A few weeks ago I finally got around to selling my old 1967 VW camper Van. Last of the old double door split windshield models, and first of the 12 volt, so in a way it was the best of the iconic Bus. A true classic no doubt, and with about $15-20 k worth of work she'll be worth upwards of $35-50 k on the current market. Never been garaged or sheltered and has been parked essentially dead for over 20 years now, but was running strong on a good engine when parked due to the brakes getting rather spongy. Can't really explain why I never got around to fixing her back up myself, but I know at my age now, its just no longer in the cards, so I found a good home for her, and she trailered up, hit the highway and left town a few days ago.
Elizabus ... better know as Bess Bus, gave me great service and a lifetimes worth of memories, and my true hope is that the new owners go all the way with the restoration needed, and she provides them with a lifetimes worth of memories as well !!!
They have already washed, polished and waxed most of her, and did some minor work in the engine compartment and she fired right up for them. Seems like she's in good hands once again!
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Fare thee well ol' friend
Good bye Bess Bus, she still looks to be very solid Daniel, I'm sure the new owners will show her some love & get her back up & running for another shot at a road worthy life....hopefully they'll share some pictures of her progress & the finish when they're done with her.
Quite intentionally didn't show the classic front end, because it was in fact totaled in the long ago and is quite a mess. Will best be cut clear off and replaced in total including the dash, and there are none around here within hundreds of miles, that do that sort of work. She has gone to San Clemente near the beach (expect to see surfboards on top), where they actually do that kind of work, and have access to the needed parts and resources for a full cosmetic resto. I had all the parts to get her back on the road myself, but really didn't have a reasonable place to work on her, and no hope of coming up with the $$$ to pay for what she really needed cosmetically.
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Classics will always be Classic, that will scrub up very nicely I'm sure.
Lovely machine, Daniel. Very similar to my father's 1968 camper van, which I drove for many summers as a student before it rusted out.
Those were the days, my friend...
when my 2 girls were about 3 and 4 yrs old, we traded in our '68 Camaro on a '68 VW Kombi camper van.
we had a great time camping and on trips. it swallowed a valve at 75K miles and i installed a Buick V6, 135hp vs 40
Minn winter salt is not kind on vehicles and we drove it until it rusted out.
Glad salt is banned in Oregon.
Great thread, Daniel..!
Did you happen to drive it to Alice's restaurant?
Great thread, Daniel..!
Did you happen to drive it to Alice's restaurant?
Never had it very far east of the Rockies front ranges myself, and I was the second owner as of early '71. Don't believe Glenn, the first owner, ever had it out of the Bay Area, though it probably did originally come in to the US via an eastern port.
I did however have Arlo on the speakers and headphones more than a few times I'll warrant!
