1965 Crew Cab - a tale of two owners

Jason McCombie, with a name like that, you wouldn’t have to be too bright to figure out what he drives. Jason is already the owner driver of an early Type II split screen bus, but his passion has been a crew cab for many years now, but just hasn’t come across the right bus, until now.

Jason came down from Bryon Bay late in 2001 for a visit to check out a 59 single cab of ours and went home owning a 1965 crew cab. 

We started the 65 Crew Cab, on Jasons behalf around April 2002, and have been chipping away at it ever since. So far we have replaced all the middle section of the bus, including all cross members, out riggers, jacking points, sills inners and outer, cargo floor area, top chassis rails and cross members, using either new fabricated sections we manufacture, or good second hand sections from donors, we have stored here on site.

Then there is the backboard of the tray and a new tray top, but as you can see by the photos we haven’t quite got that far. It has been quite intense within the door jams and all the tight spots and corners, but that’s what we enjoy most about these restros, the hard bits, and making it look like we haven’t been there at all, once it’s completed. 

So far, if you could see it as close as we would like, its all metal, and NO warpage, that’s what we are good at, big panels, long welds and no distortion. Jason’s plan for this bus is an IRS conversion, one of our bolt in jobs, a ball joint front end, an L Bug gearbox and a standard 1600cc motor, but offcourse more of that as we get closer to that part of the job. In the mean time, we are back to repairing the tray and cargo area.

By December 2002 our part of the work carried out on this gas ole Crew Cab has been completed, 99% of the rust removed and replaced, New Motor, reconditioned L Bug Transmission, IRS conversion, Adjustable Ball Joint front beam, all new brakes, all new cables, and the list goes on and on. It pasted its NSW blue slip inspection with flying colours and Jason picked it up just before Xmas, just after the motors first engine service and headed for Byron Bay, where it is planned that it lives forever.

Bus changes hands in 2004

As fate would have it, this beautiful ole bus changed hands.

Andy Livingston acquired it from Jason and turned it into this beautiful 65 Crew Cab we see here today.

It is my understanding that Andy has completed the bodywork and paint job himself at home.

I have also been shown photos of the extremely tasteful interior retrimmed.

As luck would have it, this sweet crew cab is back in rightful hands of Jason McCombie once again. It was a few rough years back Karma has worked its thing

and its back with its rightful owner.

Star Date Sept 2010:

Just heard from Jason, the Crew Cab is still in good hands and back on the road being enjoyed by all the family and under sufferance he is putting up with the sun, sand and surf at home. Im so glad to hear all is so well with that bus.

What a spot. 

Chief.