Stonor Park 2017 (part 2 of 3)

This week's (shorter than normal) blog review is the second of three reviews all about the VW Expo show at Stonor Park, (or the Wolfsburg Bus Crew club meet as I think it should now be called!) which is now in it's 33rd year.  Each year The Association of British VW Clubs organise the Stonor Park VW Expo Show. It is held in the grounds of one of England’s oldest manor houses, being built around 1190 and it has been owned by the same family of the same faith for 850 years. The house and grounds are situated in a beautiful setting in rural Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire. The house contains a remarkable collection of Old Master Paintings, European sculptures, stained glass and contemporary ceramics, and for one day a year the grounds contain a remarkable collection of Volkswagen's, both air cooled and water cooled. The show has something for everyone including: Trade Stands & Auto jumble / Concours d’Elegance / Club Displays / Miss VW contest and a Children’s Fancy Dress (for the under 12’s). This year I had arranged to meet up with good friends of mine Matthew and Caroline in their '69 Westy to drive the 25 miles or so to the show. We had also arranged to park up inside the show with the Wolfsburg Bus Crew, who must be one of the biggest VW clubs around, with members from all over the world. Rich Coxhill who runs the club had posted on Face Book about this show and the interest shown by members in going was encouraging. You can find the Wolfsburg Bus Crew on Facebook or at: http://www.wolfsburgbuscrew.uk/ 
To see all my other blog entries, go to ‘My Blog Archive’ to the left of this page. Simply click on an arrow for a particular year, then click on an arrow for a particular month, this will then give you a drop down menu for all the blog entries for that month.

Following on from last weeks blog, this gorgeous
cream 1967 SO42 Westfalia split screen is yet
another vehicle that was part of the Wolfsburg
Bus Crew's line up. It belongs to a guy called
Paul, but unfortunately I don't know much about
this bus, suffice to say it's a lovely bus.

This perfectly straight SO42 really was one of
nicest stock (ish) looking buses at the show. It
looks to have been lowered slightly but apart from
that, looked to be completely original.

I think it was with Paul that I had a quick chat to
 about his lovely retro awning as I want to make 
something similar for my early bay, that fixes to the 
bumpers. The number of period accessories and
original items Paul has on display is amazing. 

How about this for a period looking interior? It
was immaculate and very well equipped and
looked to be original.

Another vehicle in the WBC line up was this truly
stunning Turkis green single cab pick up. This 
early pick up belongs to Simon. This lovely SC
has had so much work done to it that I feel I do
a blog review solely about this bus!

The cab of Simon's SC looked gorgeous with
it quilted seats / kick panel and door cards. This
bus had been upgraded to a 12v system with a
complete new wiring loom. The speedo and fuel
gauges are Smiths digital items, but still have the
traditional stock look.

The SC has a lovely stance thanks to adjustable
spring plates on the rear. If you know your early
splits, then you will have noticed that Simon's
bus has the later style rear lights. This is because
the previous owner has fitted a later repair panel.
The rear lights are LED units whilst the headlights
have halogen bulbs.

Another single cab but this time an early bay. I
did like the look of this lowered pick up. The
single cream colour looked great and suited this
1969 bus. 

I have a feeling this may be an import, just like
my bus. I did like the rear cover that adds the
finishing touch to this lovely pick up.

I think these lovely split screens are part of the
S.S.V.C. (Split Screen Van Club) there really
was some gorgeous buses in their line up.

The S.S.V.C. line up is always well represented
at Stonor Park. If you like the split screen bus
you just have to check out their line up.

One bus in the S.S.V.C. line up that really caught
my eye was this gorgeous 1967 13 window deluxe
split screen camper. This bus was imported from
San Diego in 2003 and underwent a full restoration.
You may recognise this bus as it was used as the
'chill out' bus in the T.V. show The Extra Factor in
2012.

This gorgeous bus has also been a feature bus
in VW Camper and Commercial magazine, and
was also photographed and used on a poster in
Brazil for the world cup, and it's easy to see this
lovely bus generates so much attention. 

Rows upon rows of gorgeous split screen buses,
each one different from the last.

Bay window and split screen buses parked up
at Stonor Park. This is a great chilled out one
day show.

If I was a judge at Stonor Park, which I wasn't, but
if I was then this 1965 single cab pick up would
have won 'Best Paint'. Just look how perfectly
smooth the body panels are and how deep that
reflection in the perfectly applied black gloss paint
 was.

The single cab pick up is such a lovely looking
bus, and when there are lowered, and have the
straightest body panels I have ever seen and
covered in a perfect coat of paint, it probably
doesn't get any better. I did like the contrasting
electric blue windows that suit the bus perfectly.

The polished Porsche wheels add just enough
contrast to the gloss black paint. 

This isn't a blurred photo of the show that I took,
it is actually a photo looking into the door panel
at the perfect reflection from that stunning black
paint on the pick up.

Not all the buses in the S.S.V.C. line up were
painted and shiny, as this pair of lovely looking
RAT looking buses prove. I do like to see a
nice RAT looking bus and these two didn't
disappoint me. My microbus had the RAT look
for many years and I just loved it.


So that was part two of three about the VW expo
at Stonor Park. Next week will be the third and
final instalment about this great show. In next
weeks blog review you can see a stunning
Porsche 356, some lovely oval window bugs,
Karmann Ghia's, and plenty more buses. So
be sure to come back next Saturday.