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mfemenel Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2014 Posts: 273 Location: Matthews, NC
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:52 am Post subject: 78 tin top what do you see |
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I'm going to take a look at this later today. tell me what you see in the pics. Owners are retired couple about an hour north of me, will get details on the history tonight.
https://greensboro.craigslist.org/cto/d/lexington-1978-volkswagen-van-bus/7334120604.html
The good:
Run/drives stops
Has clean title
original FI is still there(I have a 79 with FI)
Passenger floor looks good, maybe a spot in the back by the windows
All glass is there and looks good
The bad:
Driver side door bottom
Inside driver step
Rear under tail light so I'll assume battery tray
What is under the rubber floormat up front?
Hanging 'wires to nowhere' under steering column
Holes where outside mirrors used to be
driver side rocker
dent in sliding door lower right
headliner
general assumptions it needs seals for all/most of the glass.
Unless documented I'll just assume that's 188k, not 88k
Other things I see:
can't tell what those tires are, may not be right.
check if it's a CA or Federal (not necessarily bad)
The horrible 'hide rust' paint job is probably covering bad bondo and/or more rust.
Small lump on lower passenger door _________________ '79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE! |
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Jetfxr69 Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2018 Posts: 1293 Location: White mtns nh
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:14 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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They sure are proud of the jack arent they? Seems a bit strong on price from what I see. Thats a shitty cover up paint job which looks to be covering shitty rust and rot cover up. They claim underside is good, then why no pics?
Im thinking $3-5000 on that one. And thats only if the motor is a solid runner and doesnt need work as well. Sure, they say it runs and stops, but that could mean anything, including substantial repairs.
Hell, you own a bus. You know what is a hang up or not. Are you sure you want toa ask for opinions in here? _________________ You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa
‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15143 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:29 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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looks good at 35ft
but I'm not sure it's worth that much if you are planning on getting any closer to it.
_________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:23 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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The rust streaking out from under the windows tells me that it’s gonna be ugly underneath. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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ImAddicted Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2012 Posts: 1195 Location: Unorganized Territory, Maine
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:30 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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I was offered $7k for mine (‘79) a month ago, which I thought was high. Probably should have taken it and never looked back lol. Similar situation as this one - obvious, not well-done color change, some body issues. Though, in my case all the windows have been pulled, rust addressed, new seals, tires, brakes, etc.lower miles (~60k actual) and mine has been modified to suit me so not quite apples to apples.
Looking at that bus, if you did your own work, your looking a couple $1000 just in tires, seals, stopping, hoses, etc. no engine pics so who knows there. If it was a Westy, yup, that wouldn’t be crazy money. I know Hagerty puts it right at that price for condition 4 and 7 passenger. IMHO, with everything else ok after crawling under it, checking the engine, $5k. If that motor is tired (80k, probably), all bets are off unless you plan to drop $$ into either a quality rebuild or a swap. You easily could be $25k into it to make an $18k bus. Or you could be $10k into it for a $7k bus. All really depends on your skill level, how much of a perfectionist you are, and what your end game is. I’m at $3500 total invested n mine including $500 purchase price, but after 10 years it doesn’t look any better than that one _________________ 1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR
strfish7 wrote: |
Original condition, which means something different on this forum than anywhere else! |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16959 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:20 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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I’d say run up there and buy it _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12721 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:32 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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The small lump on the slider door is where the door fell off and hit the ground. 🤘 _________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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CessnaJon Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2008 Posts: 677 Location: Senoia,GA
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:46 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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That poor bus. It was worth $2000 before they painted over the rust in that unsavory color. _________________ 1973 Westy (shared birthday)
1990 Westy Multivan
2015 Passat TDI 6sp
2015 Sportwagon TDI 6sp
LR-JET, Gulfstream 159 |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22639 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:54 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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Sus Scrofa and Chanel #5
Maybe it was born with it....maybe its Baybeline _________________ .ssS! |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51121 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:25 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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airschooled wrote: |
The small lump on the slider door is where the door fell off and hit the ground. 🤘 |
So you are implying the slider track may have been compromised?
There's a whole lot of demons lurking in the lower extremities of that one, careful when kicking or a slab of filler might fall out and injure your toe. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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Jetfxr69 Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2018 Posts: 1293 Location: White mtns nh
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:11 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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busdaddy wrote: |
airschooled wrote: |
The small lump on the slider door is where the door fell off and hit the ground. 🤘 |
So you are implying the slider track may have been compromised?
There's a whole lot of demons lurking in the lower extremities of that one, careful when kicking or a slab of filler might fall out and injure your toe. |
Steel toe boots only when inspecting busses for sale any more. _________________ You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa
‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson |
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RalphWiggam Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2018 Posts: 906 Location: SouthEast
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:35 am Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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I see a bus I probably wouldnt take for $500. The bottom 1/4 looks gone.
Did they paint the engine lid shut or something? Looks like it hasnt been opened since a 3 year old painted the bus using dried up house paint smeared on with his hands. |
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Cap10323 Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2016 Posts: 604 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:43 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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I agree with everybody else, that bus has like 5 gallons of bondo covering up some serious body rot. Covered up with a cheap, ugly paint job. _________________ -Ian
'77 Westfalia - 2.0 F.I |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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mfemenel Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2014 Posts: 273 Location: Matthews, NC
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition. |
Yep. And there aren't many of them to be found. _________________ '79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE! |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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mfemenel wrote: |
TDCTDI wrote: |
Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition. |
Yep. And there aren't many of them to be found. |
Aaand, unless you scored it, it’s gone. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Back to top |
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mfemenel Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2014 Posts: 273 Location: Matthews, NC
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: 78 tin top what do you see |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
mfemenel wrote: |
TDCTDI wrote: |
Unfortunately, that’s about what the local market is for these, in this condition. |
Yep. And there aren't many of them to be found. |
Aaand, unless you scored it, it’s gone. |
I got it
It actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. It needs a few things to make it safe (like the battery falling through the hole) but it ran/drive/stopped just fine. It'll drive on and off the truck which I'm thankful for. _________________ '79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE! |
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