Hey, figured it was time to start documenting my journey with DZDaisy, my bay window bus. She’s been with me for a couple of years now, and let’s just say it’s been anything but smooth—both the build and life in general. Between an ACL injury and a sliced tendon on some mild steel for DZDaisy's body panels (not my finest moments), progress has been stop-start with life and work getting in the way. But here we are, and I want to share why I’m rebuilding a ‘74 VW Kombi.
A bit about me—by day, I’m a software developer, but I actually started as a mechanic. My grandad’s yard was always full of Kombis and VW parts, and as a kid, I had free rein to tinker with almost everything (except the lathe and MIG welder—those were off-limits). My cousins and I spent hours in that yard, playing with tools, imagining the things we’d build one day.
Some of my best childhood memories involve Kombis—driving, camping, or just playing in them. My uncle had a dual-cab ute Kombi he called “The apartment with a veranda,” and that name has stuck with me ever since. This build is my way of paying homage to my grandad, my uncle, and all those memories. It’s not just about finishing the project—it’s about the journey, embracing the unknown, and creating new stories while reliving the past. It also gives me a long-term goal to work toward, something I can look back on years from now be proud of.
Some memories of one of Kombi's and the trip of a lifetime
My parents Kombi, in my grandad's yard, my Uncle and Auntie borrowed it for the trip to Bamaga
The trip my Grandad took from Cairns to Bamaga, with the NQ VW Club
Crossing a river by barge, the Kombi, some other VeeDubs from the club
Rest stop, my uncle was in the LandCruiser as the support vehicle
A better view of the Vehicles on the trip
Bogged, Kombis can almost go anywhere, but with stock road tyres, it's a bit of a challenge
Daisy’s end goal? A full camper restoration, ready for long road trips around Australia with my sausage dog as my co-pilot. With this goal in mind,I wanted to check if the idea was rooted in reality or had too much nostalgia clouding my judgement of what I would achieve. Is van life for me? Is the restoration going to have the positve outcomes that I wanted? The first step was to hire a Kombi, SGT Pepper, a fully kitted out bay window bus.
So what was the outcome of hiring SGT Pepper? You ask? Well, we drove from Brisbane to Kirra and camped for the weekend. Driving was a lot easier than I expected, and the bus handled really well. I was passing cars on the highway, not something I expected to do. I loved driving it, when we stopped to camp, putting up the pop took seconds and the whole weekend was comfortable and fun. It was like a really really small hotel room, glamping at its finest.
Hiring SGT Pepper, to see if this dream made sense
SGT Pepper, the fully restored kitted out camper bay window bus
Chip approval, her first relax in a kombi camper
Stock photo of inside SGT Pepper, so cosy
I’m giving myself five years—plenty of time to enjoy the process, pick up new skills, and honour my grandad’s legacy along the way. I’ll be sharing my wins, failures, and everything in between. Cheers to the journey!