Very cool....

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/04...conic-microbus/

Indeed, who would have thought that. Also given the fact that I sat in those busses for miles and miles with my parents on the front row!
Off course, prices of these cars are going through the roof at the moment, making it economical interesting to have them restored.

Little off topic: a local upholsterer's shop is the national epicenter when it comes to re-upholstering all things VW, especially busses. There are always two or three in his workshop. That man has a warehouse filled with cloth, vinyl etc. Here's an example of his work: Meneer Sam Upholsterer
and his Facbook page with larger and better pics (Bus content!) FB page

Menno

I wonder if you get a factory warrantee after the restoration.....

After all the years of dumping subpar made in Mexico products on the US market and souring so many customers, I guess they’re trying to polish their image…

Dear Porsche: So I have some 914's that you should restore....

http://www.porsche.com/international/acces...ctannouncement/

this link was in the comments and just under it another guy quotes $38k to do a '68 912 don't know if they do 914s as well but if I had the means ... doesn't sound outrageous compared to what some folks spend on a resto

edit: just checked the link & it said page not found so either I copied it wrong (there's a bunch more words and slashes that show up on my screen as I am typing but don't show up in the post)or it's no longer an available service

Dear Porsche,

My 88 Westy wants to be reborn as a Porsche factory official "Porsche B32 Carrara" Westfalia/Joker/California model .... can you do that?

How about with a more modern 3.6L/PDK or Tiptronic trans from a 986/987/996/997 drivetrain & chassis/suspension/brakes to maintain the Waterboxer integrity + more reliability?

....please don't forget to fix the IMS problem though!

I have a donor car in mind, if the owner doesn't object!

Click to view attachment

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To become like these....

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BTW - Before the naysayers & trolls jump in on me - the B32 was real Porsche very limited production model (15-17+/-) sold in the mid-1980's at 70,000 DM - more than the top end 928S/S4s of the day - & at least 1 camper version was produced in white as depicted in the pic of the model above.

It was a 1985 911 Carrera 3.2 airboxer drivetrain, suspension, brakes, Fuchs wheels, etc. - to what VW otherwise produced as a WBX4 at the time, as shown in the last 2 pix above. The passenger van was downsized to seat only 6 in 6 captain's chairs with other luxo appointments & features, making it the ultimate mid-80's executive van!

Do some research, & look for the Oettenger WBX6 conversion too. It's interesting & both have been discussed on here before.

Cheers!
Tom
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I'd love to tour the museum they mention where VW bought back and restored one of each (microbuses, transporters, and vanagons)

You can do an online min-tour at this link....

http://www.autobild.de/klassik/bilder/bild...6525.html#bild5

They also have a Porsche "B32 Carrera" T3 Van in there!

It was some of the T3's in this museum where I got the idea to add the Euro optional fog lights to ours, using the factory dash switch & repro SS factory brackets but with the smaller & brighter modern Hella MicroFF fog lights in pic below.

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Cheers!
Tom
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One of my best friends in college came to the US from Sao Paulo Brazil while I still had my 71 Ghia.

He said that he lived near the VW factory there and that they would do a full body resto on my 71 Ghia for less than $1000 (this was back in ~1986).

That factory is still the last of the VW Group factories still in operation. I wonder is they still offer that service?

Maybe so Stu, but - to quote Igor in Young Frankenstein .... "....but the price has gone up!"


Tom
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