1965 Standard Microbus

This is my 1965 Standard Microbus. I purchased it about 18 months ago from an Air Force dentist that was being assigned to a base in Japan. He had purchased it a couple of years prior, drove it rarely, and decided to sell it before leaving the USA. It was originally shipped into the Houston port, and spent its' life around the Dallas area. When I purchased it, I had been looking for a split bus for about 10 years, but could never find one in my price range, close by, and in running condition. One of the guys in the local VW club posted up the Craigslist link on our club site, and I reached an agreement with the seller, over the phone, within minutes. He was insistent that I look at it before committing, but relented when I asked if he had lied in his description. His answer was, "No". I replied that if he were being truthful, I didn't need to see it, I wanted to buy it. As it turned out, when we finally met face to face, I recognized his from a meeting that we had both attended the previous week.

When I went to pick it up, I had never sat in, nor driven, a VW bus. It was nonetheless love at first site. Despite it's faded paint, dings, dents, and dirt; I could tell it was a diamond in the rough. There's very, very little rust, and it was mostly complete. The only real issue was the front right corner had been tapped hard enough to jam the passenger door, and left some cosmetic damage as well. I was slightly disappointed that the middle seat and bumpers were gone, as was the dealer installed air conditioning. It was a few days after the purchase that I spoke to the owner about some paperwork, and was asked if I wanted the middle seat, bumpers, air conditioning components, a spare door, and several other parts. If not, he was going to throw them in the trash. Needless to say, they've been reinstalled on the bus, with the exception of the A/C.

Other than cleaning it up, replacing all of the rubber, and reupholstering the seats, I really haven't had to do too much to it. I've completed some very minor body work on the corner dents, and have color-matched the paint on those spots, but it's otherwise original paint.Like all old busses, this one is a work in progress and has been dubbed a "Driveway Restoration". Having no experience in the art of restoration, I'm learning as I go and enjoying every minute of it. The entire experience has exceeded all of my expectations, and the friends I've made in the VW community have made it extra special.