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78 tin top what do you see
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mfemenel
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:52 am    Post subject: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

I'm going to take a look at this later today. tell me what you see in the pics. Owners are retired couple about an hour north of me, will get details on the history tonight.

https://greensboro.craigslist.org/cto/d/lexington-1978-volkswagen-van-bus/7334120604.html

The good:
Run/drives stops
Has clean title
original FI is still there(I have a 79 with FI)
Passenger floor looks good, maybe a spot in the back by the windows
All glass is there and looks good

The bad:
Driver side door bottom
Inside driver step
Rear under tail light so I'll assume battery tray
What is under the rubber floormat up front?
Hanging 'wires to nowhere' under steering column
Holes where outside mirrors used to be
driver side rocker
dent in sliding door lower right
headliner
general assumptions it needs seals for all/most of the glass.
Unless documented I'll just assume that's 188k, not 88k

Other things I see:
can't tell what those tires are, may not be right.
check if it's a CA or Federal (not necessarily bad)
The horrible 'hide rust' paint job is probably covering bad bondo and/or more rust.
Small lump on lower passenger door
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Jetfxr69
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:14 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

They sure are proud of the jack arent they? Seems a bit strong on price from what I see. Thats a shitty cover up paint job which looks to be covering shitty rust and rot cover up. They claim underside is good, then why no pics?

Im thinking $3-5000 on that one. And thats only if the motor is a solid runner and doesnt need work as well. Sure, they say it runs and stops, but that could mean anything, including substantial repairs.

Hell, you own a bus. You know what is a hang up or not. Are you sure you want toa ask for opinions in here?
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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:29 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

looks good at 35ft

but I'm not sure it's worth that much if you are planning on getting any closer to it.

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TDCTDI
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:23 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

The rust streaking out from under the windows tells me that it’s gonna be ugly underneath.
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ImAddicted
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:30 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

I was offered $7k for mine (‘79) a month ago, which I thought was high. Probably should have taken it and never looked back lol. Similar situation as this one - obvious, not well-done color change, some body issues. Though, in my case all the windows have been pulled, rust addressed, new seals, tires, brakes, etc.lower miles (~60k actual) and mine has been modified to suit me so not quite apples to apples.

Looking at that bus, if you did your own work, your looking a couple $1000 just in tires, seals, stopping, hoses, etc. no engine pics so who knows there. If it was a Westy, yup, that wouldn’t be crazy money. I know Hagerty puts it right at that price for condition 4 and 7 passenger. IMHO, with everything else ok after crawling under it, checking the engine, $5k. If that motor is tired (80k, probably), all bets are off unless you plan to drop $$ into either a quality rebuild or a swap. You easily could be $25k into it to make an $18k bus. Or you could be $10k into it for a $7k bus. All really depends on your skill level, how much of a perfectionist you are, and what your end game is. I’m at $3500 total invested n mine including $500 purchase price, but after 10 years it doesn’t look any better than that one Smile
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aeromech
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:20 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

I’d say run up there and buy it
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:32 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

The small lump on the slider door is where the door fell off and hit the ground. 🤘
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CessnaJon
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:46 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

That poor bus. It was worth $2000 before they painted over the rust in that unsavory color.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:54 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

Sus Scrofa and Chanel #5

Maybe it was born with it....maybe its Baybeline
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:25 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

airschooled wrote:
The small lump on the slider door is where the door fell off and hit the ground. 🤘

So you are implying the slider track may have been compromised? Razz

There's a whole lot of demons lurking in the lower extremities of that one, careful when kicking or a slab of filler might fall out and injure your toe. Wink
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:11 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

busdaddy wrote:
airschooled wrote:
The small lump on the slider door is where the door fell off and hit the ground. 🤘

So you are implying the slider track may have been compromised? Razz

There's a whole lot of demons lurking in the lower extremities of that one, careful when kicking or a slab of filler might fall out and injure your toe. Wink


Steel toe boots only when inspecting busses for sale any more.
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:35 am    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

I see a bus I probably wouldnt take for $500. The bottom 1/4 looks gone.

Did they paint the engine lid shut or something? Looks like it hasnt been opened since a 3 year old painted the bus using dried up house paint smeared on with his hands.
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Cap10323
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:43 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

I agree with everybody else, that bus has like 5 gallons of bondo covering up some serious body rot. Covered up with a cheap, ugly paint job.
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TDCTDI
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition.
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mfemenel
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:33 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

TDCTDI wrote:
Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition.

Yep. And there aren't many of them to be found.
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TDCTDI
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:39 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

mfemenel wrote:
TDCTDI wrote:
Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition.

Yep. And there aren't many of them to be found.



Aaand, unless you scored it, it’s gone.
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GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


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Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.
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mfemenel
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:51 pm    Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see Reply with quote

TDCTDI wrote:
mfemenel wrote:
TDCTDI wrote:
Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition.

Yep. And there aren't many of them to be found.



Aaand, unless you scored it, it’s gone.


I got it Very Happy

It actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. It needs a few things to make it safe (like the battery falling through the hole) but it ran/drive/stopped just fine. It'll drive on and off the truck which I'm thankful for.
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