I just read an interesting statement made on the samba that the UK barndoor seem it getting of the ground finally. I thought this happened in 1996 when 4 barndoors were displayed at Volksworld. This was my introduction to the barndoor. 3 years later I owned one myself, this was Jan 1999.

Recently I bought some old ssvc mags from ebay. These date back to July / August 1987. On the first page is a reference made by Steve Mellor relating to his 54 barndoor which I believe he found in scrap yard. On the 2nd page is a barndoor ambulance OYS 127 though at the time people we more impressed it was an ambulance!

In the next mag Sept/Oct 1987 there is a barndoor for sale

1954 barndoor camper for sale, Ideal for restoration, comes with it's original engine, gearbox, door handles, speedo, 16" wheels etc. One of the first RHD models in the country £350

May / June 1988 Steve Mellor is selling a 54 panel

1954 Split screen 'barndoor' panel van. Original engine and log book, rare double door loading doors each side.right hand drive, trafficators etc Comes complete with spare doors, barndoor engine lid, fluted bumpers and mechanical parts. Vehicle has been run on private ground only for last 11 years. has never been exhibited and is in remarkable condition for 34 years old. Genuine reason for unwanted sale, £2,950.

Sept/ Oct 1988

1951 Panel van. The oldest split screen van in the UK? Complete and original. Dry stored since 1963. Starts first touch of the button. £3,000.

1954 barndoor van for restoration. Rare. Offers invited.

There is another BD for sale but I cant find the ad.

Back then small back window were the vehicle to have and there were plenty of RHD projects for sale. They all seemed to have cool reg numbers too, which were definately worth more than the £250 - £500 asking prices for bus and registration!

bigbulli wrote:
1954 Split screen 'barndoor' panel van. Original engine and log book, rare double door loading doors each side.right hand drive, trafficators etc Comes complete with spare doors, barndoor engine lid, fluted bumpers and mechanical parts. Vehicle has been run on provtae ground only for last 11 years. has never been exhibited and is in remarkable condition for 34 years old. Genuine reason for unwanted sale, £2,950.

Freaky!!!

I haven't been into barndoor for a massive amount of time, but for me barndoors have been about since 97 at least as this was when I first got into VW's as I met Steve Goouge and he'd just bought his 54 standard, but there were others around.

Anyway so what if we're late in getting off the ground, there were are still are far less barndoors available to us, and importing buses has only kicked off in the last 5 years or so.. what if importing was not possible.!!! wow we'd have even rarer buses.

Deano

Rich - when i've got nowt else to read i pick up some of my old ssvc mags to read and it's amazing looking at those old ads. It's not just the prices of the Barneys that make you wince, but stuff like the rhd 23 window busses that were being sold for a few grand don't half make you realise how the prices have gone.
How's work going on yours and will we be seeing it on the road in the next year or so?

i think the misconception is because as you prove, all the evidence is in paper format. the internet has really only taken off in the last 3-5 years, so how would americans know what the scene was like in the 90's on "this side of the pond"?

Me and my bro bought our 1960 Kombi back in 1992 for the grand sum of £500, and it ran/MOTd!

wilgartw wrote:i think the misconception is because as you prove, all the evidence is in paper format. the internet has really only taken off in the last 3-5 years, so how would americans know what the scene was like in the 90's on "this side of the pond"?

Cuz some of us live here?

jetlag wrote:

wilgartw wrote:i think the misconception is because as you prove, all the evidence is in paper format. the internet has really only taken off in the last 3-5 years, so how would americans know what the scene was like in the 90's on "this side of the pond"?

Cuz some of us live here?

ah but you are no longer a true american.

those old ssvc ads sound cool - so they used the term barndoor?

i wonder when the term barndoor was first used in volksworld?
it was late, i'm sure - i dont think it was a well known term in the uk until much more recently - i for one wasnt really aware of them for ages, and have been buying volksworld since issue 3

Hot VWs had the Jeff Walters column, & this trumpeted barndoors way back in the 80s

hands up who didnt fully appreciate Richard King's (now John Foley) 54 rhd bd dlx when it was here?
i remember it being parked in the KK shop
what year didi it sell? mid 90s? was there no UK interest (tells you something doesnt it)?
how many UK shows did it make it too? has anyone got any pics of it at UK shows?

the UK bd scene - its due to get really good, surely, in the next couple of years when more of the resto projects hit the road. bit like lowlight cabs . the KK bbq bd lineup was a taster. its top the UK is bringing a lot of them in. looking forward to it

RockStock wrote:what year didi it sell? mid 90s

(i think it was 1999/2000)

in a lot of the old ssvc mags,a lot of people mistakenly referred to the side cargo doors as barndoors.

I rememeber Chris Clarks at an early VW Action (when it used to be att Stoneleigh) and first crawled over one at Bad Camberg in the mid 90s..thats when I started doing Barbndoor stuff articles for the SSVC mag including tracking down the oldest buses around and in the UK..Charlie somebody back then..I also remeber an early piece (early 90s) in the mag about proces..then Barndoors were seen as uneconomical collectors pieces or things you had no hope of finding parts for...

I used to walk past KK in my school lunchhour probably about 86,87 ish thats where I picked up on old vw,s of course having Mark Salisburys custom beetle and The german car co close by helped.KK was where I first took notice of splitscreens and saw my first Barndoor on one of Ritchies open days.It was always sunny!! Remember Rikki and Moranos busses at the runnymede swap meets probably about 93-94 and that was it I wanted a split, oh well rambling on owned a 75 bay. 80 T25, 61 beetle and 70 fastback.Not long now for that elusive splitscreen,a barndoor would be perfect but possibly out of reach.Wow havent written this much since school perhaps I should write for a mag! Hang on fingersss gone tooo slllleepp.

RockStock wrote:those old ssvc ads sound cool - so they used the term barndoor?

i wonder when the term barndoor was first used in volksworld?
it was late, i'm sure - i dont think it was a well known term in the uk until much more recently

Yes the term barndoor is used which kinda through me as the mag was from 1987. However clearly the guys writing about their buses new their stuff.

I can remember volksworld using barndoor as the side loading doors. In those old ssvc mag ads no one referred to side loading doors as barndoor doors until one chap did and that was that everyone was at it! If I can find the ad I will name and shame

I hope to get mine on the road soon'ish (next couple years). This has become a matter of priority for me as things are changing which means my Westy and SC could be for sale......looking like I can only keep one so it will most likely be the BD, though I will have huge regrets selling any of them. Plans have changed on the BD, to be able to get it on the road in time it will remain stock height etc......for now anyway!

The term Barndoor was used in the early days because of the
two side cargo doors and not the rear lid
barndoors or sliders
splits bays


i believe charlie hamil and friends started the term Barndoor
in the early 90s

slammedba wrote:The term Barndoor was used in the early days because of the
two side cargo doors and not the rear lid
barndoors or sliders
splits bays


i believe charlie hamil and friends started the term Barndoor
in the early 90s

I think it was the late Steve Wood who coined the term barndoor back in the early 80's.