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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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 Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:46 am Post subject: Quick help for a friend: is this car worth the price? 1954 |
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my buddy who isnt a samba member is very interested in this bug....
id like some input on the car, the deal etc....
owner wants $9000
thank you for your time.
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fearny
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2007
Posts: 56
Location: Oxfordshire, England
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:03 am Post subject: |
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| Over here that would easily fetch what he's asking for it, i'm not sure about prices over there though! |
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thebucket
Samba Stockbroker
Joined: April 06, 2004
Posts: 3734
Location: Houston Texas
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:23 am Post subject: |
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| yeah it does look like it was hit.... but owner says original fenders |
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Corwin
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2007
Posts: 798
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:49 am Post subject: |
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| has semaphores or no? I assume so but can't see them in the pic... |
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| yes its a 54, so it does, owner says they are working. |
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steven wood
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 1647
Location: Virginia, NOT West Virginia!
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:30 am Post subject: |
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What does your friend plan on doing to it? $9,000 is ok, a little on the high side but if he plans on sinking a ton of money into it he will never get it back out of it if he decides to sell. For me, for that price everything better work properly and have no problems. I don't think ovals are a good "investment", but if he understands that, go for it.
Atleast it's a semaphore car and it has the correct taillights. If the car has the "original" fenders, check the wheels to see if there original. |
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| ^^good points, this seems like the type of car where you drive it the way it is and just enjoy it... as mentioned i dont think its smart buying a car for 9k then putting more money into it. |
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steven wood
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 1647
Location: Virginia, NOT West Virginia!
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:51 am Post subject: |
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| If it was me and paid $9,000 for it. I would lower it and do a low budget suspension build. Try to keep the investment under $10K. How are the brakes, hoses, wheel cylinders, etc. Thats probably $300 or so. As soon as I bought my "driving" split, I went to load my new car on the trailer and I blew out a wheel cylinder. The snow ball effect and I ended up replacing all of the brakes. Which is a good idea but not money I was planning on spending before I had fun driving it. |
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:53 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
You will not be disappointed... CLEAN !!! 1954 Euro bug, have Belgium paperwork from import in 66's by USAF member, real nice bug, no rust issues, real clean pan, clean battery and heater boxes, new 6V battery, working semaphores, nice heart tail lights with egg shaped lower lights (must be the Euro version), new rubber throughout car. Radio delete panel on dash large mouth gas tank with correct cap.
Original front fenders, No turn signals added. Has a little repair in front well well from past bump on one side, repaired nicely, Nice replacement taupe OEM type interior, runs really well, low miles on engine rebuild. Been stored for years (close to twenty) will clean up and show real well. brakes are good could use an adjustment. A couple minor scratches on very good paint.
If your looking for a 100 point car or 100% original look elsewhere, they run 35K...nice daily driver. I am not expert but I've tried to describe it as I know it. It is straight, no rust through anywhere. Nice car. Current CA registration tags. So look it over. If your going to try to deal before you see this car...go somewhere else your wasting everyones time. And I view my time as important |
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steven wood
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 1647
Location: Virginia, NOT West Virginia!
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Been stored for 20 years? or was it stored for 20 years before he bought it and made it a driver? If it's been sitting, it needs all new brakes, axle boots, wiring cleaned up so the connections are clean so you can actually see the light bulbs light up, tires?, check and see if the steering box is holding fluid and seals are not rotted, stuff like that. Maybe if he sees that it's going to take money to be a driver, he can come off $500 or $1,000 |
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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| ^^ very true, i think it was sitting for 20, THEN he bought it. |
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steven wood
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 1647
Location: Virginia, NOT West Virginia!
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| brakes worked on my split until I hit them loading it on the trailer and I blew a wheel cylinder. Just something to think about, especially if your friend is on a budget and wants to have fun driving it as soon as he gets it. |
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Corwin
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2007
Posts: 798
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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This suprises me. At least in our area that would be a pretty good deal. I've seen them go for that much completely bastardized on new pans, etc.
Huh... |
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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| surprises you that it hasnt sold or that the members are doubting the price? |
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Corwin
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2007
Posts: 798
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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| That people are on the fence that it's worth it or not. I think it is for sure. |
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johnshenry 
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001
Posts: 9363
Location: Northwood, NH USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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From what I see, it looks like a $9000 ballpark. I don't see much "molestation" for a car that old. I WOULD want to poke the bottoms of the heater channels and doors with a plastic stick however. Everything in the pics "looks" solid.
To Steven's point however, it is both priced and condition-wise on that hairy line. A good freshen-up-mechanically and drive car, for $9k SURE! A $9k resto basis, probably not. Easy resto for sure, but paint is paint and upholstery upholstery... you'll be in it for $10-$15k more if you want to do it right...
Again though, looks like a nice car.....
_________________
John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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TheVintageVw
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 654
Location: Porter Ranch California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| do you guys know if its an original color? i know its a repaint but OG color? |
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Corwin
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2007
Posts: 798
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steven wood
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 1647
Location: Virginia, NOT West Virginia!
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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| johnshenry wrote: |
From what I see, it looks like a $9000 ballpark. I don't see much "molestation" for a car that old. I WOULD want to poke the bottoms of the heater channels and doors with a plastic stick however. Everything in the pics "looks" solid.
To Steven's point however, it is both priced and condition-wise on that hairy line. A good freshen-up-mechanically and drive car, for $9k SURE! A $9k resto basis, probably not. Easy resto for sure, but paint is paint and upholstery upholstery... you'll be in it for $10-$15k more if you want to do it right...
Again though, looks like a nice car..... |
Right, it looks nice but what I was saying is, if he intends on restoring it then you will really have a hard time getting your money back out of it. If you plan on driving it like it is, if times get hard and if you have to sell then it will not be as hard to get your money back out of it and you will not lose your ass on it. Some people are on a budget and VW's don't come first, so if you spend all of your cash on a car and want to drive it RIGHT NOW.....find out if the car needs work before driving it. Maybe you can talk him down. Since the seller says "stored for 20 years" he's trying to make you feel like it's a rare barn find.....all that means to me is it needs work for me to get in it and drive it.
This oval pictured below, '56 with 40,000 OG miles on it. A BEAUTIFUL car.....it didn't have semaphores but still a very nice car. I paid $8,000 for the base car, put $300.00 in to the brakes and some more into a rebuilt carb and when I went to sell it.........it sat on here for months and I let it go for $6500.00 because I wanted a split and I took the hit on it. All it needed was some paint work on the fenders. I miss that car.
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