1975 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus

Description

Is there any vehicle with as many stories to tell as the VW Microbus? Camper, transporter, pickup truck, house on wheels, tour guide, whatever it is, the VW bus has done it. This 1975 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus is just a wonderful way to grab all of that history and keep it for yourself, all wrapped in a familiar yet surprisingly stylish body.

Someone has obviously lavished a lot of time and attention on this VW and the results are pretty darned nice. It's definitely high-visibility with its cheerful red and white paint scheme, but the beautiful paint isn't the only thing that this VW is about. Instead, it's about details and here there are many. Note the clean, unadorned lines accentuated with a smidge of art and by laser-straight bodywork and deep, shiny paintwork that only comes from pros doing their thing, and in this case the fells at Reads Automotive in Ft. Worth, Texas really went all out. The two-tone combination is quite period-correct and gives the bus a jaunty appearance that works well with the VW's famous personality. Other things like the painted chrome bumpers and big chrome VW emblem in the center are trademarks that VW faithful can recognize from a mile away and all those big windows make it as bright and airy inside as you'd expect. Finally, the piece de resistance is the retractable vinyl roof section that takes gazing at the stars during a camping trip to a very high level.

The interior is really where these vehicles shine. Totally restored, it offers durable materials and basic accommodations for passengers, but the style is timeless. Red vinyl upholstery with white piping is a wonderful complement to the red and white exterior and the updated vinyl will last practically forever. Handsome side panels and door panels give it a very finished look and the original-style headliner overhead keeps it bright and clean. Plush black carpets are up front, and a Persian-style rug was laid down in front of the rear bench seat, which as awesome touch that we think really ties the whole bus together, Big Lebowski style. But that's just like our opinion, man. The front seats offer a commanding view of the road completely free of obstructions, and the school bus-like driving position is actually comfortable for long trips, which is really what these buses were designed to do, providing a commanding driver's seat offers a panoramic view out the massive windshield. Basic instrumentation was provided by the factory, and it deviates from the Beetle by using three round pods that may just have been influenced by another air-cooled, rear-engined people transporter from VW. You'll also be pleased to see that even the stereo looks correct, because the builder picked a modern retro-style AM/FM/AUX unit that fits in the dash, with USB connectivity through a capable under the dash. And in addition to the seats, there's a reasonably large and nicely upholstered package shelf mattress-pad atop the engine bay in back, so this bus is camp-ground ready.

The engine is a relatively modest version of the Beetle's venerable flat-four. Displacing 1641cc, it carries a correct piston and sleeve kit, and fires right up on demand and runs incredibly smooth. With the vast array of upgrades available for these tough little machines, this one is remarkably stock, right down to the single carburetor and factory-style air cleaner up top. It's neatly detailed and clean, and given the reliability of these VWs, you should be able to enjoy this one for many years to come. The underside is in very good condition and with a 4-speed manual transmission (and a super cool shifter topped with a custom figurine), it is a lot of fun to drive. A stock exhaust system gives it that familiar VW sound, and even that is likely OEM-spec, so you know the former owners were really sweating the details. Standard steel wheels were painted red and adorned with proper chrome hubcaps and 195/75/14 radials look traditional but improve the handling in a noticeable way.

If you're a fan of VW buses, this is a wonderful example that was restored to a surprisingly high level. Everything that was done only enhances what was already great, making it one of the best we've seen. Call today!