1965 Split Bus

Andy and Deana Jones list as their other interests, outside of work and their family, snowboarding and drinking, “especially when away in the Van at VW shows with friends.” Obviously, in this age of drinking in moderation, we’re sure that means a nice glass of vino round the camp fire, rather than slugging back a bottle of Thunderbird, running round with no trousers on and then falling in a hedge (or is that just us?). Either way, to their list of interests we should also add naming inanimate objects, for at the top of the questionnaire we sent them, they’d written “Our story so far with Saffy the Bay, Boris the Split and Clive the Karmann Ghia.” OK, let’s not even go there...

The couple’s introduction to VWs came by the unlikely means of a high-top Type 25. Even the T25 lovers will have to admit that they’re not exactly the most aesthetically pleasing VW around, yet they are practical, and this was exactly what drew Andy and Deana to it: “We had a brief look around it and realised how great it would be for taking children and all the relevant packing away. We’d just bought a huge tent but were so taken by that Van that when we came home, we immediately sold the tent and started a serious search for a VW Camper.”

Several months of fruitless searching later after, as they put it, “viewing more rust than paint”, the couple found a 1979 Sundowner Camper with a full-length pop top. “Our two children loved it, as did we, even though it was well over twice our original budget.” And this was where their love affair with all things VW started, and it quickly turned into an obsession. “These lovely, quirky little Vans provide such a change of lifestyle,” Deana enthuses, “weekends away at the drop of a hat, a fantastic atmosphere at all the various VW shows throughout the year, even just going out for a drive at weekends.” Though they loved everything about, er, Boris, as time went on and the couple got more and more into the VW scene, they found themselves drawn more toward the Split Screen Buses they admired at shows.

Fast-forward two years to May 2004, and an advert in the back of VolksWorld. It read: ‘1965 Austrian import Split Screen van, in need of restoration, but basically sound.’ Uh oh... “One ’phone call later and we were on our way up to Leicester to have a look.” Not at the non-descript food processing centre of the East Midlands, but at the Bus. “We were no experts but, after a good look around and underneath it, we considered it to be a project we could manage ourselves...” Two days later they brought it home on a trailer. Two years later it was still sitting in the garage. “We just couldn’t get our heads around where to start or how far to go with it – bodywork, paintwork, engine size, interior, should we lower it? How should we lower it?”

For the full story check out the February 2009 issue of VolksWorld magazine. On sale on 29 December and then available through back issues.

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