Hi All,

I, like all of us love the VW Splitty. I currently drive a VW T5.1 Day van for everyday use and love it. Having played with the idea of purchasing a Splitty for many a year, I finally took the plunge a month or so before Christmas. The van has been dry stored by a friend of mine, for approximately 20 years and is in pretty good shape from a bodywork prospective. Having bought the van, I now find myself getting slightly cold feet, regarding the time and money that it will cost to bring her back to life. I will be out-saucing the jobs and could really do with some good advise on....

1 order in which to do jobs
2 people that can be recommended for the work
3 any other advice .you feel I should know

Hello Jasper ,

I have also started six months ago with a restoration or have them completed !

Your concerns regarding . Money I can understand , but what you invest , always you get back together during a sale !

I for my part would bring the first technology in order. This means :

-Elektrik

brakes

-motor

gearbox

Ect.

Then I would take care of the paint . And finally to the interior design .

Since I 'm from Germany, I can not recommend any company you unfortunately . I have made too much of everything yourself !

greeting

Sascha

Hi Sascha, thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

J

So
RHD
Bullets
Euro rear lights
Shallow dogs legs
No lip on rear wheel arches
Outies
Small hatch
3 position Adjustable Bench seat mountings
Desirable 15" wheels


Front seat should be a RHD hump bench...??
But looks strange as if replaced seats..

Sounds like an early 1962 to me not a 63. Is on the very body changeover cusp. I specially looked for this very combination of features. I found a March 1962.

What does the code plate say?
On the top LHS it will say DD MM but not year so have to read the VIN number to establish month and year.
What m codes??
Will tell you the model kombi or microbus.
Will tell you if supplied less seats in rear so was a camper conversion.

Has the spare wheel well bern dented at the top in the cargo area..?
Could have been a Dormobile..
Dormobile pop top.. Early one if OG
Was the pop top retro fitted?
Does it have belly pans fitted?
Are there popper studs in the corners of the rear gutters?

Desirable bus..
What country are you in.

Body looks to have had some work done..looks like it may have been restored to a standard.

Drivers door logo is very interesting.. Country?
What standard of resto do you want to do
Do you have planned use..
Nice project.
Can recommend someone to finish but need to consider your budget...
G

It has a mixture of 62 and 63 features.

Either its a 63 with earlier rear arches and outie engine vents. Or its a 62 with later front arches (a more common occurrance particularly on older restos where correct early thick lip arches weren't available). Or it's on the cusp of 62 and 63 (e.g. August 1962) and has a mixture.

Anyway, as type21f says, the order of things to do next is:

1. find out exactly what bus you have - start by finding the m-code behind the drivers seat on the bulkhead and decode it here: http://www.vw-mplate.com/mcode.php For example if you have an original RHD 1962/3 Dormobile then it is probably rarer than a barndoor samba; however it is statistically more likely you have a microbus standard with a roof cut in.

2. based on what it turns out you have, decide what you want to do with it - do you want a workhorse daily driver, a nice weekend camper, a show car, or an authentic and accurate piece of history. Costs go up acordingly. Ask me how I know...

3. based on what you want to do with it, decide on how much you want to spend on it. Then check you have access to at least 50% more than that so you don't have to stop the resto when you run out of money. Ask me how I know...

4. decide how much of the work you can / want to do yourself. If you are putting a fun daily driver together you might attempt a lot yourself, if you are building to show standard you might invest in more professional help.

5. based on all of the above, decide on the best people to help you. You get what you pay for, so recommendations for a top restorer will leave your bank account empty and your bus winning prizes; likewise recommendations for a local reliable welder will suit you better if you want ad hoc help with the tricky bits of a weekend project you can't manage yourself.

6. once you've deceded everything above you can decide on all the other things like what order to do it in. For example some higher end restorers will assemble mechanically ...then disassemble to do the bodywork ...then reassemble mechanically knowing that everything will fit perfectly and they don't have to damage any of the paint to fit it all up again. This is worth it if you're puting £10k of man hours into the paint; but is time consuming extra step if you are only throwing £200 of paint at it in your single garage.


Sorry if this is telling you things you already know, just I know I didn't when I first got my bus.

It could be a 1963 MY (VW MY started at the end of August) so from September 1962...be interesting find out..
G
Mine was built 72 before/from clymoj's bus.
could be a Dormy..

Hi Guys,

The knowledge on this board is amazing! I have checked for the M plate and guess what??? its missing !! the two holes are there, but no Mplate. I do have a registration certificate (log book) , which has on it

Date of registration 18-04-1963
body type Motor caravan
Vin / chassis/ frame number, which is listed, its a six digit number the starts with 8

Should I be worried, or is there a way of checking your vehicle, with the chassis Number

Many thanks

Hi,

entually found a chassis number, in the back of the van, stamped onto the panel on the right.

VIN 8749** :: Built on: December 1961

I have obviously not put the last two digits in , but the van was built in December,1961, is it possible, that the van was not registered until 63?

Would anyone know of a site where you can get more information on the van, from its chassis number

Thanks in advance
J

Seeing that the bus has been stripped and repaired...The m plate is held with two screws and may be in with other parts somewhere....
If you received boxes of parts.... have a good search..
Maybe on the parcel shelf lying behind the speedo. Look every where!
Ask mate..
You can apply for a VW birth certificate but that takes ages..
I was surprised at euro lights on a RHD 61.. have checked my reference for dates and change date was 31.07.1961 VIN 802986. So that ties up...
Do you have an alloy plate in engine bay to right of gearbox on the crossmember.
The m plate tells all..
Maybe mate has it..
Not usual for a big gap..between dates even with conversions
Seek DVLA records for when V5C was issued..
Would have been on green log book then brown log book. These were all the transferred from local taxation offices to the DVLA. V5 would gave been ussued issued around 1970

Can work out from the Registration if it is original registration or one issued on import..
Does the glass give any clues...
Kangaroo on glass?
Name logo on speedo etc..
Will add more

Front wheel arch went to shallow on 30.07.1962...which made my date guess..
Looks shallow on your bus..
G

Does it have any dents in the top of the spare wheel well? Canterbury Pitt
Does it have belly pans underneath? If it was built to have a pop top it would have belly Pans..
Does it have any poppers in the rear gutters above the rear corners...? Canterbury Pitt

Dormobile fitted these pop tops from 1961! So need to work out if the pop top is OG
Do you have any VW interior panels?
Any Interior?

LOL
Vehicle Archeology!

The spare wheel well has had some welding done on it. I will take some pictures on Monday for you

Belly pans and poppers ???? I will check and again post some pictures

Thanks all for help so far, it's much appreciated

J

Dec 61 build would make it firmly a 62 model year bus (years change 1st August). Everything about it except the (presumably replaced) front arches says 62 too - euro rear lights, lipless rear arches, outie rear vents, 3-position seat mounts, rising sun spare wheel recess, unsprung engine lid stay.

For 62 you should also have a square-top speedo pod.

Ah the "INSOMNIA & SPARROW f*rt (parp) RISERS" club

Think speedo top is rounded by then
Think mine is rounded...
Will check references and mine...


Square Top speedo pod





More Rounded later type




Mine




Deep wheel arches




Rising Sun Spare wheel well division

Ah yes can see the engine lid stay bracket and is early 62 MY..has half moon finger recess in rear hatch...
My March and I think yours clymoj, 72 later than mine does not have that recess...



...and no Volswagen badge on the rear..
That came in 1963 and was first between the rear hatch and the engine lid..

Yes sorry, I got the speedo pods the wrong way around. 62 onwards is rounded and 61 is square.

I will check my recess....