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How many are still around the United States?
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Our79Westy
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 8:33 pm    Post subject: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

theres always someone asking what the sambanistas think this bus or that bus is worth.

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..and we've all been watching the prices fluctuate...

not that im selling...I was just trying to figure the supply of busses still viable in the states...in 2018.

rich puts the total number imported at 409731 with only 102492 fuel injected models...see his website link below,

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/MSRP.html

with a total of only 11762 imported in 1979...I wonder just how many of those were campers and how many of those are still out roaming the states?

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knowledge is power...it would seem that as the supply dwindles the prices should rise...what links or search terms did I miss?

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scott_79bay
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:13 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

I can account for one of the 79 FI’s.
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oh didn't he ramble
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:39 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

two.
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aeromech
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:42 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

I’ve got a 1979 sage green camper at my house right now. Just finished rebuilding most of the steering and now doing some light engine work
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bigbore
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:59 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

I just scraped a 71.
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Silverboot
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:13 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

79 CA Model here.
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timvw7476
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:15 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

of the '79s?
46-52, with twenty more sitting in various stages of repair/renovation.
but two of the road-going will catch fire.
Statistics. : (
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zerothehero
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:46 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

I think we probably have the rest of them
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:51 am    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

i
Quote:
t would seem that as the supply dwindles the prices should rise



Pricing has already reached the place on the curve where the accessible buyers market is limited. Lots can afford 10k for a toy, few can afford 100k for same toy. The number of busses on the road won’t change that.

Splits hit this limit earlier. Bays will stay lower imho.
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my59
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 2:42 am    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

Originally red/white 7 seat sunroof Transporter. Now sassy grass green/white, Westy interior. OG engine with FI.
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metahacker
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:25 am    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

anecdotally, I can say that the amount of German/UK importing of west coast buses is surprising.

for example, on the two Riviera camper Facebook groups I'm on.... most of the posts are Europeans saying "here is my new Riviera from [California/Arizona/etc.]" or "here is my Riviera camping in Croatia..." ... and they never sold the Riviera outside the US, AFAIK (maybe Canada? but definitely not outside of NA)

there are businesses in other countries that operate solely to import cali buses
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:55 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

bigbore wrote:
I just scraped a 71.


Did it buff out?
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dstimm
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:01 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

I bet many of those FI models have had the FI systems replaced with carbs.
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Randy in Maine
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:20 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

I have 2 1979 P-27s in my garage.
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Our79Westy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:31 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

timvw7476 wrote:
of the '79s?
46-52, with twenty more sitting in various stages of repair/renovation.
but two of the road-going will catch fire.
Statistics. : (


46-52 is an interesting figure...as of 2017 and according to the following link

https://projects.newsday.com/databases/long-island...p;offset=0

there's 39 campers registered in long island alone...I'm assuming it includes all campers 1959 through 1979

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soo rough estimation of 50 times 50 states equals 2500 "campers"...roughly... in the contiguous united states...until better numbers can be established...

estimate 1 twentieth (1 of 20 years of manufacture) and we're down to 125..1979 vw campers registered...or 2.5 in my state...sobering and exciting in the same breath...

Maybe someone will chime in with better figures...and sources...but at this point it seems the only vw bus I'm going to see outside of a car show is...mine Smile and possibly yours at some point...

drive safe everyone!
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1979 Westfalia DELUXE 2.0 FI manual
Mexican beigeutiful and mostly original.

See the most up to date status of Constance on YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCvO1ZedS22IepvvRYaTxiPQ

My 1979 Westfalia Campmobile's sundry Tales of Constance
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620965

1990 Vanagon, Red, Driven 70,000 miles till sold.
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:37 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

1% survival rate seems a bit low to me, I would have guessed 5%

I would make a case the LI is a bad place for them to survive both in terms of use and climate.
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SGKent Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 5:25 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

there is a material difference between operative and non-op. The last 10 years the number has gone way up as many non-op have been returned to service. There are four or five in my neighborhood of several hundred home alone. None of the owners come here on the Samba that I am aware of.
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Cap10323
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

SGKent wrote:
There are four or five in my neighborhood of several hundred home alone. None of the owners come here on the Samba that I am aware of.


I was coming here to say something like this.

The majority of Owners are not on The Samba, and I'd be willing to bet a majority of that majority aren't even using the internet for anything Bus-Related. Except maybe to order parts.

In my neighborhood, also of several hundred houses (spread out over about 10 streets) there are 2 baywindows, a split bus, and 2 vanagons. None of the owners are Samba members, I know, because I've stopped and enquired.
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Boesen
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 5:49 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

Owned our 79 (Federal)Westfalia now for 8 years. Still stock FI engine.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 6:16 pm    Post subject: Re: How many are still around the United States? Reply with quote

Abscate wrote:
1% survival rate seems a bit low to me, I would have guessed 5%

I would make a case the LI is a bad place for them to survive both in terms of use and climate.


1% is the number I've seen quoted on government boards. They suggest only 1% of a specific model car made 20 years ago are still in existence.

My view is that VW's survived at a greater % due to their cult popularity, resale value, nostalgia, etc.

Honestly, what other cars do you ever see on the roads these days that are 40 years old or older? VW bugs and buses, 60's Mustangs and other muscle cars and 56-57 Chevy's.

I'm honestly shocked how I never see cars made in the 70's/80's on the road anymore. They've vanished to the big smelter in the sky.
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