TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:03 pm

if you guys are going to continue to be negative (as so often on the samba) take it to the rants and raves. Everybody has the right to their own tastes. that red bus it 10x nicer than some of the "rat" or "hood" buses out there.

By the way when I was young rusted, faded, dented old vehicles were not worth much. Things do not have to be perfectly correct for someone to pay good money and enjoy it. Not everyone who buys a bus is a VW nerd.

I love correctly restored old buses but can also see the other side.

I vote for saving it know mater who does it. It is worth it.

RM

Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:03 pm

This has turned negative so I am locking it after removing almost a page of posts.

If you have particular questions about year-to-year attributes like mirror arms or glass, please reference or add to the glass thread or start new thread(s) with particular questions.

If anyone extracts this Bus and has an update, let me know and I can unlock it.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:13 am

First, thanks to Everett for unlocking this thread. I posted in the pgsg thread and there were a few guys asking me about plans and how I got the bus. So here goes.

From an earlier post I was pretty sure I knew where the bus was. I was in McCarthy in 1975 and the description of the road sounded right. When the bus showed up in the classifieds last June I contacted Ward, the seller, immediately. He replied with only his phone number. Nothing else, just a number. So, I called him. We talked about the bus for maybe 2 minutes and the rest of the 20 minute call was about every other possible topic. We have different job descriptions but work in the same industry. When we finally got back on topic I offered full price and he said
"Ok, send me a deposit."
'How much"
"$4000 will tell me you're serious."
"OK."

I sent a check and then pretty much never heard from him again. I called a few times and sometimes he answered but mostly not. Whenever he did answer he was always busy. I checked my account and he hadn't cashed the check. We agreed to complete the deal in August.

I arrive in state August as planned and Ward tells me he's out of town.
I ask "when will you be back."
"I don't know."
"Ok."

Next time I'm in state is October and we plan on finishing the deal then. I call. He's in Reno. I check my account, still hasn't cashed the check. November I called and left a message. Just telling him I was still around. I never heard a thing until December. He writes and says "hey man come get this bus." "And send me the rest of the money." So, I send another check.

I arrive in Anchorage about a week later, call a tow company and they drive out to Girdwood and haul the bus back my place in Anchorage. Later that evening I get a call from Ward.
"Hey the bus is gone."
"I know; it's in my yard."
We both laugh and agree to meet the following day to transfer the paperwork.

Next day I drive out to his hangar and meet this amazing, friendly guy that's got a giant grin and heart of gold. After talking a few minutes I remember that he had left something in the bus and went home to get it.

When I get back he looks at me asks "hey are you John's brother?" Turns out they are pretty good friends and Ward never realized until he saw me that my family name was the same as his friend's! How funny is that? Still hasn't cashed the checks. Alaska.

Here's a pic.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:21 am

That's incredible! I know alot of people that couldn't have got that bus. You are probably the .001% that could have and you did, well done!

After you got it towed to Anchorage, how did you get it home? Very interested in the rest of the story of how it got home!

Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:38 am

I have a home in Anchorage so, the bus is home. I'm not clear on how it got from McCarthy to Girdwood but Ward said he drove the bus between the two places numerous times. He said it ran two years ago and I assumed he drove it back but I don't know. I'll ask him next time I speak with him and try to get a few more details.

Yeah, I'm glad I hung in there. I didn't think the deal was going to happen.

Here's the roof. It looks really straight for a Alaska bus that was left out in the snow.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:21 am

Wow, great story, now that you have the bus. Patience and persistence once again prevailed. Congrats on an awesome bus.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:07 pm

Amazing.. Great ending and new beginning to a great bus and thread. Congrats to you!

Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:18 pm

WOW, Just WOW !!
That is a pretty nice interior !!! Great score !!
McCarthy has been on one of those Alaska shows this fall, Discovery Channel ?? Looks like a cool place to visit.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:50 pm

Sweet bus! More pics?

Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:39 pm

By November I had pretty much given up getting the bus. I think the airport was enforcing some rules about having non-running vehicles on the property and that finally lit the fire to move it. The "Hey Man" e-mail in December was a sweet Christmas gift.

Plan is to get it on the road and drive it. I want to keep it as period correct as possible. Once it's a driver I'll start the process of removing the respray. Every system needs to be gone through; the brake pedal is stuck to the floor, lights don't work, fuel system needs everything and on and on.

The wood box had hubcaps, horn button and engine crank made from a piece of galvanized pipe in it.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:43 pm

I took this in August. Same plate with 1988 tag on it. It's got new plates on it now.

Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:56 pm

crukab wrote:

WOW, Just WOW !!
That is a pretty nice interior !!! Great score !!
McCarthy has been on one of those Alaska shows this fall, Discovery Channel ?? Looks like a cool place to visit. I have seen that show a few times and one of the episodes had a bay window that looked like a driver.

Looks like a great bus

Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:29 pm

StockNazi wrote: crukab wrote:

WOW, Just WOW !!
That is a pretty nice interior !!! Great score !!
McCarthy has been on one of those Alaska shows this fall, Discovery Channel ?? Looks like a cool place to visit. I have seen that show a few times and one of the episodes had a bay window that looked like a driver.

Looks like a great bus

nice!

Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:49 pm

Is the bus still there? I know where it is been there:
Al

Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:44 am

There are lots of abandoned 40s/50s cars/trucks in the area among others. Saw an early bay there as well although that one seemed to be in use.
Very cool place and mine /glacier/ NP near by.

Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:05 pm

Had a chance to do some work on this a few days ago. Unfortunately, only had my phone to use as a camera this time and didn't take a lot of pictures. Spent four full days on it and in that time I got the engine running, did a partial brake overhaul, got most of the lights working and looked things over in general.

Took it out for a quick drive.

Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:26 pm

I saw this other photo youposted:

That is nice!

Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:51 pm

Yes, the cargo floor is super solid all around that I can see so far. The wood box is bolted to the floor and I haven't moved it yet. Hope there's no big secrets under it. The cab floor is solid too.

In that photo you can see the toe kick in great shape and the hole cut in the center bulkhead panel. There are several minor hacks like that hole throughout the bus that someone has taken the time to repair as best they could. It's so nice to work on something that was cared for recently. :D

Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:22 pm

thats one nice bus you got there!i was at johnson vw tuesday and he showed me a pile of brake parts for a guy with a 57 wonder if that was you?thanks for sharing the pics.jeff

Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:45 pm

Awesome! I would have given up on the seller about the second time he flaked. Congrats on keeping at it and taking her home. Looks cleaner than I would have imagined.