RHD / SEATS 8 PEOPLE / SLEEPS 2 / READY TO GO! / LEISURE BATTERY / DISC BRAKE CONVERSION ON FRONT & SERVO / NEW STEERING RACK /
We bought this stunning little van in April 2020 from UK Sport Cars in Canterbury and commissioned the interior update, carried out by the same guys, prior to taking delivery. We planned to use the van as a regular mode of transport as well as holiday vehicle to rock up to campsites in, so safety, comfort and ease of use were all very important - not just good looks. We soon realised driving a 1960’s camper van without disk brakes and a steering rack was not an option for us. Especially when carrying precious cargo, our then 11 year old son. A disc brake conversion on the front and new servo plus a Creative Engineering Steering rack were added and joy behold, it was like driving a completely different van. Responsive and so much easier to drive. Our little Splitty has served us well, is super reliable and has taken us on so many fun excursions. A thing of beauty and real head turner. Infact you get quite used to waving at people when onboard, a smile and a wave becomes second nature. We certainly don’t get the same reaction when driving the grey VW Caddy down the Atlantic Highway.
We have taken very good care of him over the years, he’s been well loved by us all. Holidays, day trips and weekly if not daily trips into and around town. He’s been a Wedding carriage a few times for friends and a Prom delivery vehicle too. If camping as a family we would take our Bell Tent for our son and his mates or a smaller pop up up tent if just the 3 of us. For 2, he has everything you need. Sociable face to face seating and a screw in central table making it the perfect way to spend the evening with a game of cards and a beer.
He comes with all the usuals: 5 Seatbelts, 2 Ring Hob, Fridge, Leisure Battery, Rock ‘n Roll (very comfortable) full van width double bed, curtains and night screen blackout from Mad Matz plus plenty of storage space in the back and under the seats. He’s basically ‘turn-key’ ready for his next trip. The colour is Sealing Wax Red / Beige Grey.
We have lots of receipts. Many new bits added ..wing mirrors, steering wheel, hooter, headlamps. I went on a 'Type 2 Detectives' course, which was really helpful in understanding the mechanics (so simple). Something I would really recommend if your first vintage VW. He is a very tidy van in great condition for his age. Pictures and video were taken 2 weeks ago. See ebay listing under same name for more pictures.
Unfortunately new work/life commitments has made using him, as frequent as he deserves, too infrequent for our liking. Our son now all grown up would prefer not to be seen with us in public, so family camping also off the agenda. We really don’t want him to sit in a dusty storage unit until our situation changes, for the mice to nibble at his beautiful seats. He needs to be enjoyed and his storey to continue.
When we bought him we were shown some great historical pictures which are on ebay listing as no room to add on here
He no longer has his roof rack.
The van still appears on UK Sport Cars site with the sales details (5 years ago). I have pasted this below as quite interesting.
1964 VW Split Screen Camper Van. Factory German Built & UK Supplied Right Hand Drive. A very pleasant example. This is a genuine German built bus that was supplied to the UK in 1964 and complete with its factory VIN plate and M Code plate to confirm its authenticity from factory.
Restoration orchestrated by the previous owner which involved a complete strip down of the bus to its bare bones to identify which areas required attention. This soon turned into a rotisserie restoration where the entire shell was stripped of its components and placed on its side on a jig so that the underside could be attended to in detail. All of the doors were removed from the bus at the same time so that they could be attended to individually.
The bus was then primed and painted in early and desirable Volkswagen colours, Sealing Wax Red / Beige Grey.
1500cc recon engine has been inspected and serviced on the bench and runs well. Replacement 12v wiring loom. Brand new brakes all round.
