1979 Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi Bus

　　Like the Beetle, the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter is a true "world

　　car," as likely to be found in Kathmandu, as in Valparaiso, Chile,

　　or Pebble Beach. The Transporter shared the Type 1 Beetle's running

　　gear, which provided it with excellent ground clearance and an

　　ability to run economically and indefinitely on near kerosene.

　　These adaptable attributes more than made up for the Transporter's

　　modest power output and low top speed and helped spread it

　　worldwide. Today the Volkswagen Type 2 is an iconic vehicle for

　　nearly every generation of enthusiast.

　　For consignment, the quintessential must have nugget from the

　　hippie past in the form of a wildly painted Kombi bus. It was

　　painted in Las Vegas and per the consignor, the painter was a

　　veteran of the Burning Man festival. But you knew that. And it was

　　serviced in 2018 at Kombi Haus in Sacramento, California. So, what

　　we have is a real west coast VW bus, man. Far out!

　　Exterior

　　No, you're not trippin', this thing really is a purple painted

　　party on wheels. What we have is a psychedelic symphony of colors

　　and shapes and wild things. The artist took a blank canvas and

　　created a work of art with a purple base littered with mushrooms,

　　(or shrooms if you prefer), lotus flowers, palm trees, yin-yang,

　　peace symbols, stars, clouds, and squiggly things. A hidden Easter

　　egg is a caterpillar taking a puffing a large cloudyexhale after a

　　righteous toke of his bong. That said, the body is relatively

　　straight. The upper white section, including the roof, has its

　　share of surface rust and there's more down by the rocker panels.

　　There's some at the base of the windshield and heavier in the drip

　　rail. Don't sweat it, man. The 14-inch wheels have some surface

　　rust, but the VW hubcaps are all there. Our favorite part might be

　　the castle Wolfsburg decal on the back window. Pretty sweet.

　　Interior

　　Upon entry, we notice a little more rust on the sill plate. The

　　door panels got passed over during the creative outburst, so

　　they're pretty standard black vinyl with an air duct that runs from

　　the hinge to a vent on the door. There's also a speaker at the

　　base. They both show a bit of wear and looseness but are mostly

　　intact. The same can be said for the bucket seats, also in black

　　vinyl with some seam separation. The very simple two spoke steering

　　wheel is in good condition and the basic dash has a speedometer in

　　a plastic surround next to a circle of indicator lights. An

　　aftermarket AM/FM/CD Pioneer radio is in place because Pete Seeger

　　has to be heard! The floor mounted shifter for the automatic is

　　tall, very bus like, and the floor is covered with a fitted rubber

　　mat, a pure Volkswagen utilitarian trait. The headliner and sun

　　visors show some wear towards the front, and some wear and staining

　　is found on the back section of headliner and trim, as if rain may

　　have seeped in through the top hinge. The back passenger area is

　　pure Bohemian with purple carpet, (naturally), a handmade plywood

　　platform covered in blue shag carpet. Some loosely wired house

　　speakers are strewn about because Joan Biaz has to be heard! There

　　are grab handles on the ceiling, a reminder that there were once

　　three rows of seats. But fret not as our consignor is including the

　　original bench seats with your purchase.

　　Drivetrain

　　A 2.0 liter flat 4-cylinder engine is on board in the back and it

　　has electronic fuel injection. The transmission is the original

　　3-speed automatic which keeps the power in back and turns the tires

　　via a 4.02 ratioed gear set. Power disc brakes up front are coupled

　　with power drum brakes in back.

　　Undercarriage

　　Some residual oil on the pan and differential but does not appear

　　to be actively leaking. The remainder of the undercarriage is

　　driver quality with surface rust, some road grime and grease, but

　　in general not horrible. Fully independent suspension is noted with

　　a torsion arm suspension up front and transverse torsion bar

　　arrangement in the rear. We note the power brake booster mounted

　　underneath as well as the duct system from the engine forward. We

　　check the door bottoms while on the lift and it's pretty gnarly,

　　man. The weatherstripping is dryer than Dick Cavett and the surface

　　rust is as red as Danny Bonaduce's hair. You dig?

　　Drive-Ability

　　We fired up the 67 horsepower and we were California Dreamin' as we

　　rolled onto our loop. Feelin' groovy, we hit the throttle and it's

　　no speed demon but then, we've got plenty of time. Turn, turn,

　　turn, and it did alright. Then it was back to the edge of reality

　　and time to park the bus and check out notes. It turns out, the

　　radio doesn't work....bummer man! The horn is also inoperable as is

　　the heater blower and the high beams.

　　"Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too, glide on

　　the peace train". Seriously though, a classic VW bus with lots of

　　potential. Running examples are getting harder to find and this one

　　might be worth a look. If you're looking for fun, this bus has more

　　kicks than Billy Jack. See it at the mall!

　　Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and

　　collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate

　　controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8

　　acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic

　　and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,

　　Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the

　　I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit

　　or call us at (888) . Contact us

　　anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in

　　person.

　　With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and

　　we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host

　　Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends

　　in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and

　　automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune

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