1957 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Transporter Minivan/Van

4 - Cyl.

Manual

Clear

Gasoline

Audio Player Copyright 2009 Ver2.04 You are bidding on a beautiful early 1957 Palm Green over Sand Green Standard Microbus – perhaps the nicest pressed bumper pre-1958 transporter on the market today. It is an original yellow plate California car, restored less than 200 miles ago in Southern California to the highest standards of professional restoration by the greatest names in classic VWs, including brothers Octavio and Raphael Gutierez, and Lenny Copp of West Coast Classic Restorations. It features superior paintwork, an immaculate original-style interior, original Safari windows and it has its original drivetrain with correct spit case transaxle. It starts, runs and handles wonderfully. Every time I take the wheel of this special machine, I marvel in the simplicity of its ride and drive, and I especially like the attention received from admiring onlookers who recognize the VW vintage transporter as a symbol of peace and freedom. As an impressive, appreciating collectible, this pre-1958 Palm Green Sand Green Microbus is every bit as sought after as its 21 and 23 window Samba cousins – and some say they are more collectible because they were made in fewer numbers. They are seldom available as expertly restored as is the case in this example. With its features original and complete, with plenty of tasteful period accessories, with so few miles post-restoration and because of the high restorative standards that were applied, it has many years of appreciation ahead of it. This one is an absolute treasure, and I believe it will surely please the lucky winner of this auction. It is a trophy winner – Best of Show award for Best Interior at the Texas VW Classic in Fredericksburg, Texas, April 2010. It was featured in the European-based Super VW Magazine after it was spotted at the LA VW/Porsche Literature and Toy Show. Major advantages: · Superb exterior and interior paintwork in a coveted color combination – one of the best finished I’ve ever offered. · Superior interior restoration – original-style Soft Green seat coverings with beautiful matching tri-tone interior colors. · Original body parts – doors, rear hatch, decklid, apron, wheels, etc. · Original 1192cc 36hp engine with correct spit case transmission. · Numerous period accessories. Other special items: Original factory Safari windows – with wiper pivots and rubber blade rest. Original 43,000 miles on chassis. Original California Yellow Plates, registered to the Bus! Original dealer tag frames. Original flawless dash – still gleaming and simple. Original clear needle speedometer. Original Blaupunkt in-dash AM/Shortwave radio. Red, jewel-tipped radio antenna made specifically for Safari windows. Period-correct Marschal driving lights – with German in-dash switch. Original Hella headlight lenses. Original Hella bubble taillight lenses. Original Hella glass rear reflectors Original brakelight decklid with original Hella lens and bezel Original bullet turn signals Original fat base mirror arms Original pressed bumpers Original doors, decklid, bumpers, apron, wheels, etc. Original slotted 15” wheels – with correct upper- and lower-body colors. Original crank start system Original dash grab handle Original early air cleaner assembly Original 6 volt electrical system. Original fuel tap system. Original ashtrays Original ribbed chrome door handles. Original grab bar middle seat Original middle and rear seat kick panels Original-syle coathook Original-style pillar handle Original Sekurit cab, pop-out, and rear windows. New Mohair headliner Correct original metal-based armrests Correct hardboard sun visor. Correct gloss black thin-shaft wiper arms. Correct painted logo chrome hubcaps. Correct black Bakelite door handle escutcheons. Correct chrome long spoon pop-out window latches Correct 6.40 X 15 Firestone bias-ply tires – five, including spare. NOS chevron-style mudflaps. . Restoration and Exterior-wise, this special Palm Green Sand Green transporter, - an original low-mile California Microbus, may very well be the best looker of all I’ve ever offered. It was completely disassembled inside and out, stripped to bare metal and repainted correctly in all the right places. The bumpers were removed, professionally refurbished and correctly repainted with upper- and lower-body colors. Its five 15” wheel hubs were correctly painted in body colors. The body is in perfect shape, and is as straight, dry and as clean as can be. It has the correct pinstripes at the beltline and even has the Palm Green swipe in the center of the emblem as the factory would have done. The quality of the paintwork is the highest, and it is obvious that the restorer took great care to polish it to a very high restorative standard. The finish is beautiful, deep and consistent – a product I believe you will find delightful, as I certainly have. The floors are spotless and shiny, as are the other exposed parts of the interior. It looks phenomenal as you can see from the photos. Mechanically, the drivetrain is the original 1192cc 36hp which has been completely rebuilt and runs perfectly. It has its original crank start system (I’ve crank started the bus several times), original early air cleaner assembly, correct hump-style fuel pump, crank start nut, centrifugal advance Bosch distributor, restored heater boxes with correct single tip exhaust and correct pre-1959 exhaust tip. The transaxle is a correct split case non-synchromesh first gear unit – meaning you can’t downshift into first gear without coming to a stop – and it has that very cool whine in first gear as it should. As a result, you will experience the authentic ride and drive one would expect from a stock 1957 Microbus, and this with just a few miles from restoration. You can hop right in, turn the key and go down the road confidently. Yes, folks, 36 horses eagerly await you. With its original gearbox and gear reduction boxes, safe top end cruising speed is approximately 47 - 50 mph! There is no fuel gauge, but it has its original fuel tap system that will release a reserved amount of gas into the fuel system if the main tank runs dry – enough to get you to a gas station for further relief. I know it works, because I ran out of gas while driving it last week and the fuel tap worked like a charm! Interior-wise, you will find a clean, coordinated PG/SG “Soft Green” interior faithfully reproduced and installed by Octavio and Raphael Gutierez. It won Best of Show – Best Interior at the 2010 Texas Classic, as reported in the September issue of Hot VW’s Magazine. All three rows of seats are factory original-to-the-bus. They were stripped, sanded, repainted, re-padded and reupholstered with beautiful original style seat upholstery. Covering the floors are new rubber mats and attached to the middle as rear seats are the correct kick panel. Beautiful new headliner, new rear-hatch deck covering. Red front seat belts. This Microbus has one of the finest period-correct interior restorations I have ever seen. Its all there and correct, right down to the chrome drink bar trim, upholstery grab handle, grab bars and passenger door check straps. Original cab, middle and rear seats. Original-style door panels with correct door pockets. Interior created and installed by Octavio and Raphael Gutierez. Parcel covered with matching Soft Green vinyl. Original rear seat kick panel. New mohair-style headliner. Rare early bus aluminum coat hooks. New rubber floor mats. Uncut dash. Chrome ribbed door handles. Red front seat belts. Speedometer/odometer and dash indicators all work properly and are well lit. No fuel gauge, but has working fuel tap! Working windshield wipers and horn. Dash is beautiful and uncut. Sekurit door glass, pop-out window glass and rear window glass are free of chips or cracks. Pop-out window latches open and close properly. Electrical system is the original 6-volt system, with generator. All interior and exterior lights, including low and high headlight beams, turn signals, dome lights and dash indicators are in good order. All doors, including passenger compartment doors, cargo and engine doors open and close properly. You can call me, Ray Hair, at 817-988-5238 (cell) for more information about this beautiful vintage VW microbus or contact me by email with questions. Please go to the top of the auction page and click ME, just to the right of my user ID, cars20thcentury, to go to my eBay ABOUT ME page for more information. There, you can click through to my website, cars20thcentury, for details about my exciting, recently concluded eBay auctions and about my experience with vintage Microbuses. Although you can find other nice VW Type 2’s available, you’ll not find the correctness, originality and the collectible appreciation you’ll get with this example. Please review my feedback and bid with confidence. Don’t forget to add me to your list of favorite sellers – be the first to know about my future offerings. International buyers – worldwide shipping is available from the port of Houston, Texas. All costs associated with international shipping are the sole responsibility of the buyer. Please go to www.horizonautoshipping.com for an oceangoing freight quote. This presentation, item description, all photos and text are copyright 2010 by Ray Hair, all rights reserved. Use without permission is a violation of applicable laws. All questions will be answered except those concerning reserve price, which will not be disclosed. No trades. Bids are subject to cancellation if bidder fails or refuses to respond to requests for contact information. This great Microbus is available for inspection by appointment to bidders only in Denton, Texas prior to auction close and is sold “as is”, with no warranty either expressed or implied. This is by far the nicest and cleanest of all vintage Microbuses I have ever owned and offered. Because of their economy and an increase in collector and special interest demand, these early original split window Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus transporters – especially those made pre-1958 - are getting harder and harder to find, particularly in such superior condition. It is an excellent investment. Over time and with proper care, this beautiful Microbus will continue to grow in value. If you’ve been waiting for a nice vintage VW bus to show, to drive down to the ocean, to run around town and be seen in, or to just stretch out in and drive, wait no more. Get ready to bring home a trophy and bid to win this great Microbus. Go on, give up and go for it – you only live once! You’ll have the rest of your life to enjoy it. Thank you for your time, Good Luck and Happy Bidding!