Worth $1000 ?

bvolks · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:03 am Post subject: Worth $1000 ?

I've been looking for a VW Bus to take the kids camping with during the summer but they're few and far between around here and most that I have found are severely rusted underneath.
I looked at a 77 last night that they guy started redoing and has the doors and glass out of and the interior gutted. He's being posted to Edmonton this summer and can't take the Bus with him. It's complete except for the windshield and the rear bumper and is pretty much rust free except for a small spot under the windshield and a small hole near the real driver's wheel. There is no rust underneath (it came from BC).
The motor sounds great and he has a $4000 receipt from when it was rebuilt around 1000 kms ago. The exhaust on it is new. The front seats are newly reupholstered and have never been installed. That is the good stuff.
The bad is that there is practically no interior but I would be using the interior from my rusty Westfalia anyway and that someone cut a big hole in the roof and had some bubble top on it when the PO bought it. He has a new roof section for it but it would need to be welded on. It also has a homemade rear bumper that would need replaced. Since I couldn't actually take it for a test drive I have no idea of the condition of the brakes or drivetrain. It's been sitting inside for the last 6 years or so.
Would $1000 be too much for it ? Unfortunately I couldn't get any pictures.
_________________
1985 Diesel Jetta Coupe (temporarily retired at
756,000 km)
1971 Doublecab project
1995 Golf CL
1974 Beetle
1978 Westfalia

mightyart · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:06 am Post subject:

The only person who can answer this question is you.

Sloride · Samba Member Joined: February 09, 2002 Posts: 926

Bvolks,

It really depends on a lot of things in particular the amount of time you have to work on it and your skills. It does however sound a little expensive given the fact you have to weld a new roof on there.

You'd be surprised with what you could find for 3-4k and not have to do anything to get it on the road. The bus you have been looking at has been sitting. You'll need to consider so many things including tires, brakes etc...

Craig
_________________
1972 Westfalia - 1.8 VW in-line h2o conversion
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Link to the engine swap:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=565304&highlight=

1964 Ruby Red Beetle

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=705757&highlight=ruby+red

PK399 · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:36 am Post subject:

Sounds like it will take a lot of work and some money to get it into shape. If you have the time and space to work on it go for it. Buy some manuals before you start.If you keep looking I'm sure you'll find a better one. I could have bought a 72 Bus from B.C. one summer but the owner wanted to much for it, felt bad about it, bought a Auto Trader the next day, found a Bus in it for $4000.00 in almost mint condition and had it in the driveway two days later! And best of all the bus was in Moncton, N.B. There's good one's out there in the Maritimes and with a little luck you may find one.

bvolks · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:44 am Post subject:

Thanks everyone.
_________________
1985 Diesel Jetta Coupe (temporarily retired at
756,000 km)
1971 Doublecab project
1995 Golf CL
1974 Beetle
1978 Westfalia

WhirledTraveller · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:54 am Post subject:

Sounds like a decent price to me especially if it truly has a good motor and relatively little rust. However it obviously needs work so only you can decide whether you're ready to tackle such a project or would be happier spending more money for a bus that's ready to roll.
_________________
1977 Westy, Automatic. Big Valve heads, CS Cam.

Lionhart94010 · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:32 am Post subject:

Taking over someone else's project is in general is a bad idea unless you have a donor bus(vehicle of the same kind) with any parts you many need... otherwise a(or more than one) simple missing part may stop you dead in your tracks for weeks or months until you can find a replacement..., if there was a way to know the quality of the rebuild/rebuilder, the cost of quality T4 heads alone could be worth the 1K...

in any event IMO if you buy this bus you will not be doing any camping in it this summer unless your superman :0)
_________________
Current VWs 71 T2 Westy SO-72/6(Miami), 71 Crew Cab, 2015 GSW TDI
Other owned VW’s 59, 68 1500s, 69 & 71 Bug’s; 72 & 73 S-Bug’s; 67 Westy, 67 Deluxe, Other 71 DC, 72 KG GT that now lives in Australia, 12 JSW TDI, 2015 GSW TDI, 2023 Tiguan
VW technical information sights
thesamba - www.ratwell.com - www.shoptalkforums.com/ - www.vw-resource.com - http://www.type2.com/
http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/ - www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles.htm

bvolks · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:49 am Post subject:

I agree there would be no camping this summer but I'm not worried about finding parts for it since I have 3 bay window busses for parts (2 of them Westfalias) from when I had my 69.
I agree though that a guy could end up spending quite a bit more in parts and have a lot of time in it before it's back on the road.
_________________
1985 Diesel Jetta Coupe (temporarily retired at
756,000 km)
1971 Doublecab project
1995 Golf CL
1974 Beetle
1978 Westfalia

TheTominator · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject:

I think you want it, so you should get it. It sounds like you could part it out and get your money back if you needed to.
_________________
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth" Albert Einstein - 1901

If I can't curse, I can't fix it.
71 Bus
78 HD FXS Lowrider 1200cc
An Oldsmobile for crying out loud.


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