TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:00 am

Saw this bus on Craigslist:

Quote:

The bus was last registered and on the road in 2003. The registration (which I still have) valued the car at $6,800.

Last summer I had the engine tuned by a VW Bus specialist out of VT, and he got it running on on all cylinders. It ran like a charm...until the winter when the gas pedal broke. I'm not a mechanic, so I don't know what to call it, but its loose, almost as if the pole that goes from the base of the gas pedal to whatever mechanism is beneath the floor of the bus, broke. Also, I'm broke, so I can't afford to fix it, or do the other necessary fixes to get this beauty back in prime shape.

So I need to sell it before snow falls again. Preferably now.

I know it needs a new canvas for the pop top. The interior is in pretty good shape. Probably needs a paint job. There is a little bit of rust on the outside of the van, but no holes, or anything major like that.

Other than that, I think that somebody who knows what they are doing could get this thing back in great shape...and remember, just 5 yrs ago it was valued at almost $7,000! So it could be a great investment for the right person.

Best offer takes it. I'm fielding offers now.

Shoot me an email with any questions. I'll do my best to answer them. I will show the bus to serious buyers.

At first I thought it was just another bus, but then I noticed the chrome bumpers. After searching :shock: around Samba I think it is. It looks like someone at some point has repainted the white half orange and put a wheel on the front. What does Samba think??

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:01 am

Hard to tell from the one pic but it looks like it is.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:05 am

Sorry...that's all the seller had up. If it turns out to be something of intrest I'll write him asking for more pictures.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:05 am

i think that guy is dreaming if he thinks he is going to get ~$7000 for that bus.

and here is the ad i found, with slightly different text:

1978 Volkswagen Bus Camper
Model: TK
4 cylinder

The bus was last registered and on the road in 2003. The registration (which I still have) valued the car at $6,100.

Last summer I had the engine all tuned and re-timed by a VW Bus specialist out of VT, and he got it running on on all cylinders. It ran like a charm. I started it every day and drove it a few miles on back roads around my house...until the winter when the gas pedal broke. I'm not a mechanic, so I don't know what exactly busted, but the pedal is loose now, almost as if the pole or cable that goes from the base of the gas pedal to whatever mechanism is beneath the floor of the bus, broke. I simply havent been able to afford to fix it.

So I need to sell it before snow falls again. Preferably now.

In terms of the condition of the rest of the bus:

I know it needs a new canvas for the pop top. The interior is in pretty good shape. Probably needs a paint job. There is a little bit of rust on the outside of the van, but no holes, or anything major like that. It can probably be sanded off during the paint work. In 2003 when the bus was last on the road the sink and propane stove worked just fine. I havent tried it since we took it off the road.

Other than that, I think that somebody who knows what they are doing could get this thing back in great shape...and remember, just 5 yrs ago it was valued at over $6,000! So it could be a great investment for the right person.

Best offer takes it. I'm fielding offers now.

Shoot me an email with any questions. I'll do my best to answer them. I will show the bus to serious buyers.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:12 am

My thoughts exactly. I'd gladly offer him $500-$1000 if the bus turned out to be in OK condition. It looks like it's been sitting since it was off the road in 2003 judging by how sunk in/flat those tires are. Unfortunetly it's probally started to really rust in this lovely New England weather!! I wonder if he's talking about "Johns Car Corner" in VT??

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:15 am

I don't do "best offer" ads. You want an auction? Put in E-Bay. Otherwise, what the hell do you want for it?

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:16 am

it was just listed in the samba classifieds
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=652760

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:21 am

WOW!!! That was quick!!! That whole add wasn't there when I started this topic...just a link to Craigslist!! Now I can ask some questions...

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:27 am

I sent him a PM...

Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:00 pm

$6100??!! :shock: I haven't laughed that hard all day :lol:

Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:20 pm

Here's one I think is a Champagne: http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/car/778246630.html

I emailed him and he says it isn't, but then he mentioned the interior is brown.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:02 pm

Some things that indicate that a Westy is a Champagne Edition:

1) Intermittent wipers when you pull the wiper lever all the way down.
2) A clock to the right of the speedometer.
3) The dashboard is brown.
4) Original paint is dark brown below the windows and white above.
5) Chrome bumpers with rubber strip in the middle.

Some have automatic transmission, some have factory air conditioning. I am pretty sure that they were only manufactured from January 1978 to April 1978. Karl knows for sure.

Steve in LA

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:31 am

Been writing back and forth with the owner and he sent along some pictures to me. Pictures really do say 1,000 words!!! Looking at this bus on first glance I was convinced it was a Champagne that had been repainted orange on top. BUT if you look at this picture:

You can see orange peeking though by the taillight and belt line on the passenger side. Here's the rest and you tell me what you think:

No idea where or WHAT this is either:

The more I look at these pictures the more I'm thinking it's a GIANT transplant with a Champagne interior into a Westfaila camper. Right off the bat in the first picture at the top I couldn't get it out of the back of my mind why there was a tire on the front!!?? After I looked at all the pictures this one in particular fueled the transplant idea:

The top cushion and rear curtains aren’t Champagne colors!! I know...."Maybe the top cushion and curtains were swapped into it!!" But, wasn't the outside orange color, yellow curtains and yellow/orange plaid a Westy combo?? More proof came in these pictures and the more I looked at them the more I thought it was a transplant:

1. There's no clock, but a delete plate where it should be.
2. The dash pod and radio delete plate are both black.
3. Where's the rest of the fresh air set up on the door??? :?
4. Why aren't the all the white parts under the dash brown including the steps??

Karl, I did get this picture of the door jam sticker. Any help:

Now in all fairness, the guy NEVER once said it was a Champagne bus. That was all me :oops: . I just wanted to be sure hence why I created this topic and after everyone agreed I was pretty confident it was a Champagne. But after seeing all these pictures...I have my doubts. As far as it being a Westy....it looks pretty good!! If I got this bus I could do some serious camping and not have to worry about keeping it pretty...it could be a beater bus!! So if I was going to offer him a price....what would be a good offer??

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:34 am

I looked at the pics you posted in the Gallery of this bus. I'd say that is Deff a Champagne Edition. It looks to be missing the clock in the dash though. Maybe it's there but I really can't tell from the pic. Looks to be in nice shape though. Did you take these pics ? Looks like it has the switch for the BA6 too. Not a 6g bus by any means but deff worth saving. 8)

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:38 am

I agree...totally worth saving and it looks like she has alot of life left in her!! But not for $6,000....

And no I didn't take the pictures, he sent me all those.

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:38 am

Sparkling wine, maybe. More like a chardonnay. But not true champagne. Nevertheless probably a serviceable bus. So go have fun with it. :)

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:44 am

Someone took alot of time to change the color on it then. I don't believe orange was a Westy color in '78 was it? Brown plaid and brown curtains are Champagne Westy colors.

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:50 am

Any word on the price of this thing
I saw it on craiglist last week and thought he was going to want an arm and a leg for it.
Wanna have a bidding war that goes backwards in price for this bus ? :lol:

Still looking for my first bus

Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:05 am

I would say that bus is worth $1000 - $1500 tops. The fact that it may be a champagne doesnt really make it worth anymore. And it is debatable weather or not it is. I would say it is based on the brown dash, but the missing clock is weird. Also the build date looks correct to be a champagne. Im not sure why someone would go through the trouble of converting a non champagne into a champagne. Who knows though, weirder things have been done.

It looks like it need some work. Does it run? Is it still FI?

Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:26 am

gmag69 wrote: Someone took alot of time to change the color on it then. I don't believe orange was a Westy color in '78 was it? Brown plaid and brown curtains are Champagne Westy colors.

I'm with you on this, Geno. The bus is a mutant Champagne. The camper interior is a deluxe, white on the interior, brown dash, etc. Some PO probably sold the clock for beer/gas/dope money when they were following the Phish Tour... As far as the rear curtains and top cushion, they probably got trashed and replaced at some point. This bus looks well-abused, so that follows.

$6K? Laughable. Like busmania24 said, I'd offer $1000, if it runs. Definitely a bus that should be saved, though.