VW Bus Buying Advice

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asiab3
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by asiab3 » Sun Nov 18, 2018 1:18 pm

Yeah, there’s a difference in “bush fix to get you home” and “I can take another car to work so the bus can wait for parts to arrive.”

Both are needed, but bush fixes with factory parts and tools are my favorite.
Robbie

[image]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1839607.jpg[/image]
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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omacdon2
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by omacdon2 » Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:17 pm

Hahaa thanks guys. Yeah I do plan on getting a bus way ahead of time before a roadtrip so I can get comfortable with it before I do the actual trip. That's why I'm looking now. But yes, I'm set on doing a roadtrip in a VW bus...it's been a lifelong dream. But seriously, I can't find any storage facilities that cheap around here!

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Ronin10
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by Ronin10 » Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:15 pm

FYI, GoWesty in CA and Peace Vans here in Seattle rent Vanagons specifically for road trips. Might allow you to dip your toe before you dive in and have the peace of mind that the vehicle is in good working order.
Oscar: 1976 Sage Green Bus, Stock Motor, Solid Lifters, Manual Transaxle

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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Tue Nov 20, 2018 1:14 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:09 am

Let it be known that I am swimming here on the phone with some people around the country who have themselves in various pickles. We must re-dedicate to "correct procedures" . . .
Colin
I wasn't advocating using duct tape and bailing wire... I way paying tribute to your McGuyver skill sets. :flower:
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
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JLT
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by JLT » Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:17 pm

omacdon2 wrote:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:31 am
Hey everyone,
I'm looking to buy a VW Bus to take on a road-trip cross-country. I don't have much of a mechanical background, but am sure I will definitely learn along the way..that's the adventure of it. I plan on using it before the trip to get to know it before. Have you ever done something like this or have any recommendations of what to look out for when buying one?
First, welcome to the joys and frustrations of keeping one of these beasts on the road.

Second, the best guide to buying a VW is still How to Keep your Volkswagen Alive also called the "Idiot Book" by John Muir. He devotes a whole chapter to assessing the condition of a possible buy. The only part of that chapter that you can ignore is the part about pricing, because he was writing at a time when VW dealers had used beetles and buses in stock, and you could compare the seller's price with theirs. Nowadays, you have the Samba, eBay Motors, carsforsale, and like that, and you've probably found that prices are all over the map. And you really can't tell if it's a good price for the car unless you're actually eyeballing the thing.

But John takes you through the steps of analyzing engine, brakes, bearings, tires, and so on. Again, when he's talking about what it might cost to fix something, you'll have to make some adjustments, because back then, shop rates were like $20 an hour for labor, and now they're more like $100+. Also, he's writing for the mechanical idiot who needs a drivable car right away, with all the systems and warning lights working, whereas you might be looking for more of a "project car" which will take some effort to get it on the road. (The distinction between a "project car" and a "drivable car" can be distressingly thin when we're talking about old cars like these.)

If you're serious about buying a bus, you'll need this book, anyway, along with the official repair manual, AKA "the Bentley." Ignore John's advice on distributors and mufflers, but pay close attention to how and why he does things. I compare the two books for procedures, and if there's a difference, I go with the Bentley, but Muir's "Idiot Book" is better at walking you through the steps of a repair job.

And now you've got Colin, Robbie, Merlin, and everybody else on this forum who are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge --- a luxury I didn't have when I got my first bus in 1971.

And, if possible, find a local seller and get him or her to loan you the car so that you can take it to a reputable shop and spend $100 or so on a thorough inspection for defects. If you're buying trouble, you should at least know about it up front.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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omacdon2
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by omacdon2 » Sat Nov 24, 2018 5:43 pm

Thanks so much for the tips! They're all super helpful. Found another bus for sale.. https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/1982-vo ... 24090.html
What do you think of this one? And some more info from the guy...

Body has around 200k miles on it, 5k on motor since rebuild, it was inspected last year but I let it lapse since I've been trying to sell, although it would pass as it is right now. There's a little rust on the back hatch door, and a little on the bottom of the sliding door, other than that it's clean. I didn't fix that because I intended on just getting new doors. the motor is a 1.6 diesel, a little underpowered but the bus will go anywhere. I've owned it for around 3 years, got it from a family friends, restored it, and enjoyed it camping around new england, selling to help pay for school.

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zabo
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by zabo » Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:33 pm

All the black around the rockers scares me. If you go look at it take a magnet and a screwdriver ;) but if it is as he says it looks nice for a new England car.
60 beetle
78 bus

TrollFromDownBelow
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:32 pm

Diesel is a completely different beast. They are under powered (IMHO) even by bus standards, but there are folks out there that love them...can't beat the mpg. I'd be more concerned about the black belt if it was a bay....suspect it is hiding some rust, but not necessisarily rot out.
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
::troll2::

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Amskeptic
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Nov 25, 2018 6:50 pm

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:
Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:32 pm
Diesel is a completely different beast. They are under powered (IMHO) even by bus standards, but there are folks out there that love them...can't beat the mpg. I'd be more concerned about the black belt if it was a bay....suspect it is hiding some rust, but not necessisarily rot out.

Yes yes yes to the skepticism. Check it out thoroughly if interested.
Colin
( I *love* the diesel Vanagons, they come in exactly at Chloe 1600 performance, aka most-mellow))
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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weisswurst
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by weisswurst » Mon Nov 26, 2018 12:40 pm

Amskeptic post wrote:
Yes yes yes to the skepticism. Check it out thoroughly if interested.
Colin
( I *love* the diesel Vanagons, they come in exactly at Chloe 1600 performance, aka most-mellow))
I also love the diesel vanagons! 7K is ok with me as a good price on a diesel tintop is usually 5K at least.
find out when the timing belt and water pump was done and if it wasn't deduct the cost of replacing just be careful with the timing as it's an "interference" engine and you can break it real quick if you do it wrong! Colin has helped me do 2 or 3 on IAC visits here! I say if you don't mind the slow lane do it (but it is very slow fyi)
"I drink, therefore yes ma'am..."

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omacdon2
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by omacdon2 » Sat Dec 01, 2018 8:19 pm

Ok I got the two VW manuals. Looking forward to a winter of studying them :cheers: Any comments about this VW bus? It's close to me and pretty cheap, though the engine has troubles at the moment . https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds ... id=2233142

Here's some more info from the owner...

I am actually not sure exactly what engine it has- it’s definitely an upright beetle-type engine rather than the larger flat engine VW put in later buses, but beyond that all I know is that it is definitely not the one that it had in 1971!

The bus is currently at my mother-in-law’s house in Chelmsford, MA so I will have to call her tomorrow and have her get an odometer reading for you.

It has indeed been mostly garaged, at least since I’ve owned it, with the singular exception of last winter. (Indeed, not wanting the bus to just sit there unprotected is one of the major catalysts that has caused me to decide that I should pass the bus on to someone who will love and take care of it- as you know, there are not so many of these left anymore!) Anyway, here is its history since I’ve owned it:

I bought the bus nearly ten years ago from a seller in California. It was not running but had a great-looking body, and when I saw the ad I figured it was easier to fix an engine than a rust-bucket, so I went for it and had it shipped here! It then spent a bunch of years in the garage of a retired VW specialist I knew in New Bedford where it was supposed to be being worked on as a favor to me, but between the guy enjoying his retirement and then suffering failing health, it instead was simply stored in the corner of his garage for those years!

So two years ago I finally found another person to work on it, and it then spent the winter of 2016-17 in a garage in New Hampshire while that mechanic did a bunch of work including brakes and electrical and rebuilding the engine, until finally it was finished in the summer of 2017! Unfortunately, as I stated in the ad the engine actually still needs some work. As I was driving it to my house the electrical idiot light started coming on intermittently, so I immediately pulled over. I’m no mechanic, but I noticed that the rear pulley was actually slipping (and every time it did the alternator of course stopped spinning, thus my electrical light coming on), so I had it towed to my mother-in-law’s house in Chelmsford, where it has sat ever since. With a child in college and another about to start, I simply no longer have any free money left to spend on it!

Here are some photos of the undercarriage. Between the fact that it spent most of its life in California, and then spent most of the past decade in garages, I think you’ll agree that the undercarriage looks pretty great. One important thing I hope is clear in the photographs: it has clearly had some sort of protective undercoating applied, so you’re not looking at solid rust from end to end, you’re looking at the dark-colored rubber-like undercoating! You can definitely see in some photos where the undercoating is peeling off how good the metal underneath it looks, and how solid the floor is (not to mention how good the tires are!) I’ve also thrown in a couple more photos of the engine compartment so you can see how solid the metal is there, where it typically has rusted through in every other bus I’ve ever seen in New England!
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TrollFromDownBelow
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Sun Dec 02, 2018 10:59 pm

Actually, '71 was the last year they used the beetle engine in the bus, so the engine in it is correct. They switched to the Type IV engines (the 'pancake' engine) in '72. Based on the symptoms described, the 'electrical problem' sounds as simple as a loose generator belt.. probably need to take a shim out of the pulley (IIRC, that's how you tighten the belt on the type 1 engines....it's been nearly 30 years since I owned one though...more knowledgeable people will chime in) FWIW, '71 is considered the best year if you prefer the beetle style engines, as it has power assist brakes, and they came with the dual port intake manifolds. IMHO - they are the prettiest looking bay style.

Based on the pic's I would say it is rust free...SCORE! However, looking at the cracks in the paint on the rear quarter and on the front, me thinks there's some bondo covering up some old collision damage.

$6800 for a bus that is rust free, that (should have) many kinks worked out, is a good deal. If you are feeling adventurous, read up on how to tighten the generator belt (yes, Virginia, it was a generator, not an alternator) and drive the beast home. Or phone a friend to go with...or worst case, tow it home.
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
::troll2::

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omacdon2
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by omacdon2 » Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:43 am

Thanks so much for you response! It's all so informative. I found this video of tightening the generator belt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1GXdqI6Z5Y Seems nice and easy. The owner said the car hasn't been started since last year, but hopefully that will do the trick for the light. Call me adventurous, but I'm going to take a look at it on Sunday and who knows, just might drive that beast home. :D

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Amskeptic
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Dec 04, 2018 10:21 am

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:
Sun Dec 02, 2018 10:59 pm
Actually, '71 was the last year they used the beetle engine in the bus, so the engine in it is correct.

"it’s definitely an upright beetle-type engine rather than the larger flat engine VW put in later buses, but beyond that all I know is that it is definitely not the one that it had in 1971!

. . . and this is where I would like to ask you, omacdon2, can you determine if it has:
a) a single pipe leading to each head (right between the spark plugs), i.e. singleport
b) a double pipe aluminum casting on the ends of the intake pipe at each head, i.e. dualport?

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:
Sun Dec 02, 2018 10:59 pm
FWIW, '71 is considered the best year if you prefer the beetle style engines, as it has power assist brakes, and they came with the dual port intake manifolds. IMHO - they are the prettiest looking bay style.

$6800 for a bus that is rust free, that (should have) many kinks worked out, is a good deal.
Ask me an Robbie what we think of pansy tippy-toe power brakes and fragile Faberge aluminum egg dualport cylinder heads and the this that and the other advance/retard on the distributors . . . go ahead, ask us. :blackeye:

$6,800.00 is a good starting point. You have an easy $10,000.00 restoration budget that, if applied with judicious craftsmanship, will pay you back handsomely.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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omacdon2
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Re: VW Bus Buying Advice

Post by omacdon2 » Tue Dec 04, 2018 1:09 pm

Haha I'm a little scared to hear what you have to say about the power brakes, dualport cylinder heads, and distributers, but come at me... :D
Do you think I would need to replace all of this and the engine while I'm at it / do a total restoration?

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