The iconic VW bus, known officially as the Type 2, began production in 1950. And is still going strong today in its sixth generation. Back when this 1965 edition was new, it was recruited to be a delivery vehicle for a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise and still wears that advertising though long since retired. The seller has owned it for about 20 years and has been restoring it along the way. But a move to another state causes the seller to have to let it go. While the seller is in Dallas, Texas, the bus is in Eastern Oregon, and we assume that’s where you’ll have to go to fetch it home. It’s available here on craigslist for $19,500 or the best offer. Thanks for the “delicious” tip, TJ.!
As far as online listings go, the seller of this 1965 VW Type 2 goes into great detail about his prize. This includes a lot of history about the interesting vehicle and what he/she has been doing to it in recent years. This bus came off the boat at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, and went to work right away for Frazier’s Catering & KFC in Shreveport/Bossier City. The seller believes they were one of the last franchises sold by Colonel Sanders before he and his famous herbs and spices went “corporate” in 1966.
An inspection sticker on the window indicates this bus may have delivered its last piece of chicken in 1974 or 1975 and would later find itself in a junkyard in Erie, Colorado. By then, it was merely a body sitting on blocks and used as a storage container as a lot of its important stuff had already been pilfered. That’s when the seller bought it around 2002, took it to Texas for 11 years, and then relocated it to Oregon in about 2013. Much of the restoration work that has been done has taken place during this last decade.
Mechanically, not much is numbers-matching, but the replacement parts are (for the most part) period correct. The transaxle is from 1967 but is not complete. The 1962 1500cc engine is bolted in place but may have a sticky piston the seller is trying to correct with an overfilled crankcase. So, it’s a roller that awaits someone else to finish off the mechanical work that the seller started.
The body is in decent although a bit of rust can be found here and there. What’s interesting is that much of the paintwork is not from 1965 but has been painstakingly recreated by the seller So the idea has been to restore this as a vintage KFC delivery vehicle and the seller hopes that the next owner will follow through on that vision. The interior will need a lot of work and a collection of various parts will go along with the sale that may enable the buyer to remedy that. This is a very cool old van and Barn Finds readers should give the craigslist post a thorough going over to see how much blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this unfinished project.
I would be too chicken to attempt to restore this vehicle…
Frazier’s has left the building.
“Down goes Frazier’s!!”
Wow, thats how KFC got its start. Individual partners. So leaving it original the KFC museum may have interest. Probably had a portable par-boiler to keep the chicken warm. I don’t ever remember KFC delivering.
It makes me wonder how long co-branding with the franchise owner’s name over “Kentucky Fried Chicken” lasted. I’ve never seen it before. If the van was in service with this paintjob until the mid ’70s I’d assume it ended with the corporate buyout in 1966 but existing co-branded franchisees were grandfathered in.
It was my Uncle’s delivery van. I can remember driving it to catering jobs! No par-boiler just very good coolers lined with aluminum foil. don’t know when he got rid of it but it was still in service in the summer of 1971.
Jon,
I recently purchased this VW bus. Looking forward to getting it roadworthy. If you, or anyone in your family, have any pictures or more information about the bus I would love to get my hands on a copy of it. Thank you in advance.
$5.25 for KFC Bucket O Chicken 21 piece meal. Wow! This bus needs to be in a KFC museum somewhere.
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”
Reminds me of a candy business in my hometown that was famous for their chocolate or fudge Easter eggs (they were about the size of a softball). They hade a vw van out front as signage for years. No affiliation with these guys and I thought they were closed until I googled them. https://seroogys.com/
Smells and tastes like chicken to me.
This VW could be a chic magnet 🧲 😉
Good luck with sale.
If you like 400# chicks that might be able to squeeze though the cargo doors.
The Lincoln Inn in Greensburg, PA on route 30 (Lincoln Highway) still proudly served Kentucky Fried Chicken until around 1992 or so. Unfortunately they never had a VW van, only a big honkin chicken bucket on a pole.
I know, today, with home delivery fast becoming the shoppers choice, it’s hard to think of its humble beginnings, but here tis’. In Milwaukee, we had “Champion Chicken”, and revolutionized the takeout food business. I remember, they had mid 50s Ford pickups, and later, vans repurposed into delivery wagons, and the guy literally made a fortune.
I think the chicken past of this vehicle has no merit to the asking price, nobody cares about “roots” anymore, maybe if the Colonel was still alive. I’d paint over the KFC schtick, and it will surely add a HUNDRED GRAND to the price,,,what?
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/half-ton-chicken
“Chicken Delight” was the thing in Cleveland.
LONG before there was DoorDash, Chicken Delight had its fleet of Beetles (this was the 1960s) delivering chicken dinners, of a sort.
I don’t know what happened to them, but they were around for over ten years…at which time I moved.
As for KFC…before Harland went corporate, he made a royal mess of his franchise structure. He was a restauranteur, not a businessman. He traveled about, offering individual franchises, and also contacted friends in his restaurant-association circles.
Kenny King was one…he had family-style restaurants all over Cleveland, and he got the territory for Cleveland and I think, about half of Ohio. Kept it, even after Heublein bought the organization.
Which is how it went. All of Sanders’ early franchisees were grandfathered in, until about 1990 or so. I think they were basically strongarmed to either just rebrand as KFC or surrender their franchises. Kenny King Restaurants disappeared, but I think the family did keep a number of KFC outlets.
To this van: The history and interest is significant, but of limited appeal. Given that the van otherwise, was a salvage and in fact abused in a wrecking yard for a time, maybe keeping the branding on it is the best way to see value out of it.
Chicken Delight was also in Buffalo, NY. I never lived there but used to hear their ads on one what was one of the greatest AM radio stations, WKBW.
“Don’t cook tonight, call Chicken Delight!”
50,000 Watt powerhouse WKBW! KB radio! Joey Reynolds and Danny Neaverth blasting rock ‘n roll heard all over the NE United States every weeknight. What a blast. Don’t forget to Google Joey and Danny singing “Rats In My Room”
“The interior will need a lot of work” as if it had one. The inside of this is just a vast open space. Recreating the logos and pristine lettering look dumb; being painted over primed surfaces; like, how could that have occurred?
I would have been better if he painted the spots red before re lettering it, even if it didnt match, it would look better than white and gray.
VW bus, underpowered and no style. I refused to even go to the dealer to look at this when new, I sure wouldn’t pay anything for it now. Perhaps he could pay me $500 to haul it off…. I’ve never been a fan of VW
Obviously
I bet you are particularly bamboozled when they fetch 5 or 6 figures. Underpowered? By todays standards, yes, but adequate for the time. Germany knew, America was lacking a small, inter-city van, and for many businesses, it was perfect. Most times, they didn’t go far. Todays infatuation with one of the poorest vehicles ever made, only shows how far we’ve actually come.
“A fool and his money, are soon parted.”
Hello my names Jerry I was wondering if you or any of the family have old pictures of the van if so I would like to get them and keep a scrap book with the van. To possibly restore it. thank you jerry vwkingpin@live.com