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OTO X58
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2004
Posts: 3101
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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 Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:53 pm Post subject: Early bus found in the weeds |
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A friend of mine found a bus on his father-in-law's property:
It looks like a fairly straight Dove Blue pressed bumper Kombi to me! He says that the wheels, doors, decklid, bumpers, seats, and wheels are gone. But I wonder if they would turn up in a search around that area.
The tranny is there, but he's not sure if the beam is there. He also said that the floors looked surprisingly solid, from what he could see. Although, those branches and leaves worry me.
Please let me know if you see anything that I might have missed.
Any thoughts on value? I'd like to make him a fair offer, without paying a fortune for it OR stealing it from him. Thanks for any input! |
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easy e
Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008
Posts: 3931
Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:15 am Post subject: |
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Leaves in the drip rail might have caused some rust issues there. Engine area looks pretty hacked... notice there's no slot for the seal to go in (on the one side anyway).
Looks like a '58 high tail lights & no handle recess on forward cargo door.
Value... $400-ish? (For me anyway) There's **a lot** missing.... and looks like you'd need a chainsaw & a lot of work to get it to roll.
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GTV
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2004
Posts: 2084
Location: Si'ahl
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:38 am Post subject: |
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Free. It's family! It's got potential, but it needs a ton of money and work thrown at it. Would be a killer bus when finished though.
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AlanInMass54
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2003
Posts: 1066
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| Look at those wheel wells! Jersey Looker material there! 400 seems like a good start, if it's missing this much and the owner is not particularly a VW person. It certainly looks workable! Take a day off, bring a chainsaw and other implements and get clearing! |
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kenshapiro2002
Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2013
Posts: 1826
Location: Bawlmer Hon
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:14 am Post subject: Re: Early bus found in the weeds |
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| OTO X58 wrote: |
| He says that the wheels, doors, decklid, bumpers, seats, and wheels are gone. But I wonder if they would turn up in a search around that area. |
No way those items are lying around there. Somebody cherry picked what they wanted.
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Schwing
Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2009
Posts: 2506
Location: Centreville, MD
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12408
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Pfft! 
Call Kombisutra. He'll drive that bitch right out! 
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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velvetgreen
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2004
Posts: 2745
Location: Canada
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kombisutra
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2003
Posts: 4127
Location: San Anselmo, 10 miles North Of San Francisco
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:09 am Post subject: |
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Steering box: CHECK!
Front end: CHECK!
Rear end: CHECK!
Pedals: CHECK!
Gas tank: CHECK!
Mosquitoes: CHECK!
You know if I was home, I'd help you. Call the OVP! Bring an engine, a jack, brake fluid, brake hone, a big hammer, a radio, food, beer, camp IN IT, FILM IT, and drive it out! Don't overlook the incredibly fun, fairly uncommon opportunity to do this on a friend's private property. The bus will be free. If you tow it out, you fail 
DO IT! |
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Stocknazi
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2004
Posts: 5150
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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No recess for the cargo handle, so that door would have used the earlier handle. That could be a press bumper bus.
Post the first 4 numbers of the vin
Why would someone cut the decklid carrier like that?
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Malokin Martin
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2007
Posts: 3099
Location: E-burg
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe to clear the cooler while pulling the engine once it sunk in? Maybe someone just cut what they needed to free it and pull it hence the additional hackery where the engine tin meets up |
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Z
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2003
Posts: 2517
Location: galveston, tx
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Don't forget to film the critters that come running out of it! |
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Shoyrtt
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 1009
Location: Redlands, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| kombisutra wrote: |
Steering box: CHECK!
Front end: CHECK!
Rear end: CHECK!
Pedals: CHECK!
Gas tank: CHECK!
Mosquitoes: CHECK!
You know if I was home, I'd help you. Call the OVP! Bring an engine, a jack, brake fluid, brake hone, a big hammer, a radio, food, beer, camp IN IT, FILM IT, and drive it out! Don't overlook the incredibly fun, fairly uncommon opportunity to do this on a friend's private property. The bus will be free. If you tow it out, you fail
DO IT! |
DO IT!!!!!!  |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51127
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| kombisutra wrote: |
| If you tow it out, you fail |
I couldn't agree more, golden opportunity, giddyup! 
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mtb7001
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2009
Posts: 899
Location: Meridian Idaho
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Early bus found in the weeds |
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| OTO X58 wrote: |
| I'd like to make him a fair offer, without paying a fortune for it OR stealing it from him. Thanks for any input! |
My offer ? free rides for life and the occasional "here's the key".
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Jmsmrshl
Banned
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 37
Location: Newark, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 6:30 am Post subject: |
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Early 58?
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1958 Kombi |
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CaLiBus
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2011
Posts: 1097
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:03 am Post subject: |
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| I doubt this would be a good base bus until we see what the cargo floor area looks like. Still a good purchase for 400 bucks! Good luck! |
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OTO X58
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2004
Posts: 3101
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 9:35 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info everyone! I'm working out the details with my friend, but it sounds like we're going to head down there and pull the bus out from under that tree, clear the debris out of it, and see just how bad it is. I will post an update as soon as that happens.
The story is common, the bus was driven into that spot, then forgotten about. Somewhere along the way, parts got taken from it and it was used for target practice. That's where all the glass went. The owner has many other cars on the property, but this one wasn't seen as valuable enough to pay attention to, so it stayed stashed under that bay tree. Out of sight and out of mind.
I hope to have an update in the next few weeks, including M codes if the plate is still there. Fingers crossed for some of the parts hidden under the leaves nearby!
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joe56vw
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2004
Posts: 3202
Location: Olympia wa
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:04 am Post subject: |
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| OTO X58 wrote: |
Thanks for the info everyone! I'm working out the details with my friend, but it sounds like we're going to head down there and pull the bus out from under that tree, clear the debris out of it, and see just how bad it is. I will post an update as soon as that happens.
The story is common, the bus was driven into that spot, then forgotten about. Somewhere along the way, parts got taken from it and it was used for target practice. That's where all the glass went. The owner has many other cars on the property, but this one wasn't seen as valuable enough to pay attention to, so it stayed stashed under that bay tree. Out of sight and out of mind.
I hope to have an update in the next few weeks, including M codes if the plate is still there. Fingers crossed for some of the parts hidden under the leaves nearby! |
it's too old to have a m-plate on it you will just find a body number there FYI this is not the vin#
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CaLiBus
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2011
Posts: 1097
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:51 am Post subject: |
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| joe56vw wrote: |
| OTO X58 wrote: |
Thanks for the info everyone! I'm working out the details with my friend, but it sounds like we're going to head down there and pull the bus out from under that tree, clear the debris out of it, and see just how bad it is. I will post an update as soon as that happens.
The story is common, the bus was driven into that spot, then forgotten about. Somewhere along the way, parts got taken from it and it was used for target practice. That's where all the glass went. The owner has many other cars on the property, but this one wasn't seen as valuable enough to pay attention to, so it stayed stashed under that bay tree. Out of sight and out of mind.
I hope to have an update in the next few weeks, including M codes if the plate is still there. Fingers crossed for some of the parts hidden under the leaves nearby! |
it's too old to have a m-plate on it you will just find a body number there FYI this is not the vin# |
It could possibly have an M code plate. M code plates started in October of 58. Especially if those are the original dollar tail lights.
Look for an M code plate on the top section of the passenger side bulk head or two holes if the plate was removed. |
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