is this worth buying??

westcoastmarek · Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:42 pm Post subject: is this worth buying??

Hi everyone, i am a new member although i have been using this site for years...

Eight years ago i sold my 71 Kombi and i now have a strong urge to buy another van (and the wife has given me the ok).' Very Happy

'

This 79 Get-Away is available to me at a t.b.d. fair market value but a local vw shop that knows the seller and van has told me to walk away... that the van is just scrap metal. the thing is, this tiny shop services mostly modern vws and they weren't actually warning me about this bay window but instead telling me to stay away from all old buses because they are bla, bla bla... i actually wasn't listening much anymore at this point.

Here is the dilemma, am i using my head or my heart when looking at this van? and if the owner takes $400 is it worth buying keeping in mind i don't have room to just store a parts van.

here is the history of the van. my dad bought it from original owner in early 90s, had engine fully rebuilt. in 95, after many trips on south vancouver island he sold it. new owner parked it in 98. when we had it, body had original paint, no rust. now,16 years later it still has original paint but two sides of the van in the open carport where it has been parked have taken a beating from the salty air (i am guessing)
Bottom is very solid, lots of surface rust all the way around (no problem), but the gutters, as you can see are done. infact, in two spots, the tin above the gutter is rusted through.
the engine has not been turned over in a decade and all tires are toast.

any thoughts? (i have thick skin)
marek

oops, don't know how to post pics...

westcoastmarek · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 12:02 am Post subject:

can i email the pics to someone to post?

Islero · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:52 am Post subject:

Hi Marek.

If you have the means (skills, money etc.) to bring it to life then go ahead.

I can post the pictures for you

[email protected]

drober23 · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 5:51 am Post subject:

Financially, the thing is worth way more than $400 in parts, even if it is a rusted out shell.

That said, if it is solid underneath, and the rockers and doglegs are good it may be a fine candidate for restoration. Also, if you aren't looking for a show car, you can get it running and roll it for a while as you decide what your long term plans are for it.

Don't get scared by the other thread where the kid posted his rusty bus to be. He was spending a lot of money on a bus that needs a lot of work before it will be worth what the asking price is.

If you are up for a project, get it! And get those pics up!
_________________
DJ

'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe, and some others...
(more busses than sense)

In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

busmania · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 6:16 am Post subject:

if you email me the pics I can post them for you. Pics really help but for $400, you might as well get it. You wont lose money on the deal.

[email protected]

secretsubmariner · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 6:31 am Post subject:

Oh man I want to see this bus!!

Welcome to the site Marek!

What's that they say? "Give a man a fish and he will eat it. Teach a man to fish and he will know how to post photos" or something like that.

Just kidding--

Read this!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6

it will teach you how to post photos, it's uber-duber easy Wink

_________________
-Tony
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ
1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI

westcoastmarek · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:25 am Post subject:

westcoastmarek · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:28 am Post subject:

thanks everyone for the feedback. i will be having another conversation with the owner this weekend
marek

BusterBrown · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:31 am Post subject:

Used to be your Dad's? $400? Buy it! (Easy for me to say... Twisted Evil

)

First, let's see those pics. Wink

_________________
1978 Sage Green Westfalia (Happy Trails, SOLD)
1977 Transporter

Life is short. Can I have some of yours?

AB westy nut · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 8:32 am Post subject:

$400? You can't lose. There's 5 times that much in parts if you decide it's too much of a project.
_________________
1963 Ruby Red 356 Cabriolet
1976 Sage Green Westfalia Deluxe

Islero · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:21 am Post subject:

Here you go!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

go for it!

Mr. Unpopular · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:26 am Post subject:

I'm not sure I'd "go for it". Gutters that rusty and wavy are not very good for strength, and damn sure aren't easy to fix (fix doesn't mean make them not wavy and rusty, because that is what holds the roof to the rest of the bus).

If you get it, just know it will never be a better bus than it is now. Sure, it may run and drive better, but without MAJOR work, the body will continue to fall apart.
_________________
"In any racing engine, the nearer you are to it disintegrating, the better it's performance will be"
-Keith Duckworth, creator of the Ford/Cosworth DFV

Westfabulous · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:01 pm Post subject:

For $400, and the fact that it belonged to your dad, I would grab it for sure. I'm not sure if your dad is still alive, but oneday you will probably be glad to have his old bus, and the memories that go with it.

If it was me, I probably wouldn't do the full resto for the reasons noted in the previous post, but I would slowly clean it up; fix what I could; and give it a dry garage to live out the rest of it's days, and enjoy it for what it is. I would opt to spend bigger dollars and get myself a second good solid bus before I opted to restore that one.

In my mind, you have to get it, and treat it with a little dignity given it's familial provenance. Just my .02.
_________________
*****************

"I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Kirk · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:09 pm Post subject:

I'd already own it for $400.
_________________
MAKE FORUMS GREAT AGAIN

Bear
Coble
Super
Oppenheim

AB westy nut · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:18 pm Post subject:

Just for reference, I bought a complete but non-running rust bucket westy for $600. Took all the parts off of it that I needed/wanted for my bus and stripped the rest down to the shell. I'm well past $3000 in profit from parts sales, so yeah don't even think twice about picking that bus up! Best case is you put some money into it to keep it on the road. Worst case, you part it out and keep dozens of other buses on the roads!
_________________
1963 Ruby Red 356 Cabriolet
1976 Sage Green Westfalia Deluxe

westcoastmarek · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:30 pm Post subject:

alright, PO said if i build her a 4' x10' shed, i can have the van... no problem since i am a carpenter. gonna try to keep material costs under $300...
hope to have the van in two weeks

Westfabulous · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:42 pm Post subject:

Excellent decision. You can by that shed pre-fabbed at Rona pretty cheap. I priced them out recently.
_________________
*****************

"I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Kirk · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:26 pm Post subject:

Id buy a cheap metal one at a home improvement store. They are under 400. Laughing

_________________
MAKE FORUMS GREAT AGAIN

Bear
Coble
Super
Oppenheim

tassin06 · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:43 pm Post subject:

Buying your dad's bus back, this is awesome! Let us know when you get it. Good luck and have fun.

westcoastmarek · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:15 pm Post subject:

thanks for all the positive comments, i'll keep you posted


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