split window VW van leaves forest nap of 40 years under its own power

[Fire-medic]

I think this is a cool video, about saving an abandoned VW van from the space it 'slept' for 40 years, between two trees in a forest.

The parts I like are seeing the guys remove the engine, and carrying it away, slung off strapping looped-over a 2 x 4 they carry on their shoulders. Once they swap-in a replacement, untried as to its state of running, they use the crankshaft starter lever to turn it over and start. Then, a shot of the owner driving the van out of its resting-place through the woods, and the dashboard is covered in green moss from its long slumber.

I think member 'maxrom' will really appreciate this, the background looks like his part of the world, I imagine.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/videos/a32147/volkswagen-panel-van-forest-find/

 

[[email protected]]

I understand they wanted to keep the forest patina on the bus for the video but, you think that they would have at least cleaned the windshield :biglaugh:

Nice video.

 

[Bill Seward]

I had a'65 back in the day. Shoulda kept it!

 

[caseyjones955]

How awesome. I think air cooled VWs are a love em' or hate em'. I love em'.

Thanks for posting!

 

[Redbone]

Cool story, 40 years is a long time for an engine to sit even in good conditions!

 

[Fire-medic]

They pulled the original engine, the van owner had another one he'd re-done but hadn't run yet. That's what they swapped in, and used to drive it out of the woods. Another impressive feat, is that they re-did the brakes and engine swap, and I think the wire harness replacement in just a couple of days.

Talk about patina, I think these people would be strong candidates in any show they entered, because it appears they only did what was necessary to make it run under its own power. I suppose for maximum authenticity, he could re-do the original engine to a running standpoint, and swap it back in.

I had a friend who runs an exotic car service center in Ft. Lauderdale FL who once offered me a split-window VW van, one w/windows all-around, because the owner couldn't pay the repair bill. He told me, "take it out of here, free!" I'd have to get him to file a mechanic's lien to get legal title, but at the time, I was trying to divest myself of big items like spare vehicles, and turned him down. I thought about just flipping it, but I didn't. Now those all-window vans are worth $$$. My sister in law in Boston had a factory camper split-window van she owned for many years, and it sat, unused for years, until they finally sold it for pocket change. At the time, it occupied driveway space with a 3-window Hudson that belonged to my oldest brother. The American Pickers guys would have had a couple heart attacks: "OMG, it's the NASCAR championship winning Hudson and parked next to the split window VW van! Two icons of 1950's automobiles!"

Cool story, 40 years is a long time for a

n engine to sit even in good conditions!

 

[Zeus36]

How awesome. I think air cooled VWs are a love em' or hate em'. I love em'.

Thanks for posting!

I hate 'em. I pass those VW vans faster than semi trucks if I encounter them on the highway. But that is a cool video...

 

[88vmx12]

That is way way early, I didn't read the article but it has semiphors and therefore it has no bullet turn signals in the front. I didn't see the back of it but I am guessing a 56 or earlier. I have a 58' single cab pick-up http://www.vintagebus.com/gallery/section/image/211.JPG
The picture is from 1998 and it still looks the same, always garaged and hardly ever gets driven

G

 

[Fire-medic]

I had a 1961 Ford Econoline Cab-over style, not really a pivoting forward cab-over, but a 1st generation Econoline, the 'flat-nose' and a pickup bed back. I used it as a second or third vehicle, and my primary pickup, for probably 15 years, I sold it for much-more than I paid for it, which was $200. It definitely had 'patina.'

That is way way early, I didn't read the article but it has semiphors and therefore it has no bullet turn signals in the front. I didn't see the back of it but I am guessing a 56 or earlier. I have a 58' single cab pick-up http://www.vintagebus.com/gallery/section/image/211.JPG
The picture is from 1998 and it still looks the same, always garaged and hardly ever gets driven

G