Say Hello to Betty Bus, a 1960 Split Panel VW Bus
Today we welcomed Betty Bus, a 1960 Split Panel VW Bus that originally came in through New York. Manufactured in 1959, this beauty in the rough is about to have some much-needed TLC. The Airkooled Kustoms krew gets pretty excited anytime a client entrusts us with their restoration project. With Betty Bus, that thrill continues as we do the body and paint restoration on this family heirloom.
We may even end up with some decades-old slides or pictures to share. That's because this split panel VW has been in the client's family for a long, long time. She even made her way into a family friend's photo archives.
The Kombi Restoration Process
Stay tuned for the restoration progress. It will begin with disassembly. We bag and tag each piece and part, every nut and bolt, so we can keep what's usable and replace what's not. Then it goes out to blast. The parts that aren't rusted through will return to the shop in bare metal form. Then we'll seal it to prevent rust from eating it alive seemingly overnight. Then comes the rough metal work (Rodney), where we essentially cure cancer by replacing all the spots that have been devoured by rust over the years.
Want a VW Bus Like this for Yourself?
We can help you make that happen. You might want to check out these Type 2s for sale on the Samba. Just click here to feast your eyes on some prospective 1960 Split Panel VW Bus projects - and other models as well. However, you want to find a vehicle that's in relatively good condition (especially rust-wise). That will help you to avoid spending the bulk of your restoration project budget on metal work. If you've got a bus laying around that you've always wanted to restore, great. But if you don't have one, we can help you source your project bus so that you start with the best possible vehicle for your budget. And yes, you can even have us transform a transporter into a camper. Finally, transporting your VW Bus to the shop is easy - whether you're local, across the country, or even on the other side of the planet.
What If YOU Won a Kombi?
You may even want to try winning a VW bus in this Kombi Life contest. Great VW magazine, by the way, and we're proud to have had a vehicle or two featured in recent issues.
Want to learn more about VW buses? Check out this Wikipedia article about them, and scroll down to the segment about First Generation Volkswagen Type 2s.
