Story told March 2, 2005 in the forums of www.thesamba.com
I'd like to take this opportunity to tell my story about my encounter with Jeff's Bus here in
this thread.
Back in the early 1990's around 1993 I was getting out of class at SDSU and had the
thought to drop by Gino Garcia's (the less-than-respected EMPI collector) house that was
around El Cajon Blvd. and 51st St. I had been there many years before when I bought a
rough 1956 23 Window from him (which was very rough by 1988 standards but would be
left as-is today). I mistakenly took a right on Estrella St. and midway down the street I
spotted the rear of a Sealing Wax Red and Chestnut Brown Deluxe in the back of a long
driveway alongside a small old house. I slammed on the brakes in my 1965 Chevy Nova
SS, put it in reverse, and backed up to get another look. I saw the jailbars, corner
windows, skylights, rear pressed bumper with trim, and a black 1950 Ford that was parked
behind it obscured the Barndoor decklid. Suddenly I saw the outline of the decklid and the
brakelight just below the rear window and I about shit myself. Not only had I never run
across a Barndoor in the flesh at anything less than the Classic or the pages of Hot VWs,
but this was a Barndoor 23 and in stupid nice shape to boot. It seemed like a dream or I
was drunk and hallucinating but it was very real and sitting right in front of me, parked in a
driveway, windows open, no cover, no alarm, no guard dog, no armed guard, just the way
it might have been in the 70's or something. I knocked on the door and the guys
roommate came to the door and said "It's not for sale, it's my roommates, he inherited it
from his grandfather...blah blah blah" I asked if it would be OK if I took a walk around it as
it was the rarest Bus I'd ever stumbled across and I'm a huge fan. He said it would be fine.
I walked around it making sure not to step on my lower jaw. Everything was present,
semaphores, vent trim, all 3 original seats, complete dash, taillights, bumpers with trim,
100% complete. I was told that it had been repainted at the dealer in the 1970's and they
installed a pinhole vinyl headliner around the same time. Other than those small details,
the Bus was like it was teleported from another era. The roommate mentioned to me that
he had been offered "huge" money for it by a collector but he turned it down. From what I
recall the figure mentioned was $13,500 which, in those days, was ASTRONOMICALLY
expensive. Back in those days you used to be able to find 10-15 Split Buses in the Auto
Trader every week and really really nice Buses could certainly be had for $3000 or under
including 23s, 21s, 15's, pressed bumper Buses, early Westys, and there were more 1967
Westy Poptop low-mile, all-original, original owner, with the rack, ladder, window sticker,
etc. campers for $500-$1000 than you could ever imagine. I called 10 Foot Doug The
Head that night and told him about it. He thought I was pulling his leg until the next day
when he drove over after class at SDSU and saw it first hand for himself. He was beside
himself as well. He too was told about the same info as myself and was floored in general.
Years later the house that it was parked at was vacant and we'd figured that the Bus had
vanished and might not ever surface again. Year later it actually popped up on this site
and we spotted it immediately, knowing it was the same beast that we'd seen years earlier.
Jeff got into the bidding and came out on top and is certainly doing it justice today to say
the least. If it wasn't to end up in my or Doug's hands, it's great to see it in the care of a
loving owner like Jeff. I'm sure we'll all have the chance to caravan together to some of the
So Cal shows in the future which is ultra cool in my book.
Brendan Finn - AKA BUCIOBATISTI
BDM Made Man
53 Barndoor Panel (Oldest Bus in San Diego)
55 Kombi Street Scraper (Lowest Bus in SD)
57 Right Hand Drive Oval
60 Kombi (Lowest OG Mileage Early Bus in SD)
Registered Owner of "The Roadster" (Wears the Oldest Bus Part in SD)