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69calibug Thu Feb 24, 2005 9:01 pm

dickie wrote: Yeah, I met a guy like that a couple of years ago. He had about 20 vw's, including several ovals, early type 3 and type 2. I was sent to him by a friend who had dealt with him previously. The guy was outright rude, abnoxious, and foul....for the first five minutes. When I stood my ground and did not turn and run, he warmed up and we talked for two hours and he showed me his collection. He apologized about 20 minutes later, and said he was sick of young guys trying to mooch from him, giving their sob stories, browsing during the day and then coming back and shopping after dark when he had gone. He said he spent the better part of the last 20 years developing a reputation as a miserable son of a bitch, and that it seemed to be working. He was a good guy, just sick of the bull shit, which there seems to be a lot of in the VW community, especially among those that think it is such a cool thing and are involved for the image or money or flipping, as you said. It is a path with heart, and if you don't get it, stay away from guys like Tom Tom, they don't need the grief.

I know a guy like that as well, must be a common thing :lol: I wanted to buy a roof rack from him, and after several offers by him to bring it by my house, he told me flat out he didn't want people in his yard. He had some expensive parts stolen, so no one is allowed in. He comes off as crass, but after you get to know him he's OK. After earning his trust I was allowed to see his yard. Even then, I pretty much had to ask to go down and look at a Bus or Beetle. I'm sworn to secrecy never to tell anyone whats back there, and I won't. I guess I can't blame him, he deals with the same problems as a lot of these guys. The problem with his situation in comparison to Toms is that we're in the northeast. He's bought up everything for 10+ years, and it just sits and rots. 5 years sitting a muddy yard like his turns a restorable car into scrap in this part of the country. He seems to get mad every time he looks at a car, because the condition has deteriorated so much.

If I end up out that way this summer, I should try and visit. The thing is, he's probably collected many of those VWs decades ago. They would have been turned into scrap long ago if not for him. Rust doesn't seem to be a big problem over there, so it's better that they're sitting as opposed to being parted. And someday the better ones will end up restored by someone. I can see myself as "that crazy guy with all the VWs" someday, telling storys and sitting in a yard full of every VW I can dig out of someones yard :twisted:

pvwacko Sat Mar 19, 2005 8:38 pm

I was just down in Moab and remembered I had Toms number on me. Gave him a call and stopped by. Awsome guy, loves VWs as much as me. :D (has a hard time parting with anything) Well now to answer a few questions. The cats are kept around the yard because they eat all the rodents, you would realize why this is important if you have restored many VWs. Second, the price. Tom knows what his VWs are worth. For all you people that are tired of rust repair and replacement parts, Tom has the answer. Tom moved to Moab 30 some years ago with 7 VWs in tow. He has been collecting them ever sence. Now these are not your typical rusty VWs. Tom estimated that he had "maybe 2" bugs that needed their heater channels replaced. Very few Ghias had rusty headlight buckets. And someone already mentioned the original paint split. Tom will not part out any car. If you want a part you buy the car but he does have a bunch of parts he has pulled off other cars before he had them crushed. Tom likes original VWs and hates to see a good car cut up but has respect for bringing cars back from the dead like so many of us have to these days. So if you want an original VW in the 00,000 mile range give Tom a jingle and have cash at hand.

P.S. I got to see the 23 Window. :wink:

vdubvr6 Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:55 am

man, am i glad i'm not the one who brout this one back from the dying thread pile! i have also had the privilage of visiting Tom Tom! a great old man! he even took us to see his latest completed project at his house! a '60 vert :







very nice! he does seem to have a hard time letting any of his "collection" go for a cheap price! :( lots of loose parts that i'm sure he'd have no problem letting go! he also sells new stuff. alot of fun! feel free to look at some of the pics i took while i was there! http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=vdubvr6

Dave Roach Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:08 am

32 ghia's? Do you guys know if he ever trades vw's?

The only way I've ever been able to get through to people who want an exuberant amount for their vw's is through trade. If you can provide something that is obviously worth more than they're car, but cost you less than thier asking price, you can win.

Maybe if I bring him a singlecab or oval window we can work up a deal.

Ragman Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:07 am

vdubvr6 wrote: he even took us to see his latest completed project at his house! a '60 vert

Looks more like a ragtop to me. :o

ibjack Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:39 am

Wow, Inever knew that so many people here on the Samba knew about Tom. I drove down there back in '94. I feel really lucky because I was actually able to buy a set of t3 mudflaps from him after he gave me the tour. He has a couple early notchbacks that he wanted 2k for back then. I would like to make the trip again. As far as VW's in Payson UT, there was an '57 ghia that sat outside of a house for many years. It looked to be all original and not for sale. Did anyone else ever see that one?

Rich Hanson Tue Dec 27, 2005 9:37 am

I just spent an afternoon in the company of Mr/ Tom Arnold, just before Christmas. I had the best time talking with him and getting to look at his collection of VW's. It's true that he has 32 Ghia's countless bugs and many buses of various years and configurations. The cats serve a useful purpose as well as companionship at his office....they virtually elimanate the rodent population. He knows his VW's and what they are worth. Keep in mind that this isn't a junkyard by any standard...it is his collection. Like any collector, you don't just part with one just for the sake of money. I assure you that that is not his motivation, yet like any good businessman, he isn't going to give them away. Nearly all of the cars we looked at are rust free, perhaps some surface rust, but by no means cancered out like we get in Minnesota. If you're looking to buy a project car that is solid, here is a good place to start. Remember in pricing, you need to understand that these cars will start you out far ahead of those with rusted out floors and heater channels....saving you many hours and $$$$ in your pursuit of your VW hobby. Don't insult him by being a tire kicker or low-baller....I wouldn't want you to waste my time either. Bring plenty of help as you will be expected to extricate your car (provided you can convince him to part with one) from it's position in the yard and then put back the ones you had to move to get it out. It's not nearly as daunting a problem as you might expect. He regularly airs up the tires...has hoses running all over the place and has provided means of shortcutting to get at the cars. Pretty clever.
You can contact me at [email protected] if you like. I took an immediate liking to Tom. At 83 years young, he has more energy and enthusiasm than most people half his age. He's a very interesting fella' and has stories to tell that are fascinating. Moab isn't on the way to anywhere, so it is a trip with a destination in mind...the area is spectacular and the mountain view from his museum...well, you just need to see it.
RagtopRich

hazetguy Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:02 am

well all this talk about Tom has made me think about Lin and his canyonlands tours in deluxe busses. anyone have any stories about Lin?

it is sad to hear what greg said about the pic book being stolen. the last time i was at the rock shop, there were still tons of pics hanging all over the place with busses on them, but i guess things have changed.

the first time i met Lin i was passing through moab in a 64 21 window deluxe. i stopped at the rock shop on advice of a friend (i think this was in 93 or 94). Lin came out and immediately wanted to buy my bus. kinda ironic, huh? i told him no, and we wound up talking for a little while. i checked out the rock shop and the other busses that were out front, and somehow we started talking about transmissions. he needed a tranny replaced in one of his tour busses, and i agreed to do it for him. the next day i spent all day replacing the tranny. mud caked, dusty, nasty tranny came out. those busses went through alot of hell. and yes, the air intakes were modified to take air in through the roof on some of them. so after a very dirty day of tranny swapping, Lin paid me, took me to his house (to let me get a shower), and also fed me. he also invited me on the next day's tour, free of charge. cool!
the tour was amazing, and solidified my love of southern utah. the people on the tour were funny as hell, and i got as much entertainment from them as i did the sights. an older coupe complained the whole time, and the guy kept talking about his "sah-fah-rees" in africa and his wife kept complaining about the comfort of a bus bouncing down the jeep trails and places that there really weren't any roads. one younger newlywed couple kept arguing about film and how to use a camera. it was a ton of fun, and i have pics somewhere. there are some in the gallery--search "utah" by submitter "hazetguy"
Lin was also the one who led me to Tom and the museum. he also told me of some cool local swimming areas and some neat places in town (and outside of town).

Lin apparently winters in florida, so i have not seen him in many years, since i usually go there in winter (cold weather keeps the tourists down).
anyone else with some tales of Lin, or more of Tom?


Mr. Electric Wizard Tue Dec 27, 2005 7:12 pm

That's a great story Jon... :D
Man. Your not kidding about So. Utah.
You are definately missing out if you haven't been.
Bryce. Zion. Moab. Grand Staircase. Awesome!
I wanna go back real soon. I'll have to see if either one of these guys are around...

azgreenskeeper Tue Dec 27, 2005 7:57 pm

Thanks for bringing this one back to the top... would've missed it otherwise! I think a road trip will definately be in order! 8)

jjjjack Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:01 pm

Hah, yeah thanks for bringing this back up. I stopped in the rock shop and talked to Lin about the busses around '92 or '93. There was a 21/3wdw parked out front and like someone else said, it had a heater stack cut through the roof. I talked to him a bit, and if I recall, he said he had 12 or 13 busses, and wanted 60K for the lot. He wouldn't sell them individually. Sounds like his price has gone up over the years :)

67_13Deluxe Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:38 pm

Now I cant wait to get out of the Marines. Im originally from Salt Lake s oI think I am going to have to make a small pit stop on my way home to check out his collection.

Rich Hanson Wed Jan 04, 2006 3:44 pm

Tom has a new website: www.tomtomsvws.com

At present, it is under construction, so bear with him as it gets populated with pictures and information. It does have an arial view of the lot, just to show you how compact the place is.
Ragtoprich

vdub Wed Jan 04, 2006 4:46 pm

This kind of stuff breaks my heart. None of these cars will ever see the road again. Whats going to happen when this ass hole dies. The state will come in or some developer and they are not going to care about the hundreds of VW's all they are going to do is crush them all. and the world will have lost these cars forever.

Its very sad and on the same hand its enough to really piss you off after seeing all of those split bus's and that great looking split bug.

seans67 Wed Jan 04, 2006 8:28 pm

I just got back from a trip to Moab in my newly purchased Synco Vanagon, kind of a shakedown before I go to Alaska.

Anyway the DAPO forgot to tell me that the gearshift was welded and so about the time we got to Moab from Salt Lake the weld breaks.

I got ahold of Tom after being refered to him and he said that he may have one. He has to meet me right away as he needs to get back to the bowl game. He pulls up in a new beetle and we go into "the office". Wow that smell, yeah there are cats and some serious cat piss stench. But I am so stunned by all the stuff in the building that I try and ignore the smell.

Turns out the shifter he has has been hacked and of course he tells me that he is not parting out anything in his yard, they are all complete cars to be restored someday. I told him he has his work cut out for him, and he says not him they will be for sale some day.

It sure is an impressive collection and in such an unexpected place. It should be interesting to see what the future brings.

So it was a pair of vise grips attatched to the base of the shifter that had to get me through the trip and back to SLC. Couldn't let that slow me down, had to test out the Syncro and drove the Gemini Bridges trail.

dieselnut Wed Jan 04, 2006 11:28 pm

great thread, great stories. thanks! as for tom, what a kook! you gotta love him. :lol:

EdW Thu Jan 05, 2006 8:40 am

vdub wrote: This kind of stuff breaks my heart. None of these cars will ever see the road again. Whats going to happen when this ass hole dies. The state will come in or some developer and they are not going to care about the hundreds of VW's all they are going to do is crush them all. and the world will have lost these cars forever.

Its very sad and on the same hand its enough to really piss you off after seeing all of those split bus's and that great looking split bug.

Let me get this straight. He's an A**hole because he has a collection of VW's and is not selling them to you? :roll:

You know, it is his collection and therefore he can do as he chooses. Also, if you would have read the whole thread, you might have gathered that he has children that will take possession of his collection and possibly sell them.

vdub Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:34 am

EdW wrote: vdub wrote: This kind of stuff breaks my heart. None of these cars will ever see the road again. Whats going to happen when this ass hole dies. The state will come in or some developer and they are not going to care about the hundreds of VW's all they are going to do is crush them all. and the world will have lost these cars forever.

Its very sad and on the same hand its enough to really piss you off after seeing all of those split bus's and that great looking split bug.

Let me get this straight. He's an A**hole because he has a collection of VW's and is not selling them to you? :roll:

You know, it is his collection and therefore he can do as he chooses. Also, if you would have read the whole thread, you might have gathered that he has children that will take possession of his collection and possibly sell them.

I never said I wanted to buy them. I think hes an ass hole because he will not sell them to anyone.

Not once did I say I want them, I have enough projects. I would just hate to see them rot away or get crushed.

EdW Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:44 am

vdub wrote: EdW wrote: vdub wrote: This kind of stuff breaks my heart. None of these cars will ever see the road again. Whats going to happen when this ass hole dies. The state will come in or some developer and they are not going to care about the hundreds of VW's all they are going to do is crush them all. and the world will have lost these cars forever.

Its very sad and on the same hand its enough to really piss you off after seeing all of those split bus's and that great looking split bug.

Let me get this straight. He's an A**hole because he has a collection of VW's and is not selling them to you? :roll:

You know, it is his collection and therefore he can do as he chooses. Also, if you would have read the whole thread, you might have gathered that he has children that will take possession of his collection and possibly sell them.

I never said I wanted to buy them. I think hes an ass hole because he will not sell them to anyone.

Not once did I say I want them, I have enough projects. I would just hate to see them rot away or get crushed.

Point taken. You're not even interested in a single piece of his collection.

I think I've got it now. You're not interested in any of his dubs, but he's an A**hole because they're his cars and he wants to keep them? Okay, gotcha.

'Ya just gotta love people who love to be opinionated on how others should conduct themselves. :roll:

vdub Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:51 am

EdW wrote: vdub wrote: EdW wrote: vdub wrote: This kind of stuff breaks my heart. None of these cars will ever see the road again. Whats going to happen when this ass hole dies. The state will come in or some developer and they are not going to care about the hundreds of VW's all they are going to do is crush them all. and the world will have lost these cars forever.

Its very sad and on the same hand its enough to really piss you off after seeing all of those split bus's and that great looking split bug.

Let me get this straight. He's an A**hole because he has a collection of VW's and is not selling them to you? :roll:

You know, it is his collection and therefore he can do as he chooses. Also, if you would have read the whole thread, you might have gathered that he has children that will take possession of his collection and possibly sell them.

I never said I wanted to buy them. I think hes an ass hole because he will not sell them to anyone.

Not once did I say I want them, I have enough projects. I would just hate to see them rot away or get crushed.

Point taken. You're not even interested in a single piece of his collection.

I think I've got it now. You're not interested in any of his dubs, but he's an A**hole because they're his cars and he wants to keep them? Okay, gotcha.

'Ya just gotta love people who love to be opinionated on how others should conduct themselves. :roll:

Hey I think its sad. The chance of those cars getting saved are very low wile roting in his yard, and yes I think hes being an ass hole about it.

But theres no reason for you to act like that about it. Its a free country I have the right to think anyone I want is an ass hole.

And yes there are a few cars that I wouldn't mind getting my hands on, but at this point its not something I am worried about. I just wish he would unload those cars and give them a chance to be saved.



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