Split Standard
By Breanne McMullen
Watching the crowd applaud and the judge hand you the award for Judges' Choice is something for which many vintage car owners strive. This dream happened for Brad Warren of Decatur, Illinois when he debuted his 1963 Split Window Bus at the 1999 The Real Source's Beetle Funfest. He was the first ever to achieve this prize from this inaugural event. His Type II went on to win both Judges' and President's Choice in 2003 at the same event. Just a few miles down the road, in the little town of Effingham, Illinois, was where the little Bus began its story. Robert LeCrone, a local Illinois tool and die maker, originally bought this Bus right off the lot in 1963 and maintained it as his daily driver for nearly 30 years before his death. In the early 1990s the Split Window found its second owner and finally came to rest with Warren in 1997. Thankfully the original owner was a perfectionist and the harsh Midwestern winters hadn't eaten away at the original metal parts.
Without having to replace large parts of the pan or body, the cosmetics could begin, and the painting was completed ten months later. "Splitty," as Warren affectionately calls his Bus, was coated five times with factory Blue White and Turquoise from PPG. At this point, Warren had the chance to give the dashboard the same attention he paid to the exterior, but he opted instead to keep the integrity of the original paint job and kept the original owners service stickers intact. Warren said, "Seeing the Bus in the bright sun after the paint job" made it worth all of the sweat and money.
Deciding to wait on the engine and tranny, Warren took his Bus to Mac's Custom Interiors in Decatur, Illinois, for the ultimate workup. Mac's was able to upholster the interior to factory specifications by matching colors and styles with photos and old brochures from 1963. The result is an impressive ComoGreen vinyl interior that rivals those that sat on the original showroom floor. Mac hung a light gray Wolfsburg West cloth headliner and to seal the deal, Warren restored the fabric interior panels by retaining the original Phosphor sections and replacing certain areas with materials that matched the seats.
Even with a great vinyl and paint combination, Warren's "Splitty" was missing the middle seat. A quest was founded and Kent Zschoche of St. Louis located a 1963-only seat to do the job. The front and middle floor mats were the original, from-the-factory set and were in great condition, much like the rust-free underpinnings.
With all that work on vinyl, paint jobs and color schemes, Warren moved on to the meat of the restoration: the engine and tranny. The engine buildup stayed retro by fitting the 1500cc model with a NOS Solex 30 PICT1 carburetor with an original governor, for a "period look." The transmission and reduction gears were the original factory-issued parts. All of this beauty rides atop 6.40 x 15-inch Firestone bias-ply tires from Coker Tire in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it all comes to a halt with the help of BFY's German brake kits and new clutch. Little details like chrome plating on the hubcaps and tail light bezels adds to the overall look of this VW.
Being a self-proclaimed VW purist, Brad Warren is a member of Vintage VW Club of America and VW Club of America and has been active in these clubs even before owning "Splitty." Warren says that one of the best parts about owning a Vintage VW is "the favorable comments that you get from other people or the memorable stories people share." Ever since his father purchased a VW in 1981, Warren has been a fan of the stock Vintage VWs and plans to pass along the tradition in his own family.
Special thanks to Jamie Kikolla for the bodywork restoration done on this bus.
Two Judge's trophies and one President's Choice award later and this Split Window can officially be called a showstopper.
Warren paid attention to the detail of the tail light bezels on this bus and had them chrome plated. It makes for a nice last glance when he pulls around you.
"Splitty" was originally owned by a perfectionist who took great care to be sure it was kept clean from rust and other weather hazards. The body was in excellent shape when the restoration began.
When the exterior was painted Blue White and Turquoise, the dash was left alone. Warren wanted to keep the original service stickers--placed on the factory-painted dashboard--in plain view.
A custom Como Green vinyl interior, copied from old brochures to get that fresh-from-the-factory look, was created by Mac's Custom Interiors. The floor mats were the original set and were in great condition, so they stayed in place.
A light gray cloth headliner and restored fabric interior panels compliment the custom seats. By retaining the original Phosphor sections and using materials that matched the seats, the interior panels were restored.
The retro 1500cc model engine was fitted with a NOS Solex 30 PICT1 carburetor and the transmission and reduction gears were the original factory-issued parts.
Chrome-plated hubcaps and Firestone bias-ply tires keep the ride to VW shows smooth. Even the rims scream the theme of this Bus: pure stock.
Click Here: To visit VWTrends Web
