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Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:57 am

Mostly because of my wife being placed on disability last May, we are in a financial crisis. I am faced with selling my Splitty OR selling my "reliable" car and making the Splitty my Daily Driver. :shock: No AC (I work out in Santa Clarita), no PS or PB, etc. BUT the cool factor and keeping my Splitty! Easier to work on and cheaper too. What do you think? 8)

Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:58 am

Go for it man, make it work... beat that bus into submission. :twisted:

Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:01 am

Sell the non-vw and use some of that cash to make your bus bulletproof!

Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:09 am

sell the bus and buy a Kia.

J/K

Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:09 am

Busses as a daily driver are very dooable.

I drive my 66 about 80 miles each day to/from work. I stay on top of maintenance and my bus rewards me with good service.

IMO here are the main things you need to make the bus daily:

1. good brakes (always worrying about stopping will make for a harsh commute

2. steering all tight. (wrestling with the direction the bus wants to go in is fine for every once in a while driving, but daily it'll get on your nerves QUICK)

3. reliable engine (if yours is flaky go ahead and fix it now)

4. tranny that works (having the darn thing pop out of gear all the time will wear on you quickly.)

basically the little things that bug you about your bus will surface quickly as huge pains. take care of these and you are golden.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:13 am

Thats a tough call especially if your down to one vehicle, is there any possible way you can keep the splitty 'til you make it "reliable" then sell off the other vehicle? what condition is the splitty in now? How about getting that 2nd job to make those ends meet and getting to keep your splitty? I would chose to get the 2nd job and keep my splitty matter fact been there done that, it's not easy but you do what you gotta do to make it through those hard times. Good luck.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:19 am

If I can daily drive a split bus in the summer time while living in Las Vegas, and in the wintertime in Salt Lake City, anyone can daily drive a split.

Just depends on what creature comforts you're willing to give up. It really is all up to you.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:23 am

Thanks all! My wife has a cheap, reliable ride for transporting kids, etc. She is getting back to work but the damage is WAY done. I've been selling my stuff on eBay and also picking things up to resale AND have taken on private students (music lessons) to generate the extra income.

On the Splitty, the brakes could be a little better. The steering's pretty good. The motor has some end play. I'll milk that motor for as long as possible, saving some bucks from the Jap-Car (not politically correct; sorry) sell. I think it's do-able. I REALLY enjoy the Splitty (as do our kids) and would hate to lose it. But I just don't want to be selfish, in keeping it, if that "hurts" the family. We are faced with some very tough choices but are VERY blessed in many ways. We'll get through it! :crazyeyes:

Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:02 pm

I have jalousies in my standard (came that way) and it's like a wind tunnel at speed---but they do no good in "stop& go" Could be a cheap A/C for you. Also the "Asian" (is that PC?) ride will only go down in value--So keeping the split would be an investment :wink: Good luck out there--I was out with a back injury--but now I'm back, I wish the same for you!

Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:40 pm

One can always find a little car with a/c that will get the job done. One can not always find a splitty that they like and can afford. Its nice already owning one. The only thing worse then looking to buy a splitty is looking for a job.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:57 pm

Did you sell your surf board?

Wed Mar 24, 2004 1:18 pm

Thanks for the posts guys. You've helped lift my spirits. I know that I shouldn't worry (it's human nature) and that we'll get through it and be the stronger for it.

Lorse, I'm going to sell off several boards. Some collector items and others very functional vehicles 8) What are you interested in?

Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:06 pm

Hang in there bro.

The way I see it, from the values of the vehicle point of view, is that the "modern" vehicles would only depriciate with time, while the vintage vehicles have already gone through the cycle and depending on how cool the make is, it appriciates accordingly. So in a sense the bus is more of an investment than a, say, '93 Honda Accord. It depends on how much you need to get by this rough period... If the other vehicle could bring enough to get through, keep the bus by all means. It will be a daily driver, maybe with a few weeks of daily wrenching. By that time the bus would be in a much better shape anyway, and if the unavoidable comes around, you can sell it at a better price, knowing you have done everything possible and there is not gonna be any regret on your own part.

(A bus could also haul the whole family plus 3 dogs. Trust me the dogs will find a spot between your luggage spread and make a nest of it, within the first 50 miles of being on the road.)

I would hold on to the bus until I am forced to go with no vehicles. If that's the situation, I would sell it to a dear friend, kinda pawning it off, with hope to buy it back later on when everything is on the rebound.

Best of luck to you.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:34 pm

Okay man, I'm taking a leap of faith! I'm going to sell the 1998 Suzuki Wagon! It's in good shape, blue with tinted windows :roll: , 100,000 miles. Needs some TLC but runs well. I should be able to get $2500 or so...that would go a long way with the Splitty!!! Man, I'd be putting 100 miles a day on the Splitty...and smiling the whole way! 8)

Edit: I checked the Kelly Blue Book; that wagon should fetch between $2900 and $4500 (or so) :wink:

Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:35 pm

Blessed Bus wrote:
Lorse, I'm going to sell off several boards. Some collector items and others very functional vehicles 8) What are you interested in?

Hang in there... I've always considered my bus to be my most valuable possession. I figured it times got really tough... I could live in it!

As to the boards... I'll PM ya.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 4:02 pm

Blessed Bus wrote: Man, I'd be putting 100 miles a day on the Splitty...and smiling the whole way! 8)

When I did my time in Florida the bus was not just my daily driver but my only driver and work vehicle to boot! I was driving 50 miles just to get to work. From there I'd find out where I was going to do home security pre-wire which was all over the greater Tampa Bay area. I was averaging anywhere from 200 to 300 miles DAILY! :shock: Took quite a beating for a year and lucky for me it was after I found a "better" job in a factory that the motor finally threw a rod. Boy did it throw it! It went through the top of the case and across to the other side destroying everything. But I digress.

Keep the bus for in any worst case at least you'll have a place to "live"! :P

Wed Mar 24, 2004 4:44 pm

I daily drove my '67 for about a year and 3 months before pulling it off the road for body work and paint. Put about 20k miles on it in that year and 3 months. I think I had to be towed once. The fuel filter inside the gas tank clogged. If you keep up with maitntenance and use quality parts whenever something breaks, then you shouldn't have any problems using your bus as a daily driver. Good luck, man.

Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:03 pm

Definitly keep the bus, I use mine as a daily driver (actually, it's my only vehicle).
Just think about how much you miss driving it when it's off the road, now think how you'll feel if there's a big space in your garage with no bus.
Anyway, we all need something to cover the little oil spots in our garages!

Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:34 pm

I have been in a similar place at one time myself. I kept the VW. As for commuting, I commute with my bus a couple of days a week from Sacramento to Redwood City. It's about a 260 mile round trip. I have to represent! There are just not enough VW's on the road these days. Just keep it mechanically sound and make sure the brakes are adjusted. You'll be fine. But, of course you need to consider the value of your bus vs your other car. If you are in a financial bind, maybe selling the bus would be best to make your ends meet.

Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:55 pm

I found myself in a similar situation recently too. My bus is my only car. My wife has the suv for the kids sake. She'd rather have a convertible beetle. I had to take a loan to get my bus road worthy. I then paid it off with the income tax return. I have to rely on my bus, because i'm in the military and can't call in sick. So, i did what i had to do to make it reliable. I would of rode a bike before putting my family in any kind of dire streights though. Even if it means selling the bus. So, do what you have to do.
As far as a bus as a daily driver, it's perfectly capable. I drive mine in the rain, snow, and terrible Oklahoma wind. I'm all over the road, but i'm optamistic that the wind will die soon. I's hot in the summer, and cold in the winter(panel van), but i make do. I have just recently invested in noise and sound insulation to make the drive more enjoyable.
good luck with whatever you decide.