Ray Thom's 1966 21-Window Double-Door Deluxe Bus

"I asked my best friend and VW Bus fanatic, Ron Johnson, to find me a good Bus that had a little bit of subtle flair to it that only experienced Bus people would recognize." Ron immediately started searching around the world, scouring various sales websites and found an interesting one Ray may want to purchase. It looked a bit rough, but there was potential.

"He sent me the ad, I talked with the owner, negotiated the price and bought the Bus." Due to a hurricane, the process of shipping the Bus from its home in Belgium to the U.S. took four months, but once it arrived, an inspection and some research found it to be a rather special model.

"Ron came running over to see the Bus. For a guy who looks at vintage Buses all the time, I couldn't figure out why he was so excited. That's when he said the Bus had factory double doors, an extremely rare option for a 21-window Deluxe Bus." So rare, neither Ron nor Ray had seen one in person before. The non-walkthrough nine-seat Deluxe also has a factory sunroof and only two side pop-out windows. Research began to try to find out just how rare this could be. After consulting with multiple Bus experts, it is believed there were only around 30 with made with this configuration.

"The Bus had been sitting outside for a long time in Belgium. The engine compartment was filled with sand, and the middle seat was missing. The upholstery was almost completely gone and there was rust damage along the front and rear quarter panels."

Ray decided he wanted to restore the Bus to factory specifications, with only a couple upgrades for drivability. To take on the task, he enlisted Kevin McCain and the team at Rusty Volks Restorations in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Once transported to Colorado, the RVR team got to work stripping the Double Door down to metal to assess what was needed. The floor of the front cab and the passenger area needed to be replaced, though remarkably the belly pans remained intact and are original to the Bus. The front doglegs were replaced and the quarter panels were tended to. "Overall, this was a pretty nice Bus to begin with," Kevin of Rusty Volks added, who typically sees rides that need extensive metal replacement.

Of course, when it came time to paint, the only option was to return to the original colors, L555 Titian Red and L472 Beige Grey. Kevin at Rusty Volks expertly sprayed the colors, including the undercarriage and belly pans using the spray patterns of his unrestored original paint Bus as a guide.

The suspension under the Deluxe remains stock, as do the 14-inch steel wheels, complete with chrome beauty rings, which were an included option with this Bus. A set of BF Goodrich Silvertown whitewall radials add a touch of charm.

Behind the wheels, we find one of the upgrades Ray asked the RVR team to make. The front brakes have been updated using a bolt-on five-lug disc kit, while the rear retains the stock VW drums. The Bus needed a little more stopping power for Ray's second enhancement, the engine.

Ray did not want a repeat of a recent memorable trip to OCTO. "Ron and I were in his sunroof Standard that had a stock motor. We were on the 405 freeway doing a max speed of 51mph. Ron tried to keep us on the road by driving half in the lane and half on the shoulder. I swore then I would never drive a Bus with a stock motor on the highway again." This build would be a bit larger than what came from VW.

Dave Greiner of Proformance Motoring in Orange, California built the stout 2276cc powerplant with CB Performance Panchito heads, an Engle FK-43 cam, an 82mm forged and counterweighted crankshaft, and dual Empi HPMX 44 carbs to ensure the Deluxe will be able to keep up with any sort of traffic. The build also features a full-flow remote oil cooler with fan, an Empi distributor and coil, and a Vintage Speed stainless steel exhaust. The engine is paired with a 1966 Type 2 swing axle transmission featuring reduction boxes by Daniel Artigas in Pahrump, Nevada.

Every portion of the interior of the vehicle received special attention. Beginning with the upholstery from West Coast Classic, who supplied the heat-seamed Mesh Platinum/Platinum Silver seat covers and door panels which are correct for the Deluxe model. An era-correct Blaupunkt Frankfurt radio with ivory knobs and pushbuttons is connected to a single speaker mounted in the stock under-dash location. A speedo with trip odometer, new old stock ashtray and clock complete the rest of the dash. "I am a fan of options for vehicles rather than accessories, so I have included restored original Safari windows, original ambulance fans, and an original steering wheel lock."

Another unique option of this Deluxe is the inclusion of only two side pop-out windows behind the double doors. Of course, it is not known why the Bus was ordered with this specification; was it being used for guest transport at a hotel or resort and they were afraid of window breakage? Did the original purchaser just not want the extra expense of those extra four pop-outs? We may never know, but it makes for some fun speculation!

From the start of the process to completion, the Rusty Volks Restoration squad tackled the job in only 12 months. The Double Door made its debut at the 2025 Utah VW Classic, where it won Best of Show in a field of over 300 amazing VWs. The Bus would take home another top award just weeks later at One Crazy Weekend in Las Vegas. There's no doubt this Bus is a special machine.

"Driving this Bus is an absolute joy! It's like being transported back in time to when things were slower and people waved when they passed you. It changes your perspective to a time when driving a car was part of the adventure and not just a means of transportation."

He may not have known how rare it was when he bought it, but after a four-month journey across the ocean and a year-long restoration, Ray's Double-Door has become one of the most unique Buses on the road.