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wcfvw69 Tue May 09, 2017 7:23 am

I'll give you a 1k for it. :lol:

You did great. Congrats!

The Dubbernaut Tue May 09, 2017 8:05 am

I thought I read somewhere on here that the Riviera was the crappy chop job they did in California to make normal busses, campers. Not saying I'm sad about this deal at all, but are the Riviera's that bad? I'd imagine it's the quality of what material was used and not the quality of work if they were doing hundreds of thousands of these things, right? Any links on Riviera history?

KentABQ Tue May 09, 2017 8:15 am

Hey now... No talk in' $#|¥ about Rivieras! :lol:

I've only had mine a few months, and it has been 25 years since I've had a Westy, so I can tell you a little bit about the differences...

Overall, I would agree the quality of a Riviera isn't the same as a Westy. But they're also a different layout and have different amenities, so it's a little bit like comparing an orange to a tangerine. (The apples-to-apples reference doesn't work in this case.)

Also, the Rivieras were made in S. WA state and sold in Portland (?), and not California.

I just took my first camping trip last weekend, and she ran great and functioned great as a camper...



Drive it, use it, enjoy it!

williamM Tue May 09, 2017 8:32 am

Riviera"s use of just the plastic veneer on door panels was not well thought out. Nail head clips and no backing don't play together well.

The rest of it seems on par with the rest of the bus conversions.

I like it from the start for it vertical roof pop up, giving it 360* view from up top. Over the hinged Westphalia.

The little heater is a blessing though placed in the same (light me before you pass out) spot as the Adventure wagon -

KentABQ Tue May 09, 2017 8:52 am

You have a heater in yours, Bill? I'm jealous. Where is it located?

The Dubbernaut Tue May 09, 2017 8:56 am

KentPS wrote: Hey now... No talk in' $#|¥ about Rivieras! :lol:

Also, the Rivieras were made in S. WA state and sold in Portland (?), and not California.

I just took my first camping trip last weekend, and she ran great and functioned great as a camper...



Drive it, use it, enjoy it!

Not poo talk at all! :wink: Didnt seem to me it was any different, I just remembered someone complaining about it. Imagine that :roll:

Im from SE Washington! Wonder where they were built!?! This M-Plate said it was shipped to Portland. Funny how it didnt quite make it to N Idaho. Close, but no cigar lol

Thats a wonderful bus! We dont have kids yet, but we do travel a bit with family to different rodeos and parades due to my mom and dad being in charge of the fair and rodeo here. Lots of camping and road trips, why I was looking for a camper.

The Dubbernaut Tue May 09, 2017 8:59 am

williamM wrote: Riviera"s use of just the plastic veneer on door panels was not well thought out. Nail head clips and no backing don't play together well.

The rest of it seems on par with the rest of the bus conversions.

I like it from the start for it vertical roof pop up, giving it 360* view from up top. Over the hinged Westphalia.

The little heater is a blessing though placed in the same (light me before you pass out) spot as the Adventure wagon -

It seemed like the slider door looked great! But I couldnt get it open. Lifting up on the handle, or down just sounded like it locked and unlocked the door. I also like the fact the roof pops all the way up instead of hinges. Seems like there would be much more space for kids up there? As for photos, can you see if I have the heater? Im too new to this to see what I do or dont have...

cdennisg Tue May 09, 2017 7:03 pm

Riviera campers were built and sold by Riviera motors VW dealership in Beaverton Oregon. They started making campers around 1964 to compete with the Westfalia since it was hard to get them, but easy to get panel vans. They became a large dealer in campers in the Northwest as they would buy up the unwanted panel van stock from regional VW dealers and convert them to basic campers.

I am a fan of Riviera. I prefer the layout to most of what Westy offered at the time.

You have a good bus. Clean it up, make it safe, and drive the wheels off of it!

cdennisg Tue May 09, 2017 7:21 pm

The Dubbernaut wrote: I thought I read somewhere on here that the Riviera was the crappy chop job they did in California to make normal busses, campers.

100% definitely not. It was likely a westy snob that made that statement. :wink:

llaferr Tue May 09, 2017 9:48 pm

I Need some help, how much do you think I should offer?
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1829337

Looking to buy a '78-'79, and this seller is local.
I'm looking to spend up to $17,000, but wouldn't mind restoring like this.

KentABQ Wed May 10, 2017 6:04 am

llaferr wrote: I Need some help, how much do you think I should offer?
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1829337

Looking to buy a '78-'79, and this seller is local.
I'm looking to spend up to $17,000, but wouldn't mind restoring like this.

First, contact Aeromech and hire him to check it out for you. He is in SD and knows buses better than anyone in the area.

Second, this rig has carbs, which won't pass smog in CA. I had the same problem when I bought mine, and had to buy and install all the fuel injection equipment, which ran me around $2k.

But it looks like a great candidate for getting up and running again. A "restoration" isn't in the cards for $17k. For that price, you can get it running and looking decent, though. Good luck to you!

Edit: It's been listed for sale for over a year and a half. That raises a flag in my mind. :shock:

wcfvw69 Wed May 10, 2017 6:40 am

KentPS wrote: llaferr wrote: I Need some help, how much do you think I should offer?
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1829337

Looking to buy a '78-'79, and this seller is local.
I'm looking to spend up to $17,000, but wouldn't mind restoring like this.

First, contact Aeromech and hire him to check it out for you. He is in SD and knows buses better than anyone in the area.

Second, this rig has carbs, which won't pass smog in CA. I had the same problem when I bought mine, and had to buy and install all the fuel injection equipment, which ran me around $2k.

But it looks like a great candidate for getting up and running again. A "restoration" isn't in the cards for $17k. For that price, you can get it running and looking decent, though. Good luck to you!

Edit: It's been listed for sale for over a year and a half. That raises a flag in my mind. :shock:

Agree with hiring Gary to go look at it. It's going to need some serious body work to remove the nose and rusted body panels. It looks solid under it. If it was me, I'd assume the engine and transmission will need to be overhauled. As Kent mentioned, you'd need to source and reinstall the fuel injection. The interior needs to be refreshed as well.

The good news is if you bought it and did all those things to a high level, the money you invest could be recovered if you sold it. That bus in great condition with a freshly rebuilt engine, trans, good body work and paint and interior restoration would sell over $20k easy

Spike0180 Wed May 10, 2017 7:20 am

KentPS wrote:
Edit: It's been listed for sale for over a year and a half. That raises a flag in my mind. :shock:

Be cautious. a year and a half is a long time to have something for sale...

llaferr Wed May 10, 2017 10:39 pm

Thank you very much for all your help.

I'm going to check this one out:
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/6126560605.html

anything in particular I should ask or look for?

I really appreciate the help while I search for my first Westy.

KentABQ Thu May 11, 2017 7:37 am

Read this before you go. It's a used bus buyers guide from the "Tech Tips" sticky. http://john-perry.com/images/buyers.txt

Be sure to have someone experienced check it thoroughly before you buy. If Gary (Aeromech) isn't available, you might try Robbie (Asiab3). I would trust either of them with their analysis.

I would want to know why it's been non op for a while. Also, make sure the seller provides a current smog certificate.

And good luck! It's exciting to search for a new old bus!

Spike0180 Thu May 11, 2017 8:07 am

Check and make sure ALL the electrical works. If anything has been neglected or skimped on, that is a decent indication. And check EVERYWHERE for rust. Other than that, look up on thesamba here how to identify the engine for that year bus and look at stock pictures of it. It needs to have FI, since you are in Cali you will need it to pass smog as noted. So if it has carbs, you should probably keep looking (mainly because for $14,000 you better be able to drive it home.)

Spend time just looking at stock photos of 1979 westies. It should look like those.

It is missing the drivers door panel, a drawer, some laminate, and I would bet it is non-op because someone took out the FI or was unable to get the FI to work. You may want to ask for pictures of the engine before taking too long of a drive.

And contact Aero or asiab is they are available, they would be a world of help.

Yoyota Mon May 15, 2017 12:28 pm

$100 DEAL
Wish I was closer


http://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-auto-parts-and-access...nFlag=true

Gstillwill Mon May 15, 2017 12:48 pm

Got this on craigslist, complete 1974 9 passenger for 400$ Its a little crusty, but the frame and is solid. Heavy surface rust around the rain gutter from sitting in the woods for 14 years. Complete original carb setup, and the engine turns over.




AndrewElber87 Wed May 24, 2017 12:22 pm

I found a guy selling this 1979 VW Bus for $1700USD. The bus was running (no idea how long ago) and the engine turns over.

I relatively unexperienced and this would be my first project. I will be checking the bus out in person with a friend who has some basic restoration knowledge. Neither of us have much familiarity with bay windows, so I am posting to see if there are any obvious red flags that I might have missed and if this price is more or less reasonable. Thanks. :)

Here are all the pictures I have at this time.








wcfvw69 Wed May 24, 2017 1:54 pm

I would find someone local to you that really knows these VW buses inside and out. Pay them to look it over for you. Even $200 dollars would be worth every penny.

"It was running when it was parked".. Uh huh.. they all were. :wink:



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