LOT 180 - 1973 Volkswagen Type 2 Crew Cab Pick-Up

ABOUT THIS CAR

“We think Crew Cabs, in either Bay or Split Screen form, are amongst the coolest air cooled VWs ever built…” VolksWorld VW Camper and Bus magazine, May 2018.

The Volkswagen Type 2, (the Type 1 was some short lived, flop of a thing known only to a handful aficionados, you won’t have heard of it, the ‘Beetle’, it never really caught on), with its cab-forward-smelly-oily-bits-underneath layout was born to be a super-flexible load/people carrying workhorse. With the squat flat four engine and associated propulsion gubbins low down at the back and the driver shoved right up front, the interior space was impressive for a machine with the same wheelbase as medium sized car. VW quickly capitalised on the original panel vans of 1949 adding a Microbus in 1950 and a single-cab flat-bed pick-up (perfect for carrying large numbers of hyphens around) in August 1952. While in the case of the van the space behind the people was utilised as a secure and weatherproof load area, the pick-up was perfect for trades who valued ease of loading and unloading, consequently it appealed more to the ‘rough and tumble’ user such as a builder, as opposed to the finesse of, for example, a florist or baker. The Type 2’s compact footprint combined with a load bed that could be accessed from three of its four sides made it a flexible bit of kit that could get you and your load to some otherwise inaccessible sites. However, being subjected to somewhat ‘chuck it on, chuck it off’ sort of use did curtail the lifespans of pick-ups relative to other Type 2 variants, so finding a solid example that is still roughly the same shape it was fifty odd years ago is not easy.

Originally built to left hand drive specification in 1973, this ‘Doka’ is hence a T2 (a Type 2, Type 2 if you like). It therefore sports the ‘Bay Window’ front screen, front disc brakes and beefier 12 Volt electrics. Its constant velocity joint rear suspension is a significant improvement over the earlier machines’ Beetle derived swing axle arrangement which had led to some ‘challenging’ suspension geometry when allied to the Type 2’s higher ride height; lift off oversteer being acceptable in a 300 SL Gullwing supercar but not a load lugger like the VW.

The pick-up was manufactured on 15^th May 1973 and dispatched from VW’s Hanover plant on 29^th of that month. Its options are listed as: Harwood strips for the flatbed not fastened to vehicle; Without VW-logo on front; Underfloor panels; Eberspacher BN4 petrol Heater; Retaining cables for tailboard; ‘Chrome Colour’ wheel discs. Its Country of destination is given as Sweden North and, Factory finished in their corporate ‘L557 Red-Orange’, it went directly to Statens Järnvägar, the Swedish State Railway company; never road registered, it only ever saw use in their maintenance yards.

Eventually the Doka came to the end of its working life and, having lost its engine and gearbox, it ended up in Belgium where it languished in the archetypal barn waiting to be found, which it duly was by a business contact of Steve Johnson, one of the UK’s most respected Air-Cooled VW restoration specialists. It was bought by Steve as he admits “on a whim” and paid for with a combination of cash and Porsche bits. He readily admits that he “didn’t actually need it” but having previously sold his single cab to invest in his Johnson Autoworks business, he could justify something that would showcase his company’s not inconsiderable skills and provide the family with a weekend ride that would both stop traffic and handle a (very) ‘big shop’.

Back in his Leicestershire workshop he and his team embarked on a no expense spared restoration. Completely stripped and the body gently sand blasted, the pick-up proved to be remarkably rust-free and original (for a working machine), even if it was showing evidence of a few industrial injuries. As much original metal as possible was saved with the cab doors and side-gates all in good order though the tailgate proved to be beyond repair; diligent searching scored a New Old Stock replacement. The cab floors were repaired as was the well-used bed; with the rarity of crew cabs, a single cab bed from Autokraft was adapted to suit. The front panel needed a considerable amount of work so the opportunity was taken to replace it with a new low light version complete with slimline bumpers for that early Bay Window look. At this stage Steve and his team also converted the Doka to right hand drive to help promote that service offered to their customers; sharp eyed readers will have noticed the Crew door is on the right or nearside for a left hand drive machine (so workers aren’t discharged into traffic) though even VolksWorld magazine admit you would have to be something of a “nerd” to appreciate this.

With the metalwork completed to their usual exceptionally high standards the VW was expertly painted year correct VW Sierra Yellow and the nuts and bolts of this, err, nut and bolt restoration could be embarked upon.

The customer’s brief (to himself obviously) was to produce a fairly standard looking pick-up but with a number of modifications, many of which would only be apparent to the cognoscenti. It needed to be usable rather than something that can barely crawl from its trailer and across the showing arena. Steve sums up its ethos succinctly: “I wanted it to be a driver. Something I could enjoy using with the kids so it is not crazy low, which is why it hasn’t been tubbed. You end up chopping seats around and I wanted it to be comfy.” The front beam was narrowed by 2” and the spindles dropped to give it the perfect, purposeful stance - “tucked but not broken” apparently. The suspension, now adjustable for ride height and damping allowing both a low stance and comfortable ride, was rebuilt with new and refurbished components throughout.

Running a business that specialises in ‘dubs afforded Steve the opportunity to play around with numerous wheel combinations and having always imagined the Doka sitting on Porsche Fuchs alloys, that is duly what he ended up selecting.

With the emphasis on usability, the VW needed to be able to keep up with modern traffic and cruise comfortably on main roads so the lack of an engine and ‘box was not an issue as the intention had always been to ‘go big’ in that department. The engine is the heart (or is that tail) of this exceptional build and having been impressed with the units he had previously produced for Steve, renowned guru Paul Foreman was commissioned to put together exactly what he wanted. A Type 4 “pancake” engine as found in the Porsche 914 and 912E was selected, being much stronger and more tuneable than the earlier Type 1. Its short stroke allows it to rev and it can safely be taken out to larger capacities, in this instance all the way to 2.1 litres. The bottom end was lightened and balanced and of course pistons were selected to suit the bigger barrels. Twin 36mm downdraft Dellorto carburettors were mounted on custom made manifolds with an air box from Stateside Tuning. A ‘heads to tips’ exhaust system was custom built in stainless steel by Vintage Speed and both induction and exhaust systems were designed with the emphasis on usability; definitely audible but mellow rather than raucous being the aim. Other beautifully made bits and bobs were supplied by Custom and Speed (CSP)and everything was assembled to Paul’s usual impeccably high standards. To cope with the extra heat generated by the engine, a great looking upright mounted Porsche 911 cooling fan and housing was selected, paired with an auxiliary oil cooler and switchable electric fan installed in a custom-built alloy housing with built in scoop from the guys at Concept Racing. A Bluetooth adjustable 123 electronic ignition system and immobiliser were employed to control the sparks and the end result was a wonderfully tractable and surprisingly refined unit giving something in the region of 150 BHP. The punch from this very high specification engine put a £10,000 plus dent in Steve’s wallet though…

A 2.0 litre gearbox (if you see what we mean) was selected for its higher top gear which enables relaxed cruising at 70 MPH and this was fully rebuilt.

Despite the increased performance, the standard disc and drum braking system was considered more than adequate for such a relatively lightweight machine, not least because it is not being asked to regularly bring a ton of builders’ rubble (or two dozen railway sleepers for that matter) to a halt, though braided hoses were fitted throughout.

The outstanding quality of the build continued into the cab which was trimmed by Autobahn Customs of Doncaster in an oh so period style. Custom made bench seats were cleverly trimmed in utilitarian looking material which is actually rather luxurious to the touch. Less 1970s workhorse are the cloth headlining, finest carpeting and heated seats, though these would doubtless have been welcome in the depths of a Scandinavian winter. Seat belts for all six occupants were fitted and Pioneer DAB Bluetooth ‘sounds’ plus USB port were neatly tucked away in the glovebox with the speakers under the rear bench seat. The period-looking speedometer fitted is actually electronic with a neat digital odometer incorporated into its face and it was paired with an original style tachometer plus oil temperature, oil pressure and voltage gauges plus a clock.

With customer builds naturally taking priority, it was some three years before this passion project was completed but the Doka was finally finished and successfully UK registered on 6^th July 2017. Since then, it has covered some 1,649 miles so it is effectively freshly restored but nicely shaken down and bedded in. It has been to a few local shows and on the National stage it won at VolksWorld in 2018 and was much admired at Sywell Classic Pistons and Props in 2021. It has also fulfilled its intended roles as both a fun mode of transport and mobile billboard; an eight-page feature in the May 2018 issue of “VolksWorld VW Camper and Bus” magazine gets your company noticed!

As we know, times change, and other projects caught Steve’s eye so the Doka was sold in 2022. By the new owner’s own admission, this was a bit of an impulse purchase and he had the pick-up stored at Johnson Autoworks while he tried to find suitable storage space close to his home. Unfortunately, the search proved fruitless and determined not to just shove it in a damp and distant lock-up, rarely to see the light of day, the owner has decided to let someone else give the VW the exposure, exercise, care and attention it deserves.

Not surprisingly the Doka is still in pretty much ‘as restored’ condition as a cruise around the photo gallery shows, though we do encourage potential bidders to view ‘in the metal’ as well.

The bodywork is absolutely plumb straight, quite an achievement given the size of some of the panels, and the paintwork is superb despite it having been applied (along with the sign writing by Letter Knight) over five years ago. With its painted bumpers there is not a huge amount of chrome on a pick-up but what there is in nigh on perfect. The Fuchs alloy wheels are virtually unmarked with their Kumho tyres having rolled less than 2,000 miles. The interior is spotless with unsurprisingly no signs of wear at all. The engine bay was purposefully given an uber-clean and uncluttered look and today it has just acquired a little dust; an hour or so with a rag or better still an airline and it would  doubtless be as new again. The underside is much the same with a splattering of dilute road grime here and there. The protective stone chip is black under the load bed and body coloured in the areas normally visible such as the wheel arches; really well protected it would again take just a few hours cleaning to get it back to show standard.

The document folder contains the pick-up’s build details from the archive held at the Volkswagen AutoMuseum Foundation, current and previous registration documents and the paperwork associated with registering it in the UK. A letter from VW confirming its date of manufacture is present along with four old MOT certificates plus some specification details and instructions. A copy of the May 2018 issue of “VolksWorld VW Camper and Bus” magazine which featured the Doka is included along with a memory stick of photos from the associated shoot.

Fuel pump on, a couple of pumps on the throttle and the superbly set up engine starts immediately, doubtless aided by the sophisticated ignition system. The unmistakeable induction note of a pair of twin-choke Dellortos is definitely there but it is nicely understated, as are the tunes emanating from the twin exhaust pipes. Modulate the right pedal and the revs rise and fall with alacrity, the enlarged engine spinning more smoothly than expected. Oil pressure fluctuates between two and four bar depending on revs and oil temperature. Impressive though the power unit is, the real surprise is how well the Doka drives given its low stance; the ride is wonderfully supple on rough and undulating country lanes. The CSP shifter selects gears very well, especially considering its distance from the gearbox while the rivetted wood-rim wheel offers a decent level of feel though with the steered wheels directly underneath you and well back from your ankles, you do get the sensation you have turned a bit too late.  The whole package of engine, ‘box and suspension comes together really well and the pick-up drives far better than any commercial has a right to, a testament to the skill and experience of the team at Johnson Autoworks.  

Never intending to sell the Doka, Steve fully restored it to the highest standard using all the experience and skills at his disposal, with no restraint on the time and money spent on the project. It shows.

We appreciate this VW Pick-Up may be of interest to buyers in the USA and Europe and we have good contacts who can help with global shipping if required. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

• Registration number: SCW 792L
• Chassis Number: 26 3 2 204754
• Engine Number: CJ100573