What year is this bus?

[boulderz]

What year/range of years is this bus? Based on what you see (year, condition, etc.) am I crazy to go bang on a door and check it out?

[type47fan1]

65-66? Would not hurt to ask if you are looking
_________________
JLD
My 60 Mango Build
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=581699
My 66 Westy Build
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5825134#5825134

[dmuis]

66-mid 67 13-window deluxe. Sea blue, no reverse lights, pull handle engine lid. It's never crazy to inquire. Looks like it has a lot of potential! Hope you can get it and resurrect it.

[boulderz]

Thanks, I'll try and get some better pics of it. I've knocked on the door but never gotten an answer. I can see in the original pic (higher res) there appears to be no windows. Which may not be good.

[boulderz]

Any idea what it's worth like that?

[Z]

Pretty hard to assess value based on that pic, plus all the usual stuff about 'worth' apply.

I can see its a Deluxe - is it a 21 window by any chance? How many parts are there? Interior? Seats? Running gear?

[kenshapiro2002]

[boulderz]

So I finally snuck in and grabbed a few pics of this bus. Just makes me want it more. Even if it was sitting uselessly in my garage, or woods, or driveway in it's current state. At least I could look at it. Not sure of the feasibility of restoration though. Would love to know others thoughts..

I still haven't talked the owner who seems just as happy to let it rot to dirt into selling it yet.

[vwmike81]

That bus looks pretty crusty to me, obviously destroyed by the harsh VT salt conditions. The frame and everything is probably trashed. The rot is up past the wheel wells, covered by that horrible patch work.

I personally don't think it is worth much. Maybe $1k as a parts bus? Probably less. There has been a parts bus listed here in the classifieds, in similar shape, for $650 for a long time.

The stuff in it is worth more than the shell. The seats, that clock on the dash there, etc. Are the rear seats in there?

[ronjonlasvegas]

I agree it is probably a parts bus. I can see the front walk thru seats which are worth $500 or so if the frames are not rusted through. I can not tell from the pictures, but if it has the middle seat that is not rusted through those can be worth $1,500-$2,000. It still has the clock in the dash. I see a lot of good usable parts, but the rust has probably gone too far to save it. If it was a 21 window someone would probably step up and try to save it.
_________________
September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint.

[BarryL]

I've heard of "ass, grass or gas" but that grass for ass is bad ass.

[Clara]

It is a good idea to talk to the owner. Many people dislike strangers poking around in their yards, taking pictures of their stuff.
Leave a note. Talk to the owner.

That bus rusted into the ground a long time ago. Look at the angle of the rear frame rail, it points at the taillight. It should point below the bottom edge of the decklid. The front of the tranny is tipped down and the back end up. Bet the tranny horns rusted through. Hm, the whole frame rail seems to have lifted up through the sheet metal. Will the bus fall apart if moved?

It's a 66 M130 (hardtop) deluxe. Judging from the original drivers seat upholstery, lack of mods, and wheels so deep in the dirt, it has been parked for decades. It looks fairly complete and un modified. It is worth something as a parts car, and with all the frame stuff people are doing these days, and the current value of buses, possibly worth restoring.

It will be a lot of work to move it, and you may have to move other vehicles to get it out.


I bet the owner has some cool stories.

[ateneo]

I see a bus waiting and begging to be rescued.

Don't let this 13-window bus rust any further. Pull it out and restore it the best way you can but the right way.

PLEASE don't allow this bus to be a parts bus. Do you best to put it back on the pavement for it to frolic among other VW buses.
_________________
1966 Riviera camper Bus
1967 EZ camper bus
1971 Westfalia bus
1971 Deluxe bus
1969 Bus
1962 Bug
1963 Bug
"Rust free" means Rust is FREE. The rest is junk.

[EverettB]

[Brian]

That seems like the type of thing that you're going to finally talk to him and ask if he'll part with it and he'll say "Oh no, I can't sell that. I'm going to start working on it soon. Yea, real soon"
_________________
Wash your hands

'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper

Only losers litter

[boulderz]

I have spoken with him and I couldn't get him to commit to selling it but I left it short of him saying no. It's a process, a courtship, a little dance, wine and dine...etc. Not much different than my bachelor days (well a little).

I didn't exactly sneak on the property either, driving by I saw someone in the yard so stopped. It was a tenant and he was all about me going to look at it, which is all the encouragement I needed.

[vwmike81]

[hitest]

That bus will never be on the road again. Look at the perspective of the trans in relation to the 'firewall' area- it has collapsed. But, it has exactly $1237.50 in parts on it. The most valuable (in the absence of a middle bench)- a passenger seat. Drag it out and see how many nice rims it has- and maybe a couple more beauty rings. I want to slap the rock throwers of the neighborhood.
_________________

[Pinetops]

Get it and use it for parts for a better shell. There are a lot of good parts there.
_________________
"A rolling bus gathers no rust."

[d-rick]

Yes please do what you can to get that 13 window and it's Turkis T-1 buddy out of there.
Both are worth something more than rotting away any further!
_________________
1959 mango-trailerbus
1962 single cab *1/2
1966 13 window
1967 panel/camper
1968 cig-panel *1/2
1968 passenger bus *1/2
1969 beetle
1969 dormobile
1978 sage green Westy
1990 DoKa
2002 Golf TDI