Highly Customized 1973 Kombi Bus

Up for sale is our highly customized 1973 VW Kombi Bus that was first put on the road in 2006. Because we have a VW Beetle show car and a disabled son, we wanted a bus that was capable of pulling a tandem axle trailer at turnpike speeds while on cruise control with AC and still having room for 4 full size adults and a wheelchair. The clear titled VW bus was purchased along with a 1983 Chevy Blazer and the conversion process began. The end result is a very unique VW bus that sits on a Chevrolet frame and has a 4.3L V6 mounted in the middle just behind the front seats with automatic transmission and Chevrolet rear end capable of pulling up to 6000lb at speeds in excess of 70mph without any problem.

We finished the bus in 2006 after investing over $20,000 and two years of uncounted personal labor hours and used it extensively. All rust was removed and replaced with new metal/panels as necessary, the exterior handles were shaved, both DC air conditioning as well as regular engine powered AC was added along with cruise control, pneumatic ram on the side door, full electronics package and a full tow package. The low mounted mid engine and Chevrolet chassis with air shocks and more gave the bus an excellent ride with exceptional handling.

Then in 2015 while working on the Holly 4 barrel, the unthinkable happened and while working on the engine the interior caught fire and burned/destroyed the entire interior while leaving minor metal distortion in the roof above the front bucket seats and of course pealing of the paint on the top and along the doors. The insurance policy we had was not guaranteed value and therefore they totaled the vehicle for a fraction of the cost. We purchased it back from them with a Rebuildable Salvage title thinking we were going to rebuild but health has become an issue and we have since purchased another usable tow vehicle so now this one has to go.

We have had all of the damaged paint areas striped using wet ablation and they have been primed with Zinc Chromate primer. The distortion still exists, just have not gotten around to working it. The areas are less than 1 foot by about 6 inches wide and should not be a major issue to fix. The motor was completely rebuilt by a professional motor company and the transmission was also checked for damage. The motor is installed and the bus can move under its own power although the entire interior has to be redone including the wiring. Over $6k was spent in addition to the engine on body work, priming, purchasing interior replacement parts from other donor vehicles including a crack free dash, and more. There are a few minor areas even in the replaced front panels under each door, along the front bumper and under the front windshield that have small holes that will need to be repaired but again, not significant.

I have put some before and after pictures here, but additional pictures can be found at http://www.stephensherbie.com/Webpage%20Photos/MyPhotos01.html. I encourage anyone interested in purchasing this unique vehicle to ask as many questions as possible before submitting your bid, but we are confident you will be extremely pleased with your purchase.

Buyer responsible for pickup and/or shipping...