To Swansea and back...

I found an agreement with FBI VW and so I and Silvia booked the ferry
Dunkerque - Dover - Dunkerque and organized the trip/vacation to take the doka home
We slept in youth hostels, campings and cheap hotels.
We left from Italy on 13 August with a Seat Altea and an empty trailer...

First stop: STRASBOURG, reached for dinner and visited on the 14th.
Nice one!

On the same day in the afternoon we left for Luxembourg.
We arrived at night. We finally found a place to sleep and on 15 we visited the city.

good for Japanese turists...

After half day we had enough and we pointed to Bruxelles
We slept in a nice Youth Hostel. Beautiful historical views, nice places to visit but also modern buildings

The ATOMIUM...

Completely destroyed after one day (16 August) walking around...
We should have had more time to really enjoy Bruxelles.
We will come again one day, promised!

On the car again. Reached Dunkerque at 8 pm.
Slept in a not so beautiful cheap Hotel, then we woke up very early to take the ferry to Dover.

Unexpected luxury interiors!

Playstation Area...!

Here it is! Dover and its typical white cliffs.

Brief stop at Canterbury...

Then straight west to Swansea, on the other part!

We dined on the beach at the sunset (long sunsets here!)
The atmosphere was so strange, almost spectral that we feeled a little anxious and depressed..

My sister told me this is not a beach, it is a 'tidal plain'...

We spent all night searching FBI VW, where I had an appointment with Mr. Clarke the day after, but we couldn't find anything in that darkness!
The day after we reached the only place that seemed possible for a company like that. And we found it!
Finally I saw my 'new' split crew cab.

We checked all things...

Then we had a cooffee with Graham in his beautiful business. Clean and well organized.

Many many pieces to get your bus alive again!

We put the doka on the trailer and we left Swansea (with a sense of relief)
Then we visited Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath.
We reached Portsmouth on the south coast in time for the Beach Buggin', a nice VW meeting (20 August)

On 21 August we had time to have a look at the Brighton Pier and enjoy some sun (the only sun we met during this trip)...

Then we slept in a beautiful camping on the street to Dover. We met a very nice family with a Type 25, then we reached the ferry back on 22 August.

We reached Bruges on 23 August. We liked it very much!

I had to leave my doka parked on the street. But everything ended OK.

Many stores with design pieces, clothing and also things for the vw enthusiast

A city full of enchanting corners, buildings, people

Romantic view of Bruges by night. Highly recommended!

I want one of these! In Belgium it is full of these little beauties.

We visited Antwerpen on 24 August, where I could take a pic to this in a store

Then we pointed directly to Spa, where Le Bug Show was to begin...

All started this way...

After the beautiful experience with my first aircooled VW, The Goldfather, in July 2006 I was in search of a nice crew cab to start a new project.
I knew it was impossible to find one in Italy, so I turned my attention abroad. After some weeks I found that this nice '63 at http://www.fbivw.com/ was again for sale, after a period it appeared as 'sale pending'. It had a 'kind of a rustic charm', as Graham of FBI VW said.

As I noticed later it was for sale also on Volksword magazine, but at a higher price...

It was pointed - I think wrongly- as a '62...

I contacted Graham by email and I could understand the Bus was coming from a vineyard in California so it had some rust but still solid underneath. I could also get some pics...

It was not enough for a purchase yet. But Graham answered all my doubts and questions and seemed to be a reliable professional person. The price also was quite high for me, but, you know, it's the standard today.

Graham told me also he couldn't ship the vehicle to Italy or give me some 'export plates' like they do in Germany, but told me the bus had passed the MOT. I thought: at least it can stop!

I asked for more detailed pics and I could get them in a few time.

Rear right corner was one of the worst areas but easy fix.

Scratched or somehow repaired lower sides...

Shot by a machinegun? ;-/

Feet panel had been replaced by Graham himself for the MOT...

The bus has had a new front panel skin
fitted in the past which has some room for improvement but it was
straight and not dented...

Another rusty hole was under the front left headlight...

Inviting luxury interiors... (split bench somewhat confirms 1963 birth)

No back bench at all :-( (hope to find one...)

Is this a door lock or what??? Graham was honest to let me see work to be done
I just couldn't go from Italy to the UK only to check things up!

Nice surface rust on the roof. Will it degenerate in a few time or not?

The bed and time-correct little back window, and also a spare 15" wheel

Rear view and engine hood damaged but still working.
the monkey is an idea from Graham... nice guy!

UK number plates are so beautiful in my opinion!
A pity I will have to change with awful modern-styled Italian ones..

Someone crashed into the rear left corner or just a bad reverse?

A look at the inside...

It seems underneath is not so bad!

These pics and Graham professionality (and my strong willing to own a crew cab)
convinced me to give FBI VW the 25% of the total sum as a deposit.