Vehicle Description
1979 Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi Bus
Like the Beetle, the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter is a true "world
car," as likely to be found in Kathmandu, as in Valparaiso, Chile,
or Pebble Beach. The Transporter shared the Type 1 Beetle's running
gear, which provided it with excellent ground clearance and an
ability to run economically and indefinitely on near kerosene.
These adaptable attributes more than made up for the Transporter's
modest power output and low top speed and helped spread it
worldwide. Today the Volkswagen Type 2 is an iconic vehicle for
nearly every generation of enthusiast.
For consignment, the quintessential must have nugget from the
hippie past in the form of a wildly painted Kombi bus. It was
painted in Las Vegas and per the consignor, the painter was a
veteran of the Burning Man festival. But you knew that. And it was
serviced in 2018 at Kombi Haus in Sacramento, California. So, what
we have is a real west coast VW bus, man. Far out!
Exterior
No, you're not trippin', this thing really is a purple painted
party on wheels. What we have is a psychedelic symphony of colors
and shapes and wild things. The artist took a blank canvas and
created a work of art with a purple base littered with mushrooms,
(or shrooms if you prefer), lotus flowers, palm trees, yin-yang,
peace symbols, stars, clouds, and squiggly things. A hidden Easter
egg is a caterpillar taking a puffing a large cloudyexhale after a
righteous toke of his bong. That said, the body is relatively
straight. The upper white section, including the roof, has its
share of surface rust and there's more down by the rocker panels.
There's some at the base of the windshield and heavier in the drip
rail. Don't sweat it, man. The 14-inch wheels have some surface
rust, but the VW hubcaps are all there. Our favorite part might be
the castle Wolfsburg decal on the back window. Pretty sweet.
Interior
Upon entry, we notice a little more rust on the sill plate. The
door panels got passed over during the creative outburst, so
they're pretty standard black vinyl with an air duct that runs from
the hinge to a vent on the door. There's also a speaker at the
base. They both show a bit of wear and looseness but are mostly
intact. The same can be said for the bucket seats, also in black
vinyl with some seam separation. The very simple two spoke steering
wheel is in good condition and the basic dash has a speedometer in
a plastic surround next to a circle of indicator lights. An
aftermarket AM/FM/CD Pioneer radio is in place because Pete Seeger
has to be heard! The floor mounted shifter for the automatic is
tall, very bus like, and the floor is covered with a fitted rubber
mat, a pure Volkswagen utilitarian trait. The headliner and sun
visors show some wear towards the front, and some wear and staining
is found on the back section of headliner and trim, as if rain may
have seeped in through the top hinge. The back passenger area is
pure Bohemian with purple carpet, (naturally), a handmade plywood
platform covered in blue shag carpet. Some loosely wired house
speakers are strewn about because Joan Biaz has to be heard! There
are grab handles on the ceiling, a reminder that there were once
three rows of seats. But fret not as our consignor is including the
original bench seats with your purchase.
Drivetrain
A 2.0 liter flat 4-cylinder engine is on board in the back and it
has electronic fuel injection. The transmission is the original
3-speed automatic which keeps the power in back and turns the tires
via a 4.02 ratioed gear set. Power disc brakes up front are coupled
with power drum brakes in back.
Undercarriage
Some residual oil on the pan and differential but does not appear
to be actively leaking. The remainder of the undercarriage is
driver quality with surface rust, some road grime and grease, but
in general not horrible. Fully independent suspension is noted with
a torsion arm suspension up front and transverse torsion bar
arrangement in the rear. We note the power brake booster mounted
underneath as well as the duct system from the engine forward. We
check the door bottoms while on the lift and it's pretty gnarly,
man. The weatherstripping is dryer than Dick Cavett and the surface
rust is as red as Danny Bonaduce's hair. You dig?
Drive-Ability
We fired up the 67 horsepower and we were California Dreamin' as we
rolled onto our loop. Feelin' groovy, we hit the throttle and it's
no speed demon but then, we've got plenty of time. Turn, turn,
turn, and it did alright. Then it was back to the edge of reality
and time to park the bus and check out notes. It turns out, the
radio doesn't work....bummer man! The horn is also inoperable as is
the heater blower and the high beams.
"Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too, glide on
the peace train". Seriously though, a classic VW bus with lots of
potential. Running examples are getting harder to find and this one
might be worth a look. If you're looking for fun, this bus has more
kicks than Billy Jack. See it at the mall!
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
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