1963 Caravelle Camper, Top Shelf Survivor with just 25,000 Original Miles!

For those of you who have ever daydreamed of that absolutely miraculous find that a little old lady had hibernating in her garage for decades, dry, out of the weather, and awaiting its liberation from her arthritic grasp, this Dove Blue 1963 Caravelle Camper is a prime and accurate example of that cliche. 

Not only is this Bus a drop dead gorgeous survivor on a level so infrequently seen, but it's got a great story behind it as well.  During the 1980's, Volkswagen of America had a search for the nicest surviving early Volkswagen Camper Bus in existence.  Thousands of candidates came forward and in the end this very Camper was the runner-up, narrowly missing its chance to become part of the Henry Ford Automotive Museum.  Now, approximately 25 years later, and with roughly 6,000 more miles on the clock, this Camper will be found to be far more remarkable in relation to today's world than the strong impression it made to Volkswagen themselves a quarter century ago.  Quite simply, survivors like this are as good as it gets, have a look at the many pics, and see if you don't agree.

Some of the cool features and documentation that accompany the Bus include the mint original side tent, original owners manual, service booklet, Caravelle Campers brochures, the warranty tag for the water pump on the sink, correspondence with Volkswagen of America when it was part of their Camper search, both copies of the original key with the stamped aluminum dealer VIN tag still present, all service records since new, and more!

The body is what I'd classify as "Best Case Scenario" for a survivor having completely original, super thick, and shiny Dove Blue paint throughout with basically superficial stone chips and door dings to be found.  The rear bumper was tapped years back and the guards did ding the lower rear corners.  The bumper was repaired, resprayed, and later the passengers end got dinged again as you can clearly see the dinged guard.  The body is super straight, as dry and rust free as you could imagine, and all the doors line up and shut beautifully with that familiar "kerchunk" sound you get with a tight and original Bus.  Take note of the factory straightness of the body, the incredibly clean original rockers, and the beautiful original paint on the jack points!  Even the original front emblem has the little Dove Blue "swipe" in the center between the V and the W which is almost never seen these days.  The pictures of the floors and underside will also clearly convey how clean and dry this Bus is, no need to go hunting for rust, it isn't there.

The interior is absolutely mind blowing.  I'd go so far as to say that if Caravelle Campers themselves still had a NOS interior that they'd stashed away 47 years ago, it's likely no nicer than this interior today.  All of the interior is original, seat covers, door panels, wood headliner paneling, rubber floor mat, paint, etc.  The original speedometer is crystal clear, the dash is as glossy as brand new, the sink looks as though it's never been used, the curtains are all fantastic, and the interior still retains that "new Volkswagen interior" scent.  Without a doubt, this is probably one of the nicest, cleanest, and most mint original Camper interiors you will ever lay eyes on.  The pictures really do speak for themselves, the Bus is incredible.

Mechanically the Bus is first rate having only driven 25,000 miles since new.  The number of oil changes it has had in its life is still in single digits.  It has averaged just over 500 miles per year for the 47 years of its life.  It is all stock, original engine, transaxle, 6 volt electrical system, and has fresh and correct 6.40-15 Firestone bias plies mounted on the original 15 inch Bus wheels and topped off with the original grey painted commercial hubcaps.  It starts right up, runs excellently, and is as tight and quiet as you'd imagine such a virgin to be.  So far the Bus has required nothing more than regular routine maintenance such as oil changes, valve adjustments, tuning, and regular suggested service.  It recently made a round trip from the Northern Bay Area to Santa Barbara and back without a single issue.  You could confidently drive this Bus a great distance without hesitation.

Without a doubt this is a remarkable survivor in a condition that is so infrequently seen.  You could literally liken this to a Bus with the equivalent of 2 years of use since new, the kind of thing you might have found on the dealer's "Used Car" lot back in 1965, a true time capsule.  Thanks!

SOLD!

*Please note that this Camper is located in the Northern San Francisco Bay Area.

Please visit my website at www.holygrailgarage.com to see more interesting Vintage VWs, Classic Cars, and Parts for sale. 

Brendan Finn (858)366-2549
http://www.holygrailgarage.com
brendanfinn666@yahoo.com