Time to introduce my new project after selling the mango recently.

Today is my new bus' 61st Birthday So here is my 22nd April 1954 RHD barndoor









As you can see it is a project bus, it's a New Zealand import, has been in the UK for approx 10 years but has not been on the road here. My plans are for it to be Brown Brown and very slammed

Can't wait to get started now........

Very nice Gareth, looking forward to seeing this one progress.

Thanks Rich

I'm trying to find any history I can out about it too, if anyone has any info of it in New Zealand or even its early time in the UK I'd love to know it. I bought it from Chris at MuscleBus who has it had about 10 years and he got it from Paul Machin at Bus Barn, but I don't know anything before that.

Chassis number is 20-080627

If anyone can help please get in touch

In barndoor terms that's pretty nearly finished isn't it?

Lovely looking bus, can't wait to see how it turns out.

Haha Yeh not far from finished in barndoor terms haha

Looks a very very solid project bud, I'm glad you got there in the end, happy days

Cheers Craig, has taken me a while haha!

May have possibly found the last owner in New Zealand via a contact on Instagram. Fingers crossed it is and can find out some more info.

Hey there, nice start to BD ownership! looks great.

When I got my 57 from the Bus Barn I couldn't find anything on it as of course the BusBarn is no more... but after searching the wonderful internet, I came accross a gallery of the BusBarns with loads of vehicles in, including when they imported the school bus!

I shall try find it again for you.

Cool cheers Sooty. I have a pic from a when Chris collected my bus from the barn, and have asked a friend who knows Paul if he is able to find out any more, I know Paul is no longer in the scene and is probably not going to be easy to get hold of but worth a try.

They're old blog.

http://thebusbarn.skynetblogs.be/apps/m/#more-load-20

My old school bus is on there... You never know.

Thanks sooty I had a look through and it doesn't go back far enough for my bus, I think it was 2005 that Chris bought it from them.

I have managed to find some info on my bus from New Zealand, I have been able to get in touch with the former owner, who found it abandoned and saved it.

My bus was found by a man named Dave Hermanns back in 2000ish in a field full of abandoned cars including another barndoor right next to it. This was in Dannevirke in Manawatu - Wanganui region in New Zealand.

It was white with a funky brown stripe. But looking at where the badge was I would say it was NZ dove blue originally.

Dave did some very quick repairs and got it running. Painted it Matt black and red and put artwork all over it. Must have been a crazy time back the. Going by the artwork haha!
He then drove it to the Auckland VW Nationals in 2001 or 2002 where he gave it to a friend who was going to restore it. That guy then sold it on, presumably to the UK.







This is how it looked in 2001/2002


And an early photo from Chris who I got it from showing the artwork and remains of red and black


Hoping to be able to find out more from Dave, but very happy to have found so much out within a week of picking the bus up

Fantastic.... love it!

Looking forward to this build mate , I'm very jealous

Looks pretty Solid for BD