Our 1983 T3 Bus Called Wombat

[onetrackwonder]

Here is another that I am bringing back from the dead Forum

So after Ignats posting his new T3 I thought I should show off our air cooled T3 that I initially purchased for the engine for our 74 Swagman Camper resto thats planned for down the track.
This bus came from Lloydes who had a family auction of VW's over in Adelaide, some poor bloke had to sell his collection to fund a family crisis, and he had heaps of good stuff, I only wish that my budget had been able to stretch more as I would have bought half a dozen cars.
This air cooler is very clean, the previous owner knew his stuff, it has some small bubbles of rust along the front seam above the bumper and a small amount on the back door from a dent and thats it, I haven't seen an original T3 with less before, its basically an empty van, auto fuel injected 2.oL, the brakes have a very long pedal and the brake lights are stuck on so apart from a bleed and a couple of pressure switches she is a runner, seats could do with a re trim, it came with a new grill,rear bumper and some Audi mags and tyres that don't fit. We won the auction late on Friday the 7th of May and it had to be picked up within two working days so Saturday morning I was off on a road trip and its a long way from Central Tilba to Adelaide where Lloydes are, so Monday at 9am I rocked up and they drove the bus out for me to load just as it started to piss down and was out of there by 12, it was a long wait.
This is loading up in Adelaide and thats shadows on the back and not dents 
https//i.imgur.com/sChLjEk.jpg[/img]]https//i.imgur.com/NsHvHY3.jpg[/img]]

Somewhere in SA on the way home 
[https//i.imgur.com/s00RMcR.jpg[/img]]img]https://i.imgur.com/s00RMcR.jpg[/img] 


Road tripping through SAhttps//i.imgur.com/VrwiYkb.jpg[/img]] 

Hay Plain https//i.imgur.com/e5aspM4.png[/img]]Snowy Mountains Highway after the fireshttps//i.imgur.com/2erCcW8.png[/img]] 

Some pics insidehttps//i.imgur.com/iaAlrWO.png[/img]] 
https//i.imgur.com/GVXhQPC.png[/img]] 
Engine https//i.imgur.com/jcmZH95.png[/img]] 

And yes Im guilty as charged as I had to copy the actual pics of the bus from what I had saved from Lloydes advertising, I haven't taken any pics of it since I have unloaded it, and the final price that was payed, 
https//i.imgur.com/KjVlcl2.png[/img]] 

I'm guessing you can tell why I bought it as a runner just for the engine, and yes as Grantus is drooling over her I am still having nightmares over weather I should keep it together and pay 3-5K just for a decent runner engine, or just use the engine and do a Subaru conversion and sell the bus for 10K, cheers Greg
 

Last edited: Mar 8, 2022

onetrackwonder, Mar 7, 2022

[onetrackwonder]

Nice score there, Greg !
Cheers,
Mark
 

Pit crew for Herman - the white lowlight 
……………& The Tardis, a '76 Sopru 

"It's not an oil leak, it's sweat from all the horse power!"
- Anonymous

oldman, Mar 8, 202

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I had a T3 auto air cooled. 
That is what originally got me hooked on auto T3’s. 
Arm rests, flippers…. That trim looks so good. 
You know what my votes for. 
Reckon you will change your mind when you drive it a few times. 
Whatever - your ride. No judgement from me.
 

Barry, Mar 8, 2022

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My vote is to keep it as is - it's like the Banana Sundae - too original to mess with 
Air cooled T3's must be getting down in numbers now.
You can get a motor elsewhere - but totally your call.
 

62 Splitty "Little Red". 76 Sunliner Campmobile "Josie". 74 Deluxe Bay "Spotty Herbert". 2005 R5 Touareg. 97 Golf CL. 2007 Beetle Cabriolet "Mickey".

"A few seats short of a Microbus!" - Quote: Syncro, 2013.
melissa, Mar 8, 2022

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See Greg ^^^^^^^^. 

Not just me……. 
 

 

Kanga Banga - Blue 88 Manual Caravelle CL (T3)

Utervelle - Blue 91 Manual Single Cab (T3) 

http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/my-t3-single-cab-project.50622/page-17

http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/kanga-banga-tidy-up.57512/

Grantus, Mar 8, 2022

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Awesome.

love the old colour schemes too.

Will be fantastic when on the road running....whatever engine that may be....
 

Scott, Mel, Allanah & Sienna

Gus - 1988 Mid Blue T3 Syncro Caravelle Camper
Rosie - 2010 Red Golf 2LTDi DSG auto with sport pack
Snowy - 1989 White T3 Caravelle - 5 speed
Lowie - 1969 White 8 seater micro bus

Syncro27, Mar 8, 2022

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Ideal base, for an awesome tintop camper project, or back to it’s original glory as it was, when it left the factory. Unbadged now, but has some obvious upmarket early Bus or Caravelle features from new, with what’s left of the chrome trim around the windscreen, the two tone colour scheme, the pair of front corner vent windows, and the sliding windows……..

The VIN may reveal more. 
 

Last edited: Mar 8, 2022

 

Kanga Banga - Blue 88 Manual Caravelle CL (T3)

Utervelle - Blue 91 Manual Single Cab (T3) 

http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/my-t3-single-cab-project.50622/page-17

http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/kanga-banga-tidy-up.57512/

Grantus, Mar 8, 2022

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Barry said: ↑

I had a T3 auto air cooled.
That is what originally got me hooked on auto T3’s.
Arm rests, flippers…. That trim looks so good.
You know what my votes for.
Reckon you will change your mind when you drive it a few times.
Whatever - your ride. No judgement from me.

Thanks Barry, I have driven it down the road and back, it was very slow but saying that I have tweaked the engine a bit since and it sounds a whole lot better now, I have a 1990 2.1 single cab that’s my daily driver so their comfort level is not new to me and the 2.1 really gets along the highway

oldman said: ↑

Sorted….
Cheers,
Mark

Thanks Mark it’s much appreciated, cheers

Melissa, Grantus and Syncro I think you all know it’s not going to change, once I got there to pick it up I realised that it was way better than what I thought it would be, when I get through a few more car builds I’m going to have to go through it and put some historic registration on it, and enjoy it for a bit, for some reason patina and me seem to attract, it’s a very cool bus with the old sign writing, cheers Greg
 

Last edited: Mar 8, 2022

onetrackwonder, Mar 8, 2022

[onetrackwonder]

onetrackwonder said: ↑

Melissa, Grantus and Syncro I think you all know it’s not going to change,

I for one, didn’t know, as your posts indicated it was bought purely for the AC engine, and could have just scrapped the rest, after the engine removal…….

Glad to see you realise, (not that I ever doubted you wouldn’t recognise the long term vision), that this one is worth saving, and probably rarer and more valuable than the T2 you initially bought the engine with a T3 wrapped around it, for. 

Glad it found a caring home. 
 

 

Kanga Banga - Blue 88 Manual Caravelle CL (T3)

Utervelle - Blue 91 Manual Single Cab (T3) 

http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/my-t3-single-cab-project.50622/page-17

http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/kanga-banga-tidy-up.57512/

Grantus, Mar 8, 2022

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I’m not that caring Grant, I’m tucked up inside and we have the fire on, it’s out in the rain getting weeks worth of washes, I would be more caring if I had more shed space, that’s planned for down the track, I currently have 7 cars under cover at the moment and hope to get one out of there soon that’s not mine, so then I can rotate another inside, looking to install a hoist one day to make life easier working on these things, you heading up to Berry, if so I hope to catch up, cheers Greg
 

onetrackwonder, Mar 8, 2022

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1. onetrackwonder said: ↑
   
   

   I’m not that caring Grant, I’m tucked up inside and we have the fire on, it’s out in the rain getting weeks worth of washes, I would be more caring if I had more shed space, that’s planned for down the track, I currently have 7 cars under cover at the moment and hope to get one out of there soon that’s not mine, so then I can rotate another inside, looking to install a hoist one day to make life easier working on these things, you heading up to Berry, if so I hope to catch up, cheers Greg

   
   Berry is in the diary, and a def “will be there”……… if for no other reason than to persuade you to get your new found treasure, out of the weather, and away from it’s new found coastal salt air exposure!
   
   Put a Bay out for a wash, (and let it rust away as it was designed to do), and give the AC T3 some protective cover.
   
   Catch up then Greg! 
    

   
    
   
   Kanga Banga - Blue 88 Manual Caravelle CL (T3)
   
   Utervelle - Blue 91 Manual Single Cab (T3) 
   
   http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/my-t3-single-cab-project.50622/page-17
   
   http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/kanga-banga-tidy-up.57512/
   Grantus, Mar 8, 2022Report
   #13LikeReply
   
   
2. 
   Wayne murrayWell-Known Member
   Messages:
   
   4,988
   Location:
   
   Seven hills
   
   
   
   

   I seen the car on the Lloyd website before auction and it looked like a very nice car, You have done well @onetrackwonder, I do like the two tone colour scheme as well. 
   Fix what needs fixing, drive it see what it' is like. What you decide to do with the engine I'll leave up to you. 
   Your getting quite a good collection down there. Like to see it one day.
    

   
   72 Kombi 8 Seater Microbus
   72 Double Cab Ute
   76 Single Cab Ute
   Wayne murray, Mar 9, 2022
   

[onetrackwonder]

Thanks Wayne your'e welcome to visit anytime, along with any other members here, your thoughts are what I plan on doing, fix whats needed and enjoy it for a bit and then decide, even though we have a bit of collection now we don't have a huge budget, with good shopping we bought 2 campers, a 76 Sopru (Emu) which i'm trying to have running and registered to bring to Berry, a 74 Swagman, the one without an engine, and a 74 bus with a V8 Range Rover engine and Porsche gearbox which we bought for less than the gearbox is worth and the T3 for under 20k, all three T2 Kombi's need rust repairs that i'm well set up to do and enjoy doing, these were the ones at Lloydes that I wished I could have stretched the budget for and bought, the duel cab split was unreal, all rust done and all the metal panels to go with it

https//i.imgur.com/2bwYVHx.png[/img]]

This Split bus and the dual cab were the best bargains that I still kick myself over, the bus had 5 pallets of bits to go with it, engine, freeway flyer box and all metal work was complete, all parts were complete also, interior cards etc wouldn't have needed paint either, bargain of a life time

https//i.imgur.com/WVO0KF9.png[/img]]

another one of my loves, sorry guys its not a Kombi but hey, a thing of beauty
https//i.imgur.com/FFWemN5.png[/img]]

Another Bargain, VW Puma
https//i.imgur.com/XhSNnck.png[/img]]

And another
https//i.imgur.com/TNGN0YU.png[/img]]

And another
https//i.imgur.com/wLRNwlM.png[/img]]

there were another 20 cars/items and I would have bought the lot if I had the money and space to keep them in, cheers from the dreamer, ha
 

onetrackwonder, Mar 9, 2022

[Wombatventures]

Great Pickup Greg, Aircooled and T3 at the same time. Fair bit of envy from me.
I reckon I've seen the yellow Puma since it was sold. Was in at Volks care when I went to pick up my Auto Trans for the Notch. An interesting car that we don't get to see many of.
I'm with you on the Country Buggy!

[onetrackwonder]

Great Pickup Greg, Aircooled and T3 at the same time. Fair bit of envy from me.
I reckon I've seen the yellow Puma since it was sold. Was in at Volks care when I went to pick up my Auto Trans for the Notch. An interesting car that we don't get to see many of.
I'm with you on the Country Buggy!

Thanks its a pretty cool bus, funny you mention an auto Notch because I dragged one home from Lightning Ridge a fair while back, it too is an auto, unfortunately it had suffered an engine fire which melted the aluminium cooling shroud along with the carburettors, saying that it doesn't look that bad in the engine bay, hopefully one day I will get the cooling bits to get it back on the road, I have a set of carbs, also one day I hope to have a Country Buggy to add to the collection, cheers Greg

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Thanks its a pretty cool bus, funny you mention an auto Notch because I dragged one home from Lightning Ridge a fair while back, it too is an auto, unfortunately it had suffered an engine fire which melted the aluminium cooling shroud along with the carburettors, saying that it doesn't look that bad in the engine bay, hopefully one day I will get the cooling bits to get it back on the road, I have a set of carbs, also one day I hope to have a Country Buggy to add to the collection, cheers Greg

Sorry i'm not posting a bus but i'm posting my first pic thats not copied and pasted form the old site and it looks like its working, cheers Greg
[url=]

[Wombatventures]

That looks pretty solid Greg. The autos go well as long as they are cared for. Bit hard to get parts but worth the effort. There are plenty of engine parts out there, just hit the Type 3 community and they'll turn up.