with it, and let me know when you want me to take over
_________________
Don't take life too serious....you won't get out of it alive!

[von_hansel]

[vwadct]

It is a prettycoolbus!

[vwadct]

I haveno idea. It is a factorydoor, with lock and all. It is fullyfunctional,
but goes to nothing.

[[email protected]]

super nice find

[AS350driver]

[earlywesty]

[Long-roofs]

Not an expert, do have a question about when did the brush stroke beige paint end? My Wolfsburg '56 Westy was brush painted all over, door panels, everywhere! My '58 was PGSG, front cab was original Sand Green, no brush beige paint at all. Rear cargo area was sprayed Beige, not brushed.

This Bus is Dove Blue up front, so brushed in cargo area or sprayed?
_________________
---
I have been on a treadmill drinking vodka, maybe more than once.

"No, I do not own a bleepin' leaf blower"

--

[earlywesty]

[Long-roofs]

[campingbox]

I think they were brushed all the way up through so-23’s. I expect their painting got better as they went along.

[sub-hatchtim]

My 2/58 definitely had brushed on paint
_________________
58' pg/sg silo fridge westy
58 Dove blue singlecab
76 911S

[sub-hatchtim]