TheSamba.com :: View topic - Worried about these rust / body filler spots

Sun Nov 09, 2025 12:07 pm

jtyler10 wrote: the bus needs: heat tubes, AC fixed, and a right wiper

The bus had a brand new: alternator and cooling boot, starter, both carbs rebuilt, tail lights, lots of rear wiring, electronic dist rebuilt, new front breaks, and 1 new break line
Carbs = the original FI is gone
Electronic distributor = cheap aftermarket SVDA with module.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 12:28 pm

Glenn wrote: jtyler10 wrote: the bus needs: heat tubes, AC fixed, and a right wiper

The bus had a brand new: alternator and cooling boot, starter, both carbs rebuilt, tail lights, lots of rear wiring, electronic dist rebuilt, new front breaks, and 1 new break line
Carbs = the original FI is gone
Electronic distributor = cheap aftermarket SVDA with module.

I could be wrong, but I think FI was introduced in 74 for the Cali market only, and 75 was the year it became standard for all markets. The dual carb setup c/be stock. But it also depends on what 'rebuilt' means.

As aeromech pointed out, the scariest pictures are of the flaking body filler. But who am I to judge if this is what's in his budget, and it's what he wants.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 2:14 pm

if you knock the bondo off, the metal under it will likely need to be replaced.if the price is right and you are looking for a project and want to learn some new skills then go for it,most every thing that needs to be done to maintain those vehicles you will have to do yourself.
that paint job looks like poor job done quickly,and what I would be concerned with,is that the pictures don’t show all the problem areas where rust is normally found,.
when you look at it take a car guy/girl along,check for rust at the rear conerrs,inside and out,check both rocker panels ,crawl under it with a good light and check the rockers ,cross members and jack points ,check the frame where the rear torsion bar attaches the torsion bar tube can and often do rust there,also check behind the front wheels,and also where the frame meets the front ,check the front end torsion bar tubes and the the shock tower for rust.

check this for pictures.here a quick search in the gallery https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php...t_dir=DESC
this from the build thread https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657433

Sun Nov 09, 2025 6:41 pm

My 68 came with tons and I mean tons of Bondo cracks. It was everywhere except maybe the driver's side.

I have spent many hours undoing all the Bondo. Shoddy body work all the way down and incredibly everywhere. And where I think it ends it continues. Thankfully most of the metal underneath is good but my rear corners are beat to hell, and I should honestly replace the passenger side. It's a mess. But hey...4,000 dollars for a complete (mostly) westy was hard to pass up.

I haven't tackled the lower portion of my nose because that will definitely require replacement metal. There's already a giant chunk of bondo missing.

Avoid the rusty ones if you don't like spending the time doing body work.

I personally do what I can and enjoy driving it.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 6:48 pm

If you buy a mig welder as well as several other sheet metal tools and learn how to use them then it’s feasible. Otherwise you’ll wait months or years and pay through the nose to bring this bus back

Sun Nov 09, 2025 7:00 pm

More horror. This is that same 1968 bus from above. The owner bought the bus cheap. He had it sprayed and beautified but didn’t fix the underlying rust which was smoothed out with bondo. Enjoy.

These are taken a few years after I did roughly $20k in mechanical work to this bus including

New big engine
New tranny
Propane heater
Power brakes
Sway bars
Etc

Done with photobombing

Sun Nov 09, 2025 7:55 pm

since nobody else has come out and said it, i will:
sorry OP, but that bus is an obvious pile of shit. don't buy it.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 9:40 pm

if it's cheap enough and solid enough and you want it bad enough then go for it.

it's "driver quality" meaning you park it at the store and if a shopping cart hits it, you don't have a stroke

if you want a museum piece, this is 100% NOT that bus.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 10:22 pm

It may be driver quality today but in a few years it won’t be

Sun Nov 09, 2025 10:42 pm

To the Original Poster....where are you in this fine country? I hope it's not any where near or in the rust belt. If so that Bus is likely waaaay worse than it looks.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 11:25 pm

Op wants to own it forever.

That’s a poor starting point.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 3:34 am

Abscate wrote: aeromech wrote: skills@eurocarsplus wrote: if it's cheap enough and solid enough and you want it bad enough then go for it.

it's "driver quality" meaning you park it at the store and if a shopping cart hits it, you don't have a stroke

if you want a museum piece, this is 100% NOT that bus. It may be driver quality today but in a few years it won’t be Op wants to own it forever.

That’s a poor starting point.

Then this is the Bus you want....

https://ccpauctions.hibid.com/lot/270773922
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=538008&start=160

What the difference between a $5000 Bus and a $30,000 Bus?

Answer.... $40,000.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 11:07 am

aeromech wrote: It may be driver quality today but in a few years it won’t be

I would argue any "daily driver" isn't in as good of shape as it was years into the future

use them up, that's what they're for

anyone thinking that these are worth what they were 6-8 years ago is delusional , and same goes if you think the value will rebound.

That bus Glenn posted? bet you 10 bux that it won't sell for anything near what was invested

Mon Nov 10, 2025 11:20 am

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: That bus Glenn posted? bet you 10 bux that it won't sell for anything near what was invested
Oh it's a bargain for the buyer that realizes it and has the cash to pony up.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 11:47 am

Without knowing more about the prospective buyer of this bus it's hard to speculate if it's worth it to him. I agree as a "forever" bus, this is not it. Does the buyer have any mechanical and body work experience? Will his finances support the outlay necessary to get this bus where he wants it? I have owned 5 buses in my life, and every time I bought one I tried to get a better condition one body wise than I had before it. My advice to this buyer would be to get as dry a bus as possible and to get a type 1 powered bus. The type 1 will be a little more user friendly to work on and learn and less expensive with more parts support. Stay away from rust buckets.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 8:32 pm

Bring a magnet when you go see the bus, OP.

Take the magnet to everything. Rockers, nose, rear corners, etc.

Speaking of rust, I unbolted my pedal pan today because yesterday the bus spontaneously stopped going into 1 and 2 after going in reverse. Turned out the stop plate somehow got moved. But anyway i unbolted the pan today to just double check everything. While i was down there i poked at a rusty spot under the nose/inner valence. My finger went straight through. A hole as big as half my pinky finger. Oh well. It’ll get fixed right soon enough. Add it to the list.

Tue Nov 11, 2025 8:45 am

Just my 2 cents; late bays are, without a doubt, the hardest Buses to restore when it comes to metal work. I'd rather restore a Split, Vanagon or early Bay than get into something like what the OP is showing.

Between the body, color and what's been modified, that would not be a Bus I'd want.

Tue Nov 11, 2025 3:56 pm

just so everyone knows I told that guy I wasn't interested due to the amount of Bondo, i appreciate everyone's advice, looking at a different one now that is Bondo free and super light on rust!

Tue Nov 11, 2025 4:12 pm

Good job and thanks for asking us for advice.

Tue Nov 11, 2025 8:01 pm

jtyler10 wrote: just so everyone knows I told that guy I wasn't interested due to the amount of Bondo, i appreciate everyone's advice, looking at a different one now that is Bondo free and super light on rust!

Glad to see you came back! The dialogue may seem fiesty, but it's only because folks here don't want to see you get burned.

To provide you with better guidance, it would be helpful to understand your vision, and of course, a concept of what you want to spend.