Fast Car - Vintage VW Weddings

WORDS LEE/SIBBO/2PINTS, ETC, ETC… PHOTOS KEVVE.BE
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142 Fast Car Magazine #304
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riding
FORGET LEATHERS AND BUCKETS, IT’S ALL ABOUT BAMBOO
AND POTATO SACKS FOR THIS T2 SPLIT CAMPER.
J
ason Cooper is no stranger to retro
vans and Campers. The man from
the Welsh Valleys has always been
a fan of the old-school, air-cooled VWs,
and has a crafty eye for that special
loader too.
“I love VWs: big or small, I’ve always
been into ’em,” says our man from
deepest Cymru.
Evidence of this nutty obsession
comes from his latest creation, dubbed
the ‘Rust Bus’ – which, after a spanking
issue of nothing but fierce Jap metal,
makes for a splendid entry as this
month’s FC Wildcard.
When Jason bought the van, the
outside was similar to what you see
here today, but inside was a different
bowl of French fries; it was completely
bare, “a blank canvas,” so says the man
himself, “and I’ve just given it a bit more
soul.”
And when Jason says ‘soul’, what
he means is a splash of leopard print,
numerous potato sacks, some choice
cushions and a few batches of bamboo
Get ready for a nutty, trippy
trip in this mad Split.
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JASON COOPER, 41.
WHAT REACTION DO YOU GET TO THAT INTERIOR?
In the shows it’s a big crowd puller, that’s for sure.
WHAT ABOUT THE OUTSIDE, THEN?
Well I’ve already added a few new touches since the
shoot, so I’m always changing little bits.
ANY MORE PLANS?
Drive the thing: that’s what it’s there for!
Hi-top with a unique,
cosy headlining.
all carved into some seriously exotic
Tiki-style inner Camper character.
Add the uber cool rat body drop
outside over shiny 15-inch Radars, and
you have a head-turner of a T2 Camper
on a shoestring budget. “It’s effective
and cheap, you don’t need to go and
spend thousands,” says the air-cooled
scene veteran.
And why would you spend a
shed-load? Fun and funky, this quirky
Camper’s got the lot. “People ask me
what my favourite part of the van is,”
says Jason, “but I just love it all.”
As well as taking the Rust Bus to
various shows and meets, Jason uses
the Camper as his summer cruiser and
even rents it out as a wedding car! “It’s
all for the enjoyment. It just puts a smile
on my face every time,” he says.
Rust Bus might be the name, but the
truth is, this mad Rub-a-dub-Dub is a
continuing crowd pleaser, and has
never been more alive – all thanks to
some adhesive spray and a bit of
creativity…
‘Power steering’, air-cooled Dub style.
144 Fast Car Magazine #304
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TECHSPEC
VW T2 SPLITTY
CAMPER VAN
German meets African meets
Asian meets hippy-dippy. Yes.
STYLING
Ultra rare high top body
rubbed down and rusted;
Morris Oils Ankor Wax
treatment to surface; ship’s
rope on roofrack; DIY
number plates; side and
rear windows tinted.
TUNING
Twin Kadron carbs;
tuck-away exhaust.
CHASSIS
JGE 15-inch chromed
Radars; Bridgestone
Potenza 165 slam tyres up
front, Firestones on rear;
CSP disc front braking
system up front; front beam
dropped and narrowed
4-inch; 12v conversion.
INTERIOR
Bamboo’d lining with West
German postal bags all
over; Madmatz flooring up
front; oak flooring in main
cabin; Touch Of Class
upholstery; various Tiki
style props.
AUDIO
Bose sound dock for iPod.
THANKS
Clive at www.
theolddubshop.co.uk;
Dayne at www.
tocupholstery.co.uk;
Dave Meaty & Big Meaty at
www.dubsatthecastle.com.
VINTAGE VW WEDDINGS
Can’t beat the feeling.
If you fancy getting your missus down the aisle and want to turn up on the big day in a
classic VW, or even this ’ere famous Rust Bus, then Jason is the man for you. Although he
promises he “only does it for pocket money”, we think it’s a fookin’ great idea, and much
better than rolling up in a shitty horse and carriage (probably – Midge). It might be worth
double-checking with ‘her indoors’ first, mind.
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