i need help with a 72!

[uncooljesse]

hey everyone. my friend has a bay window that he's trying to get rid of. and i have my eye on it. but i dont know if its worth what he's asking.

he's got a 72 deluxe walk-thru bus. its in all original condition. the body seems to be solid with only some cancer on the passenger side door. very minimal though. the paint is dull and original. it seems to be solid over all. he mentioned the motor being a 1700cc motor which was rebuilt and with having the carbs rebuilt.

he's asking $1500 bucks for it. im fairly sure i can grab it for $1000 though. is it worth it?

my friend which is a volkswagen mechanic says that 72 is when the bays' started going down hill. is this true? some one helP!!!!!!



thanks,

jessie.

[Amskeptic]

[Brian Bower]

I agree with Colin, that was the year things got more power.I have a 72-73 and a 79 ,the power is great for pushing those bricks around. If you can pick up a clean 72 with a rebuilt motor for a grand I would say it is a good buy. Let's see some pict's !
Karl on the east coast

[penthink]

Jessie,

Just some perspective. I recently paid $1800 for a 72 with a rebuilt engine and new carbs, but that needed floor pan replacement, a headliner, interior work, and rear brakes. And I feel like I scored big time.

No matter what you do with buses, you're going to be able to find someone who will tell you you're an idiot for even considering whatever you're considering.

Do you like the bus? Do you have a spare $1000? Do you enjoy working on cars? Do you enjoy a vehicle that gets you waves everywhere you go, but that is decidedly quirky and, as compared with today's monster engines, underpowered?

I'm not sure what your friend means by "downhill." There are a lot of folks that are terrified by the "pancake" engines and so rather than learn about them, they vilify them. Ignore them. If I can learn about these things, anyone can. Go for it man. At the least, get it running, drive it across country, and I'll reimburse you your $1000 and you can fly home with some travel under your belt!

Best of luck!

Mike
_________________
www.mainesaltwater.com

[VWBusrepairman]

[BryanM]

What everyone else here has failed to mention is that 72(some say 71) is when busses start getting more expensive to fix. However, the bus you have described seems to be a killer deal that is well worth it.
Many describe this year as downhill because as I said, it is when parts start getting more expensive and styling starts getting bland, in some folks opinion.
If you get a Bently manual and learn to do a great deal of mechanical work yourself then you can cut down on the expense and probably end up with a reliable mode of transportation that you know inside and out.
Original paint is nice and lack of severe rust is a dream. good luck
_________________
-Bryan

Motorwagen LLC
Concord NC

[penthink]

[Hippopotabus]

[TheBeast]

Only things not admirable about 72's IMO:

-No engine access lid to those needy dual carbs (you'll just need to get flexible).
-old-style steering box (you'll get bigger arms)

the admirable:

-solid and OG paint
-classy looking bumpers
-1700's are robust


you should jump on it for a G!
_________________
1963 Anthracite Beetle 1776 w/ 34pict
1979 Bus Westfalia- Sage green w/ fancy stripes
1978 Bus - Sunroof model
1970 Beetle Convertible
1982 Rabbit Pick-up
1984 Vanagon Westfalia

[sluggo]

[VWBusMan1]

a '72.5 Westy that was pimped by the prior owner (no metal cut thankfully) and I put a slightly modified engine 2L+ 911 engine in it. It rocks and is the best performing bay I've ever had. And, tho I'd like to have that door over the engine like my '79 has, I haven't found it a problem at all. And, I wouldn't own a bay that didn't have power disk brakes. My '68 was too hard to stop to keep.

Enjoy, that sounds like a steal, Mark
_________________
'79 Beige Westy, Deluxe, 2L, FI (4 sale on Samba)
Honda CB 350 (mostly chained to my fence)
2 good feet for '58s

[penthink]

[BryanM]

[vwbusbusvw]

ANY bus that runs, drives, and has minimal cancer for a grand is a steal in California... better hurry and grab it...
_________________
1994 Dodge Neon w/supercharged 1500dp

OMVWC

[Hippopotabus]

One nice thing about your 72 is that you won't have to smog it. Exempt!! SO go ahead and drop in that 2.2L with a FI CI system.
_________________
Celer, Silens, Letalis
www.2dreconbn.net

[MrBreeze]

[VWBusrepairman]

honestly, one doesn't need to be a mechanic to maintain a bus. you must have a mechanically oriented way of thinking. If you can read, you can repair. you need tools and the faith that you can do it.

I had a '72 and I used a foam pad for lying on the ground to do repairs. It was also used as a knee pad for bending into the engine bay (for the lack of trap door as mentioned above).

It's the old style bumper with the new engine...new tail lights, but pretty much looks like the older buses. I'd hop on it if you're up for a challenge and want a nice ride. Sounds like a deal. We need photos.

[Thirstytank]

I lucked out with my 72 because someone already hacked (kinda poorly) in a removable hatch into my Riviera. In fact, I just did the fiberglass work on it this weekend. That will make life easy when I put the engine back in.
_________________
Ryan

1985 Vanagon Westfalia
https://www.facebook.com/VanagonMorrison

[sluggo]

[Amskeptic]