TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:46 pm

I think alot of folks forget what its like to be 17. Dont pay any attention to those giving you shit about trying for a lower price.

A simple, "sir, is there any way you'd consider $250 for the bus?" shouldn't offend the guy.

Either way, it looks to be a steal, for you! Go buy it, and enjoy it!

Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:35 pm

poptop tom wrote: I think alot of folks forget what its like to be 17. Dont pay any attention to those giving you shit about trying for a lower price.

Nah. I think you're forgetting what it's like to work hard and save money for the things you want when you're young.

Wonderful lesson, by the way. Instead of encouraging the kid to be honest, work hard and save up money, and pay what the seller is asking -- which is fair and much less than what it's worth -- nah, it's better to lowball him!

You're a star!

Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:04 pm

If that bus is still there and the guy only wants 300 and you try to talk him down I will offer 500 and take it! I kid I kid :lol:
But really that bus has less dents than the one I just bought. 300 is a steal.

Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:08 pm

Stuartzickefoose wrote: put this in perspective. im 17, and have a paper route that pays like 40 bucks a month, and no other solid job (odd jobs every once in a while)
EDIT: no im not lazy as far as a job, i just dont have time with school and family stuff.

i sell things and make a few bucks on the side.

now i want a bus, but i dont want to buy it and go broke and not have money to fix it up after i get it.

also, the guy really just wants it gone, hes not looking for money.

Stuart

If you wanted, buy it for 300 clean it up get it running and then sell it for 1200.

Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:14 pm

there is no reason to not at least offer a lower price. it is absolutely common in life. it is expected in car sales. i mean, who goes to a car dealer and pays sticker price? haggling is part of the process. who buys a house, and pays asking price without offering a lower bid first?

it doesn't hurt to try to get a better price. the worst the seller can say is "No". besides, when you are 17 years old, 300 dollars is a lot of money.

besides, the owner "wants it gone".

Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:38 pm

im fairly sure he will take 250, if not, 300 will work for me. i just took about 100 pics of the inside. should have them up in a little while.

hopefully we will be done and gone by tomorrow night, BMW and VW both. :D :D :D

then i go trade my pickup for a 68 westy.....yee haw!

Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:40 pm

OH forgot to mention, i looked at the title, and relized i made a mistake. its a 78, not a 76.

also, BD, the two propane tanks were there im guessing because of the heater. idk if its stock, but the "gas heater" (which looks like a dealer option) runs off propane, and looks brand new.
so im guessing thats why there are two.
it also has a stove in it.

Stuart

Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:00 pm

as far as making me a bad person to deal with buying and selling is my forte, so you guys havent taught me anything new yet. keep it coming though...:lol:

MORE PICTURES!

Busdaddy, there are a few of the gas heater, and whoever was flippin about the door, theres a few of that too....

Gas Heater Gauge right?

Speedo actually has 73K not 23K

The propane heater, stock, not aftermarket apparently

The begining of my interior pictures, ill put more up later, its time for HW!

Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:38 pm

i would say the door guards look original. they match the door curve perfectly. the gauge you think is for the gas heater, is a tachometer.

Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:40 pm

Buy it and sell those "rare" door guards for $300 :lol:

Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:54 pm

maybe i will sell em. if they get in the way, they are gone.

thats what i thought. but the owner said he used it for the gas heater. and it says like UTM xRPM or something instead of rpm x100 etc

Stuart

Tue Apr 13, 2010 4:14 pm

Looks like a great deal. Those giving you a hard time about the price are jealous of your deal. At 17 you can handle your wheeling and dealing just fine. Go get that baby! You'll have a lot of fun with it and when you move out of your parents place you'll have a good cheap place to live. That's what I did at your age...for 10 years. Great times. If you don't like the bus then sell that baby for all you can get out of it. You'll be just fine. Looking forward to seeing more pics.

Tue Apr 13, 2010 5:58 pm

i checked with the owner, and he said he doesnt know if the van was painted again, or whether its original paint. guessing the top and bumpers indicate a respray? the floors match the body, so same color and all.

Stuart

more pics to come

Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:45 am

I GOT IT!

final price: 300

we (dad n me) went over to the guys house. he was ready to sell it, had both itles (one for the westy, one for the 82 320I bmw) and we gave him 300 cash, and he gave us keys and the titles. turns out the guy kept the westy tabed all the time, so it has current tags on it till july 2010. so i tryed to start it using a jumper battery, turns out i forgot to charge that one :oops:

so i took my three bad batteries down to pull a part (local junkyard) and gave them two (cores) and payed 31.50 for two used batteries. took then back, put one in the bus. squirted some started fluid down the intake.....and it fires right up! :D 8) we left it to idle.....

walk over to the bmw, did the same thing, it started right up too!!! :D
we go back over to the bus and try to move it (this bus has been sitting for 3 years i found out) and the guy left the parking brake on...dun dun dun..... so both rear brakes froze up. i proceeded to go forward and backward and finally popped it loose by rocking it.

drove it straight to the car wash! :lol:

cleaned up very nice after a 17 dollar wash (do it yourself timer etc)

(later did the same thing with the bmw, but we all know the westy is the main character here.....)

accidentally got some water in the intake (air filter was temporarily off), ran across the street, got a new cap (they didnt have a rotor or coil) and some starting fluid and a blade screwdriver. ran back to the bus and dad. put on the new cap, scraped the old rotor clean, and starting fluid into the intake, eventually puffs back to life again.

drive it down to the gas station, fill'er up with a tank full of premium, and some gas stabilizer (only had a 1/8 tank left) (gas gauge works great!)

drove it home! Yee Haw!!!

ill add some pictures of the cars later, before the wash and after.

Stuart

Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:54 am

Congrats!

Please change all of the fuel lines before you drive it anymore. You are brave for driving it home on old fuel lines/brake lines IMO.

Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:58 am

I forgot to say something about that....lol

i am planning on doing a tune up and oil change and fuel line replacement today.

on my list:

new parts: coil, rotor, plug wires, plugs, points, condensor, oil and filter, foel lines, and porlly vaccuum hoses too

tune: valves, check timing, and points

Clean: interior, and engine really well, then wash and wax the outside again. (hey vdubtech, are you busy? :D)

And a few other things...

Stuart

Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:39 am

Save your old coil if you insist on purchasing a new one. Since it obviously still works. I would wait on a new coil and go with electronic ignition instead. Add an air filter to your list.

Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:41 am

i think the air filters fine, thats why i didnt add it. but ill double check.

also, the coil i have gives off a orange spark and i want a nice purple/ blue spark, but i am going to keep it as a spare.

Stuart

Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:24 pm

Did an oil change, checked the fuel lines, and am going to be replacing the batteries (both shot, currently have the new one out of the bmw in it to drive it around) the thing drives like a dream. had an issue with the gears being very hard to shift into. while waiting for my sister to get into the car, i started fiddling with the clutch, and realized i had 4 inches of play in the top. so when i got home, i fixed that in about 5 minutes. then the car was idling and it died. long story short, the car was pull started, driven about a block (wouldnt idle at all) we lost power and coasted to the side of the street. eventually made it back home via other family members cars, and grabbed the new bmw's battery, and installed it in the bus, a bit of starting fluid and the thing runs great. get home. double check to see if i could find the power drain, and noticed i had left the AC power switch on ](*,) turned that off, took off the battery cable, and touched it to the batt, no sparks = no drain on the battery. should be good for now. gonna go purchase two new batteries, a deep cycle for the Accesories and a high capacity for the power to the engine. should work pretty well after that. at the same time i plan on putting in a one way switch on the acc. battery to keep it from draining the power from my starting battery. after that, its time to tackle a stripped altenator bolt (plan to weld a nut onto it and wrench it off) and replace the belt to make the alternator work better. after thats all done, this thing should be good. oh yeah, and replace the fuel lines ASAP. and get a fire exstiguisher. after my bug died this last weekend, im kinda freeked to have not had a exstiquisher. lucky me i had new gas lines and such and nothing cought fire, but it did smoke like hell when all the oil flew out the case and landed on the exhaust :shock: . some scary times right there.

i had the bus in school today in advanced Automotive and got the bus on a lift and did the oil change, and tok 20 pics or so of the underside. the thing is in GREAT condition. cant wait to get my licence and drive it all the time. :D

ill keep the updates coming. and yeah, im working on more pictures.

Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:25 pm

Forgot to mention, my mom decided to name her Maisy, and it reminds her of the corn meal stuff maize and maisy rhymed with daisy.