The Story So Far

[CamBiscuit]

Ok so I've been poking around here for some time, made a few posts, asked a few questions but never really shared too much.

Like many here I'm a car nut! And particularly the air-cooled 911's and VW's. I've been lucky to have owned and early 911 for a few years and have also been into splits for a while too.

The red and white bus I own 50/50 with my sister - also a car nut! She was down in the dumps for a while after a marriage break up and we started talking about cool cars one day and how much she loved splittys (she owned a pretty nimble Superbug for many years) and one thing let to another and I said I'd go halves with her...... a bit crazy given I live about 3,000km's from her but I get to drive it whenever I visit home and it makes her happy as hell!

Its a 67 11 Window bus that was originally in South Africa and imported into Australia about 10 years ago. Its been IRS'd and has either a 1500 or 1600 single port with twin carbs, some ration rockers and an exhaust for a little more pep from stock. Licensed for 9 passengers which has come in handy a few times

Its good from 20 feet but has a bit of rust starting to come out around the front windshield area which we will need to address at some point.....
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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

So after moving from a house on a large block to a townhouse and having a lot more spare time on my hands I started to hanker for a project and posted some wanted signs on community notice boards around the place saying I was looking for a split screen project.

And lo and behold I found one! It had been sitting out in a paddock in the rural area for many year used by the farmer to store tools and general bits and pieces. When I first checked it out I thought no way and said thanks but no thanks, but then after while I thought why not? For the $400 it was going to cost me it was a pretty cheap staring point and as someone with no restoration experience at that point I thought it was a cheap enough start that I could walk away if it ever got too hard.

In hindsight I think I should have left it there! Anyway I got it back to the little shed space that i rented off a mate and tore into it after doing a basic welding course and buying a small mig welder. To say it was a low base to start from is probably a bit of an understatement and I have a stack of photos and a long thread on the Australia DSK website to prove it!

I think there are probably worse buses from the snow belt in the Northern Hemisphere but for an Aussie bus it was pretty bad. Probably due to the fact that were I live is tropical and humid and we can get up to about 7 feet of rain a year.....It didn't help that the bulkhead was hacked and the roof was knackered as well.......

Pick up day

Strip down

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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

So for about three and a half years I plugged away, pretty much every weekend and a few week nights as well and gradually, with a lot of helps from looking at other peoples resto threads both here and elsewhere it started to come together. Blood sweat and tears etc etc

Yes for the more eagle eyed amongst you that is a pot smoking implement in the front parcel tray! Anyway there were plenty of mistakes made along the way and lots of learning curves along the way to get around and my welding, fabricating and painting skills are a lot better now that they first were.... I think I replaced about at least a third of the metal in the thing including 3/4 of the roof. Finally it took shape and became a solid thing again!

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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

And then the enthusiasm slowly waned.....The motivation levels each time I opened the shed door on a Saturday morning were less and it was harder to get the fire in the belly to get stuck in. The other thought in my head was that to get it finished was going to take at least another 12-18 months and I had plans to take big road trip for a few months with some long service leave I'd accumulated.

So, I sold the project.....Heres the sad farewell pics

And then with the trade with a mate of a slightly scruffy forward dated early 911 and some cash my way I ended up with this ratty gem that I'd been eyeing off for some time that I've christened 'The Comet'

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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[LAGrunthaner]

Wow CamBiscuit, all that work and then you sold it? Well I totally get it as I am up and down with enthusiasm myself with my "project" bus as I am always eyeing something else. But I like the early small window buses best and of course patina too! I love The Comet! BTW you are an awesome brother, tell your sister I said so.
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[Enkiel]

wow.

Can i get a link to your build thread for the one you sold? I'm very interested.


And that new bus is great looking... does the comet has an interior?
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1964 Turkis Flipseat

[Red Fau Veh]

Rad buses man. I like the high vent one and the patina one and that other one hiding back there too!
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1971 Deluxe Sunroof Bay 1905 stroker, dual idf40's, 74mm Scat forged crank, engle 110 cam. CB 044 heads, AutoCraft rockers, chromoly push rods
1973 Orange transporter stock type 4 with dual 40 Dellortos and Empi single quiet pack
1969 Adventurewagen blue whale Gene Berg 1776 built by Dave Kawell dual 36 DRLA's, Vintage Speed exhaust, Bosch 019 screamer
1961 Swivel Seat camper, L345 grey

[velvetgreen]

very cool bus and great colour (I am just slightly biased) anyhow how come some of the buses come with vents above the beltline and others don't. Are both of those buses original to Aus?

Never seen a velvet green small hatch bus- I like it!

[Enkiel]

wasn't that something about dusty region?
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1964 Turkis Flipseat

[Eric&Barb]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=652210&highlight=high+vents

and

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=202864&highlight=high+vents
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[mandraks]

[CamBiscuit]

Here you go Enkeil - http://www.dsk.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18750

The red and white bus is originally South African (1967) versus the other two which are Australian.

The turkis bus was also a '67 whilst the green rat is a 1960 bus that once was ceramic green! More pics to come once I get into work tomorrow......
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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[Eric&Barb]

Wow, one has to log in to view the forums and does not seem to offer a way to set up a user-name and password.....

OK, found way into the forums via:

http://www.dsk.com.au/forum/viewforum.php?f=17

Now to find the title. Looks like no search engine...
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[Eric&Barb]

Which page is it on? What is the title? Thanks.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[CamBiscuit]

Hi Eric & Barb

If you go to Board Index and then Members Rides and Projects its under the title of Darwin '67 11 Window Resto Project. I'm not sure if non members can view photos......

For those that don't want to scroll through pages resto thread here's a few more pics of the process......

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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

Sorry these are all a bit out of order but just to show as a first timer project I got in well and truly over my head! If it wasn't for the internet and forums like this and DSK, there is no way I would have got as far as I did.....

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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

So back to The Comet, the deal was when I bought her the owner would take out the Subaru engine that was in it and assist with putting in the 2054 engine I had.......In the meantime I had to sort of some of the metal that was cut out for mounting nasty water cooled stuff like radiators!

Other than a set of bucket seats in the front, there was no interior at all so that was the next thing to do. I want to travel in it so a camper interior it had to be and one that was a little retro to match the age of the bus - I really hate seeing modern type interiors put into old Kombis!
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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

Hi Uli - yes The Comet has semaphores, they are not working at the moment but at some stage when I run out of other jobs I'll try to get them working.

Velvet Green - The colour is actually Ceramic Green. I thought it was Velvet but according to an Australian VW paint code chart I found for 1960, that was the only green colour available other that Mango Green.
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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

[CamBiscuit]

So on to the interior, and sound proofing was first. The stuff I used is the foil backed butyl type stuff, this version is called Ping Jing.

Seems to work pretty well. I also used some foil backed foam insulation to keep some of the heat out of the car.

Then it was time to get rid of the bucket seats in the front and go back to a lovely old bench! I used some two position Butty's Bits top mounts where they'd been cut out.

Then I used a birch ply panel set for the roof and interior I had bought for the '67 project bus. The rear roof panels were not great given the difference in length but they get hidden by the overhead storage cabinet I made.

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1965 ratty single cab
Instagram @cambiscuit

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