Not one for the purists or those defensive about their 'investment', but is it even possible? I'm not looking to do this, but with all the aftermarket parts and spares available would it be possible to assemble a new bus? What can't be bought - body shell?

Didnt someone do this in the states? Gerson? I may be wrong but seem to recall some kafuffle around a scratch built bus! Also BlastingDiePast are doing a resto at the mo, which is virtually this!

it would have to have a Q plate - as it won't have an age related VIN

can't be NEW (ie 14 plate) either as it would have to go through all sorts of modern testing - and that aint gonna happen - LOL

I spoke to Gerson in Busfest at the C&C stand - The Green van in the C&C ads is scratch built from Gerson Panels (apart from the original vin plate - I guess you'd need this)...

It's been photoshopped as the original is Dove Blue, but it's all there .

He said he could supply all the metalwork needed for a finished body shell for about $25,000 or build one on his jig for about $15 - $20,000 more...

Not cheap, and kind of the ultimate kit car I suppose.

Brand new 23 window anyone?

Dunno personally, I think it's stretching the limits a bit - I wonder if VW will have a word....???

building from scratch….yes

building from scratch with all new parts…probably

…you would probably need to adapt a few parts and veer from original spec to be all Totally new parts
you don't need a company name etc to be able to fabricate the parts you can't buy off the shelf, if your handy, you can build anything


so the build…totally achievable….registering on the other hand , as mentioned, would require either an old VIN or Q plate, I imagine the Q plate process would be fun and as testing as the build itself
using just a VIN plate from another vehicle is grey area, your essentially pretending the vehicle is something it isn't, a bit like stealing a really nice bus and swapping the VIN and plates from the scrapper you shipped in the from the states and cut up for body cuts

Schofields have recently built an entire chassis from scratch. All other panels are available from here, there and everywhere.

Id like to see Gerson supply all the parts in one go to build a bus! Might take a few years to get it all shipped!

Well there's a fine line between new build and restoration I've seen many a restoration that only seem to have a chassis no. as a starting point

tufty65 wrote:Id like to see Gerson supply all the parts in one go to build a bus! Might take a few years to get it all shipped!

Mainly this, window panels, roof and inner panels are hard to find new.

I'm waiting on lots of klassicfab fab panels as always.

I don't think anyone need worry about purism or values being eroded. Lotuses and Morgans for example are both buildable from scratch and also available brand new but originals still command higher prices.

Real matters and stories matter. It's why we're all here instead of some T5 forum isn't it?

How many of those early bus forest finds have original lower 12 inches?
So many piles of scrap have been rebuilt as 'restored', its almost become the norm!

Isn't someone on here rebuilding a crushed 15window BD deluxe?

If you build it from new parts make it a rare model, perhaps a walkthro' 23 window, with double doors, oh and a BD of course - From memory one is not known to exist or if even the factory produced one! That middle seat might be an issue :lol

Having overseen one complete rebuild (I mean all new top hats, chassis rails, basically the lot) I sit here and wonder if a newly built body with the old 'tags' would of made more sense! And been a lot less stressful

For me it doesn't matter, do what's best for you

As long as we all stay honest about what we sell on...

Triggers Broom.

Yep gerson did the double door walk through barndoor samba, but that was from a busted up Colombian barndoor.
He recently made a jig to reproduce the rear torsion bar housing (there's pics on thesamba) not because he needed to, there is plenty of torsion bar housings around, they are thick metal and tend to last, but because he plans to make a completely new barndoor samba very soon. Just because he can. He's hoping it will cause a stir with VW themselves. Nutter.

new bus old vin tags, each to there own but they should have to stamp replica into the body!

Personally i would not drive around in a bardoor that has about 2ft of the og chassis and its og vin tag, its a replica at best