TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:12 pm

Ok, I'm frustrated. And confused :)

Here's my BD

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/index.php?alert+200404111107479456

Am I crazy or am I asking too much? What's wrong with it? Or should I just forget selling it and restore it? I want to buy an airbagged, ready to drive Panel (hence me selling the BD).

Any tips/suggestions?

Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:28 pm

Big - yes. Ugly - yes! A bumper... Looks more like a railing from an upper balcony hotel room.

If that thing comes off with out destroying the front of the bus you should do OK. :)

Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:43 pm

After seeing in person the BD's I've seen sell the last couple of years, I would have to say yours looks like a good 4K bus!

Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:56 pm

I think that bus will be kind of hard to sell because it is a little past where it could be a good OG ride so it needs to be restored. it will cost $10k-$15k to restore it. anyone who has $15-$20k has a lot better options in the barndoor department, so you need to apeal to the dreamer with some cash. usually those dreamers who are willing to tackle this type of project don't have more than $2-$3k (that is if they even have $1k). the people who have $4-$6k usually want a better base to start with or a rarer one with some options or something special.

also, panelvans are cool as hell, but their appeal to the masses is limited, so your target market is smaller than even a 21 window or a doublecab even though it is a barndoor.

the cut windows are one of the biggest devalueing things to this bus.

Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:28 pm

I will fill in the panels. The story behind them is, there were 2 old BD's sold at the same time (the other one here is local, very close Vin #'s), and the people who bought them had them installed as kits.

Also, the big bumpers will be coming off. They are pretty easy to remove (taking things off is eaassy).

I should also clean it up a bit more, as some of it looks really great, and some looks not so good :)

For all the talk about rarity of BD's, I don't think they are expensive at all. They're rare, but not worth much money. I don't think my heart is into a restoration of a 50 year old bus (I did my oval, took 7 years).

We shall see, this is my moment of weakness I guess. Either I push hard to sell it now, or just keep it and fix it :) (I think I'm leaning towards fixit as it's not going to sell, and I've already started working on it).

Thanks for the tips!

Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:36 pm

Lind wrote:
also, panelvans are cool as hell, but their appeal to the masses is limited, so your target market is smaller than even a 21 window or a doublecab even though it is a barndoor.

Soo true. A 21/23 seems much more appealing than a BD Panel/Kombi/whatever I have :)

Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:38 pm

Quote: Also, the big bumpers will be coming off. They are pretty easy to remove (taking things off is eaassy).

You might get more interest if they were already gone. That front set-up nasty lookin'.

Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:02 am

As others i think the bus would sell easier if you lost the balcony from the front and maybe filled the windows. I think the bus would sell for more than you are asking in the UK. If you really want to sell why not try to advertise it over there/here. I say keep it and restore it, if the underside is solid, there cant be that much work.
Good luck whatever you decide.
SIMON

Mon Apr 12, 2004 4:39 am

you need more pictures of the areas you mention as being good. you need interior sshots of the cab, cargo area, engine compartment etc. put them on this website. e.mail more pictures to people who request them.

i agree, the holes in the side are a minus. it'll be hard to get them to go away on both the interior and exterior of the bus.

Mon Apr 12, 2004 4:47 am

spookymulder wrote: After seeing in person the BD's I've seen sell the last couple of years, I would have to say yours looks like a good 4K bus!

Sounds to be in the range of the 2.5-3K (or 5K Canadian) that I mentioned previous- In comparison- the Merc. BD went for what 8K? (to the UK) and was OG, logo'd, slammed (thou if it wasn't it might have went for more- but not to the UK) and was a turn-key bus.

Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:21 am

another thing is patience. most buses sell eventually. there have been buses with over 25,000 hits on them that evetually sold.

Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:14 am

Rusting Hulk wrote: I say keep it and restore it, if the underside is solid, there cant be that much work.
Good luck whatever you decide.
SIMON

I'm pulling the ad. I'll fix it and restore it as I like. Just needed some motivation I guess.

The rocker will be in this week. And I've found 4 NOS brake cylinders, and various brake parts. The engine seems to be good, but I have a good running 1500 in any case. Any luck, it should be rollling in a few months :)

Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:29 am

i'm thinking about pulling my ad down too. it looks like i'm in pretty good shape with my homebuying process. plus i've been driving the bus. once i start driving something, i have a hard time letting go of the wheel.

Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:45 am

Your bus is crazy nice. :) (Except the taillights, dont' hurt me!)

My bus is at the, 'oh man, what have I started here' stage. I think I'm over that part, now it's to the pragmatic, 'let's get at 'er!'

Which is good, because my Oval stayed in the first stage for 3-4 years :)

Mon Apr 12, 2004 12:06 pm

eh0s wrote: Rusting Hulk wrote: I say keep it and restore it, if the underside is solid, there cant be that much work.
Good luck whatever you decide.
SIMON

I'm pulling the ad. I'll fix it and restore it as I like. Just needed some motivation I guess.

The rocker will be in this week. And I've found 4 NOS brake cylinders, and various brake parts. The engine seems to be good, but I have a good running 1500 in any case. Any luck, it should be rollling in a few months :)

Here's an idea: put a Dormobile top on it! :lol:

Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:08 pm

KEEP YOUR BARNDOORS!!!!!!!!!

Laydo

Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:51 pm

YES PLEASE KEEP IT, and keep it stock, you can always buy a POS to slam and......

Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:39 pm

Yup, keeping it for sure now. I went and checked it out underneath, SUPER solid. Nothing needs replacing, just a good cleaning.

And I think I will keep the side windows till the VERY last step before paint. I kinda like them. They're older than I am!

Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:26 pm

eh0s wrote: Your bus is crazy nice. :) (Except the taillights, dont' hurt me!)

yes, those tail lights suck! european early buses that had been kept on the road had larger tail lights hacked in more often than not.

i hacked out some barndoor metal out of my scrap heap, cut some holes in them, dropped in repro bubble tail lights and screwed it to the bus. better than it was, i just couldnt take it out like that.