TheSamba.com :: View topic - New prospective owner looking for buying advice

Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:11 pm

Hello! My name is Andrew. Lately I have been debating selling my 2013 6 cylinder Mustang to purchase my dream car. A Bay window tin roof camper. I come here looking for advice, like knowing what to look for price points etc. all I'm really looking at currently is 1. Not a pop top. 2. No/minimal rust. And 3. A decent engine. I'm an aircraft maintainer so learning to work on a VW engine doesn't seem like it would be a problem. Does anyone out there have any advice that a prospective new VW owner NEEDS to know? Or should know. Such as what years should I look at? Should I consider getting a passenger bus then converting it into a tin roof camper. Which engines are better/more reliable. I'm not in a rush. Thank you all!

Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:36 pm

My sense is this is kinda a loaded question and it certainly will be buyer beware. New paint and undercoating may mean bondo cover. Most would probably concede the late bay 2.0 to be the best (76-79) but wouldn't pass up a nice earlier bay if it met the other criteria. How would you feel about a repower with a Subaru engine? Is this a daily driver? Cross country cruiser?

My advice would be to find a good aircooled mechanic near you and chat it up. When you find a candidate run it by that mechanic first or post it on here and see what folks say.

Good luck!

Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:41 pm

Hi there and welcome. My advice is to look all over the USA for the best 1971 tin top camper you can find. It will probably cost you about $20k. I know your mustang won't sell for that but keep in mind that when you go to sell the bus in a few years it will be worth more, rather than less.

You'll get someone following me that will provide lots of useful info. Pay attention to it and learn as much as you can. Don't make assumptions without asking us first. We've learned from our mistakes and you can benefit from that.

Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:52 pm

Shinnlinger:
Yeah sorry I didn't mean to make a loaded question I was just looking for people advice, personal opinions and experience. Since this will be my only vehicle it will be my daily driver/if I need to go anywhere driver. And I'm not sure what type of engine I would want I didn't even know they were throwing suby engines into VWs now.

Aeromech:
Is there a reason why the 1971 over the others? And I am definitely aware that this is an investment but my mustang should cover about 75% of it.. hopefully!

Thank you both very much!

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:01 pm

Hard for me to give full details using my iPhone but I believe the '71 was the best year.

Why do you want a tin top camper? You can have a bus with a fold down bed in back without all the usual camper cabinets. Less crab to haul and rattle around in a daily driver.

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:08 pm

My girlfriend and I enjoy car camping. Also I don't think I'm looking for full on camper like if it doesn't have the sink and cabinets that's fine I'm really looking for the bed in the back the bench seat and the seat behind the driver seat. Does that set up have a different name?

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:26 pm

Welcome to TheSamba, Bay Window Bus Forum!

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:28 pm

Z bed

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:36 pm

Here's a bus with a Z bed and doesn't have all the cabinets

Here's a pic of my old bus. The center seat comes out and the rear seat folds down.

Be aware that there are two different folding seats and both are called Z beds. One is wood and usually comes in a camper. The other is a metal kit that allows the stock rear seat to be modified to fold down.

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:36 pm

Yeah a zbed hopefully I fit on it

AND SICK A VIDEO THANKS! I'll watch it after work :)

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:39 pm

Here's a pic of Steve Kent's Z bed conversion

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:43 pm

Here's a link for 1971 buses for sale

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php...ton=Search

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:44 pm

did someone say sooobaahhrooo?

the 71 is the "holy grail" early bay....first year of power disc brakes and last year of the (cheaper) "bug" style T1 engine.

that said, don't pigeon hole yourself to 1 year. 72's are kind of a "black sheep" and really aren't all that desirable....that was the first year of the T4 engine and has no access panel to work on them making them a real pain in the ass to service.

buy a CLEAN bus. a decent runner will be in the 8-10K range, but it will need a ton of work. 20K should buy you a nice bus, but trust me, it will still need work.

not to piss on your parade, but the cost of ownership is just plain expensive...yes, some stuff can be had at a reasonable price, but parts add up quick. these aren't cheap to own....but most of the cost is kicking out the 40+years of shitty repairs. a top tier bus will be well north of 25K, but will be the cream of the crop.

don't fall for the "it's only 4K, I got a good deal on it" mindset....true those deals are out there where you may score, but your average 4k bus will need another 10K put into it to make it safe/reliable. a new engine/transmission will be an ez 8-10K by the time you hit the key....full brake job with quality parts, wheel bearings etc etc is a quick 500 up in smoke...

not trying to deter you, but just be realistic about it.

do you have a budget in mind? that is the first place to start. I wouldn't dump the mudstain until you got something reliable going. if your plan is to cash out of the floord and buy a bus, it's a bad move.....you need something reliable until you get a bus in good working order

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:47 pm

Here ya go

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1970192

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:51 pm

My first one was a '71 Westy tin top...

It was great both for camping and as a daily driver. The engine was easy to work on, even for this neophyte, and it was an all-around blast to drive. Memories of that one are what spurred me to buy another one last year, although it's a '76.

It's amazing to think they sell for $20k now. I paid 1/10th that in 1984.

Edit: The best reason for owning a '71? In California, ya don't need to pass a friggin' smog test! \:D/

Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:56 pm

Oh wow that looks at least like a full

Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:02 pm

That's a beautiful bus man! I am expecting to pay about 20k for one, I have accepted this fate and I do live in California so the no smog is really smart! Smog testing is a hassle thanks for the all the input so far guys! Y'all rock!

Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:08 pm

You're a mechanic. You can fix almost anything except rust. Find a rust free bus. Or close to rust free.

Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:13 pm

Skils@eurocarsplus:
Thank you for the realism! My starting budget is/ at 15k my main deal is that the body is in good condition the engine and transmission are solid and the interior is good. I can fix the brakes tires and paint myself. I'm slowly realizing I should up it to 20k, just to be sure I have a vehicle that can still take me to work. But thank you for throwing realism into the mix

Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:22 pm

Alright, Tcash sharing the welcome video!
Please be wise and know that shiny paint and price margin are not always true representations of what an individual is purchasing. I like to think of it as a relationship, first impressions are important, but make sure it "feels" right. Good luck hunting! Welcome to the community.