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.
Two Judge's trophies and one...
Two Judge's trophies and one President's Choice award later and this Split Window can officially be called a showstopper.
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 Como Green 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.
Warren paid attention to the...
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.
When the exterior was painted...
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...
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.