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Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:55 pm

Picked up a 1971 VW Bus on craigslist the other day and figured i would blog the process on here! I have always read the topics here and never posted myself. Thanks for all the advice and support over the years!
I got this beauty for $550.
A guy in lake county posted it for $600, i called him minutes after he posted it and told him i would come pick it up the next day.

My friend Ben and i drove up there to get it.

He said it wasnt idling correctly, but i was confident i could manage driving the 101 back. We got there and after driving it decided it was going to be too sketchy to drive it home.
We then drove straight to Sonoma to pick up my grandparents rickety old trailer and headed back after picking up my girlfriend up from school.

We got there, drove the bus up the trailer and that was it!
I offered him $500, he said $550 was the lowest he would go, (hiding my joy, i agreed.)

Heres a video my brother threw together of the first day.

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Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:11 pm

Nice score, looks super solid...

Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:15 pm

Great score, great video!

Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:16 pm

Very well done Elijah! You got a great base for a resto, or just some going thru for a driver. 8)
Any help or advice you need, ask! Can't wait to see what your plans are.

Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:19 pm

DAYUM! Lake county is a drive for me plus no trailer... so jealous! :D

Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:15 pm

Kind of like a Carls Jr. commercial. Now you must have some girlfriends that can help you out. Nice 71.

Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:31 pm

$550? You serious? Nice score. I'll give you $800 to get it off your hands, bus are to much of a hassle. 8)

Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:21 pm

Cool video! Will be following this thread for sure!

Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:19 pm

Wow! thanks so much for the support everyone.
My plans are to keep the bus mostly stock on the outside, maybe some white walls? My bands name is White Wall, so i have to! Check us out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Wall/299654080086507

What do you guys think about the spare on the front? Extra protection! Should i stick it in the spare compartment? My mom likes it, an extra bumper!

Possibly a rack if i can get my hands on one for cheap.

The inside i have plans for! I pulled a nice carpet out of a dumpster that i am planning on using for the cargo floor, i will post pics soon on that process. I have a band and do a lot of film work where i carry a lot of equipment around, so i am going to keep it how i found it without the rear for extra space.

I also rebuilt the carburetor with my friend Ben and it seems to be running better! Needs minor adjustments but overall sounds pretty good.

Question:
The stick shift is really really sloppy on the bus. When you get it in gear it stays in gear, but it is just really sloppy...i am not sure what this could be (I am really new to all this) I looked under and couldnt see anything broken or loose.

Also, what were the defining features of a deluxe in the year of 1971? Any differences mechanically? or just the chrome?

I have lots of video and photos coming.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:48 am

Try not to think of a spare tire on the front as extra protection. Notice how it juts out in front of the bumper. In a head on collision, well you're probably screwed either way but if possible you want the bumper to take the impact. The frame is somewhat reinforced behind there and that's where they designed it to take the hit. There is no such reinforcement in the nose. Keeping the spare tire on front is your preference, just don't be misled into thinking it's better for safety.

You will probably want to avoid whitewall tires because there are none that I know of that are the correct spec. You need sidewall reinforced tires in order to maintain safety and handling, and all the whitewall tires I see are usually passenger car tires. Read up on the tire sticky first.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:09 am

There are still great deals out there. That is a very nice first paint bus. And its the best year bus there is.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:21 am

ned wrote: ... And its the best year bus there is.

An opinion stated as fact does not make it so!

It is really great though, and it has a very OG charm to it.

lostorbit is completely right about the spare tire/impact/bumper/tires. Heed his words wisely!

As for your shifter slop, in the bay window bus forum you should do a few searches on shifter adjustment and replacing shifter bushings. as for parts, I recommend http://www.bughaus.com/type211.htm
But busdepot, wolfsburgwest, germansupply, they all have quality parts. Good luck with your new bus.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 8:29 am

Super cool. I bought my '71 to haul band gear ( www.workreleaseband.com ) as well....at least my bass gear anyway. I replaced my shift bushings earlier this week. Big difference! Well worth the time. The new shift-rod bushings were not very nice though. I needed to clean off some flashing from the inside to get them to seat properly. While digging through some old parts, I found a replacement bushing that I had bought maybe fifteen years ago and it was much nicer quality. Oh well.
I'd stay away from whitewall tires unless you can find some that are a good fit for a bus. Do they still make those whitewall inserts (showing my age here) that make any tire look like a whitewall? Good tires on a bus make such a huge difference in the way it handles.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:24 am

9mmMike wrote: Do they still make those whitewall inserts

Ebay has them, they go between the bead and the rim even with proper rated tiers I don't think I would use them on a loaded bus going threw the back roads.

all the info on your COOL bus is on the mplate behind the drivers seat.
http://www.vw-mplate.com/mcode.php
just the chrome

Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:00 pm

Ran the VIN and it says its a 72! Although it doesnt have rear lights, the holes looked the size of the 71 lights, I was told it was a 71. Also it isnt a type 3 motor? Didnt those start in 72?

Any info would be appreciated!

Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:15 pm

That's a nice bus. Good luck with your project. Yes, think stock as you restore it. Or at least modifications that won't be permanent and could be easily undone.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:47 pm

Looks like a '71 to me: has the right parking lights, air scoops, fender flares, and tail lights for a '71.

Get the tire off the nose. It's the weakest place possible to put it. First time it's hit, you can kiss off the whole fresh air box and nose skin.

Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:26 pm

epbooker wrote: Ran the VIN and it says its a 72! Although it doesnt have rear lights, the holes looked the size of the 71 lights, I was told it was a 71. Also it isnt a type 3 motor? Didnt those start in 72?

Any info would be appreciated!

Might want to check if the the VINs throughout the bus match :wink:

Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:50 pm

Hey Everyone!

I have a question:
My band will be going on tour sometime in the next year, and my dream is to take the bus, once we get all the mechanics sorted out.
We live in California, The bay area, and would most likely tour down to LA.

What are some tips on a trip like thisand maintaining the bus? Is it possible?
Any stories?

Thanks again for all the support!
Eli

Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:10 pm

First off NICE SCORE! Second, If it had been mine and after you tried to better the (deal) after saying you would take it, i would have kicked your reneging ass off my property and said it's not for sale to you at any price. That being said, i turned 50 yesterday but i have been grumpy for years. NICE SCORE [-( Edit you did not agree on a price beforehand, my bad, NICE SCORE.