My 1967 13 Window Deluxe

 

It all started back in 1992. I just quit my job as a car audio installer. Not having anything to do in the immedeate future, my friend Sam Smith called and said he was going to Reno to check out a double cab and wanted to know if I was up for the drive. So we headed north to Reno. Along the way we stopped in EVERY town looking for VW's. As we pulled in to Goldfield, NV I told Sam " make a left here, now make a right" as if I had some sixth sense of where old VW's are. Sure enough we come around the corner and there sat an Early Squareback (with Sgt Badge mud flaps & flat lenses). There were also a few later model bugs. We got back into the car & drove around some more. Directly off of the main street there sat a 1967 13 window deluxe 90% complete, so we stopped & checked it out. Bummed out that I didnt have 2 nickles to rub together I thought "How cool would it be to buy this bus & fix it up". With the daydreaming & lack of funding slaping me in the face like a cold glass of reality. We took some pics & headed out.

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Fast forward to the year 2001. I was driving to Reno for business with my wife & newborn son. As we passed through Goldfield I told her about a bus I found back in 1992. I said "if its still there I'm gonna buy it" (she thought I was joking) Needless to say my bus was still there. I tracked down the owner of the bus asked her ifshe wanted to sell it. She replied " you can have that thing for a hundred bucks" .The next week my friend Chris Broswell & I towed his trailer out to Goldfield. I thought it was much closer than it was. I remember telling him "it's just over this next ridge " about 3 or 4 times. We told our wives we'd be back early this afternoon (my wife was not happy when I walked through the door 8pm that night). Picking it up was an ordeal. The bus had no tranny in it so that means no wheels either. As we were loading the bus a few locals came to check out what we were up to. They smelled like they had been drinking since the day before. They were upacking guns & fishing poles from their truck in to their moble home/ tuff shed thingie across the dirt alley from us. Chris & I looked at each other like, "lets get the show on the road before these guys start having some fun with us city folk" So we finally got my bus on the trailer & headed home,

There she sat in my garage after I brought her home. Now was the time to formulate a gameplan. My original idea was black & red on BRM's kind of a "cal-look" theme with a touch of vinatage play on colors. Well that year at the 2002 VW Calssic as I was sitting wishing my bus was painted & there to show. In rolls the vision of my bus but it was a 23 window. Well there goes that Idea. Back to the drawing board. I knew I wanted something that was kind of remincint of my bug (german look when it was called resto -custom)

I knew I wanted BIG power so after much research I decided to go witha T4. So after looking for an engine builder I ran across a website for a guy named Jake Raby. Jake is the man when it comes to Type 4's so I singed up for the 2270cc motor. I had John @ RC Trans in Las Vegas build a Freeway Flier trans. Next was paint Carlos Barjas is the man when it comes to paint & body work in LV. (he now works @ Beetle Barn). With all that power I needed to stop. I have always been a fan of 4 wheel disc brakes. So one sunday while selling parts at the Pomona swap meet. I meet Russell with Old Speed. He let me know about the 944 brake conversions he was doing for type II's so I worked out a deal with Russell ( I think I traded a 915 porsche box) for the caliper adaptors & bearing spacers. So now that brakes were out of the way wheels are next on the agenda. Wheels are to me, one of the biggest impact items on a car that make a statement & comeplete a "theme". At the same Pomona swap meet I purchased a set of 17x7 & 17x9 Boxter Twists. I had them polished & with a little tire manipulation they fit like a glove. All the hard work paid off when I showed it for the firs time at the 2003 VW Classic in Irvine CA I took first in my class.

 

 

 

           

Here are some befor Pic's when I was trying to decide which wheels to run. I almos fell prey to the hoodride / Rat look movement. Thank goodness I stuck with the plan & finished my bus.

Here are some after pics.

            parked inside Findlay Volkswagen in Hendrson NV

Cruising at the Classic 2005