1960 VW 23 Window Deluxe Microbus For Sale
This is a truly spectacular Bus.
The results a very focused professional restoration where no corners were cut.
This is about as nice as they come.
This Bus rolled off the assembly line on August 5th 1960 , a special ordered and equipped Bus
for an American family that had serious travel on their agenda.
It the factory on August 11th 1960 as a "Tourist Delivery" vehicle.
The Bus was ordered with a very interesting bunch of options, including factory installed safari windows.
Gas heater, and the rare "Ambulance step" at the cargo doors.
The original colors of L53 Sealing Wax Red and L472 Beige Grey.
This is a documented factory sunroof Bus as well, not a "clone"...it is the real deal.
The restoration is spectacular and was done by some of the best craftsmen in the scene.
Every detail was attended to and every single bit of the Bus has been carefully restored and rebuilt
to probably better than it ever was when it left the assembly line.
Fit and finish is top level, it is ready for the concours field.
Inside and out and even underneath it sparkles.
Bodywork and paint finish are gorgeous even in the spots you dont normally see.
Upholstery is done in the proper colors, stitch pattern and correct grain of the material.
Steering wheel is superb, detail of the column and controls is excellent
Clock and speedometer too are gorgeous.
Door latches, body seals...everything has had the touch of a skilled restorer.
A factory 9 seater model it has the full width bench front seat as well as the full width center seat.
Divider wall panels look phenomenal.
Cargo floors as well look truly spotless.
The headliner fit is one of the very best I have seen...so smooth and tight.
This is a tough one to get right...and this one is RIGHT!
Superb!
Center seat has the proper grab bars.
Gorgeous
Under the seats the kick panels are present and perfect.
Check out the fit of the upholstery even here at the bottom of the center seat... stellar.
Look around and check others...this level of workmanship is very hard to find in one of these Busses.
Original Golde sunroof handle
Door panels are done in the proper grain and pattern material.
This is one of the straightest Bus bodies I have seen yet.
Extremely impressive work.
All those windows...it is indeed a "room with a view"
Jail bar trims are all in place as is the luggage bar on the top of the rear seat.
German "square weave" carpet on the rear deck.
Fantastic.
The level of detail continues throughout the entire Bus.
The engine room is spotless and features a beautifully detailed and fully rebuilt 36hp engine
that runs like a sewing machine and sparkles like a jewel.
Finish on the case, the detailed hardware...it really is impressive in its own right.
Still 6 volt electrics as original.
Even the inner corners of the engine room are clean and tidy.
Battery strap in place and clamped as it should be.
I cant tell you how often this detail is lacking...so nice to see one in place correctly.
The engine is not the numbers matching original but I believe it is within a few months of the original production date
according to the numbers (I can verify this if desired).
Wonderfully clean and dry underneath as well
Chassis and suspension are stunning...so clean!
Spring plates and caps are finished to a shine, hardware is all fresh and bright.
No patching and funky work under here...it all looks fresh and new.
Wow!
Front suspension looks fantastic!
Extremely nice level of detail.
Impressive finish work.
Wheels are the correct 15" versions wrapped with period correct bias ply tires.
No corners cut when it came to the metal work and fit and finish of the Bus.
Wow.
It truly looks better than new.
Lights and trims are all superb
Bumpers are spotless as well.
Birth certificate from VW shows the full story of the colors and options.
It is the real deal.
Of special note are the options... the Eberspacher heater, the side step, etc.
While the safari windows are not listed as a separate item, I believe them to be a part of the unknown M 379 code.
As you can see...my name is on the certificate here...I know the Bus intimately.
While it is not mine currently and I cant claim any responsibility for the amazing restoration work done to it,
I do personally know the Bus and some of its history.
Vin number on the body.
The original gas heater was not re-installed, but is included in the sale.
This is a very uncommon option and especially coupled with the Safari windows, which was a warm climate option primarily.
The owner and restorer decided not to install the heater as the finish quality of it does not quite match the
superb work around it...and admittedly there were a bit concerned about hooking it up and making it functional.
These do run off the engine fuel, and if not rebuilt properly, a leak in the engine compartment can be a real drag...
But...it is here and it should go with the Bus.
Similarly the very rare "Ambulance step" that was originally fitted to the Bus was left off during the restoration.
It was pretty well seized up and finding another one or replacement parts was problematic.
But again...it was original equipment installed at the factory for this Bus so it was retained and is included.
When the Bus was first found in the state of Texas the dashboard was still orignal paint and the safari windows were installed.
The brackets for the sliders were most defintely factory installed prior to paint...so it was ordered with them.
This is extremely rare to find...while it does seem the vast majority of these Busses have had aftermarket
safaris installed at some point...finding one that was equipped from the factory with them is almost unheard of.
I wish there were better photos taken of this detail prior to the restoration just to prove it even further
but these are the best I could find. I did see it with my own eyes though...I know it to be true without any shadow of a doubt.
As you can see in this pre-restoration image, the Bus at one point was painted solid green
over the original Sealing wax red and Beige grey.
It was a pretty rough example, it obviously had a full life of use and abuse,
but being the desirable 23 window model and having such rare options,
the owner of the Bus went absolutely all the way and with no compromise.
Stripped down to the bare shell and media blasted to clean metal.
If there was a damaged panel or a rusted area, it was completely repaired properly and professionally.
Getting the body and chassis "right" well before paint was the strongest focus
and as you can see from the finished product, that effort paid off fantastically.
If you are going to do something...you might as well do it right.
There is nothing quite like the breeze through the Safari windows.
This detail shows the correct texture material on the door panels...and so perfectly fit.
It is just stellar.
Wow
All glass has the "Sigla" stamping...a wonderful detail.
Mirror detail
This Bus has come a long way.
Knowing the starting point and seeing the finished product makes it even more special.
You can always see promise in a project and imagine that "barn find" restored to perfection
but rarely does it happen. It seems the vast majority of builders and restorers out there
just slap the stuff together and blow it out the door. This was definitely not the approach here.
The end result here is a Bus that is truly better than new.
It is one of the nicest examples we have ever had listed on the website.
My hats off to the owner and the restorers for the patience and persistence to reach the final goal.
The Bus is located in sunny Southern California and the title is clean and clear.
If you want an extremely high quality 23 window in YOUR driveway...you know what to do next.
You may find a cheaper example out there, but finding a nicer one will not be an easy task.
SOLD!!
For More Info...CALL
951 767 1600
or email oldbug@earthlink.net