Thinking of buying, need input...

[Guest]

History Commands

[January 04, 2009, 07:18:08 AM] edwin .s.nathan: I live in a tropical country ie malaysia.Need to install air conditioning.Any idea on where to put the vents

[January 05, 2009, 10:21:13 AM] BusManVW70: Hello everyone Im new to the site and I have just added some pictures of my 1970 VW Camper his name is Fred enjoy..

[January 06, 2009, 10:03:55 AM] Jamesbehave: oh man

[January 06, 2009, 10:04:11 AM] Jamesbehave: talk about brain dead

[January 06, 2009, 10:04:22 AM] Jamesbehave: read my post

[January 06, 2009, 10:18:51 AM] JimmyD\'s: 1977 vw camper wont start HELP

[January 06, 2009, 10:19:09 AM] JimmyD\'s: her name is lucy

[January 06, 2009, 11:22:28 AM] Jamesbehave: whats going on

[January 06, 2009, 11:40:04 AM] JIMMYD: i have two shitty batteries I have been taking turns on trickle charges. So I put the fresh good battery in and she tries but

[January 06, 2009, 11:40:39 AM] JIMMYD: she won't flip. I've checked all the fuses.... rolled her back.

[January 06, 2009, 11:41:05 AM] JIMMYD: Found an old allman brothers ticket

[January 06, 2009, 11:42:02 AM] JIMMYD: the starter has always seemed fine.... no problems

[Matdy]

Hey all!

I'm thinking of buying my first bus...I've wanted one for a long time and there's one for sale not too far from me.  It's a '77 Westfalia, seems to be in good shape, needs an alternator but supposedly runs great otherwise.  He's asking $1000 for it.

I haven't had a chance to physically go check it out yet (it's about a 4 hour drive) so I can't tell you the actual condition of the frame or anything, but like I said, from the pictures it seems to be in good shape (it's a NM vehicle).

So any thoughts, input, words of wisdom would be appreciated! (Things to look out for, good/bad deal, etc).

Thanks,
Matdy

[sisterearth]

here and groovy on thinking of buying a bus! I'm sure others will give you some good advice, I  think, if it's a bus, and it's running and not rusting into the ground, $1,000 is a great price!

[GostaBerling]

Check it over for frame rot, floor rot, and cancer under the battery. Also, keep in mind that the easiest way to change the alternator is to remove the engine. If you do buy it, change the fuel lines immediately.

[Dj:Eep]

$1000 is good for a late westy in semi-running condition.

Like Gosta said, look for rust and paint bubbles in the battery area, undercarriage and around the bottom edge of the windshield.  Rust isn't a deal killer IMO, but take future life/repair into consideration.

When going to check it out:

Bring a fire extinguisher.  I know it sounds morbid and a bit disconcerting, but old fuel lines have spelled the death of many a "new" bus.  I've heard tales of fiery test drives.

Put a freshly charged battery in it, check the oil, adding if necessary to bring it to the top line, check the fuel lines in the engine bay for cracks (little black rubber hoses that connect to brass pipes that go around the engine in a loop and connect into the engine at the injectors, between the spark plugs).

If all above is OK, start it up.  If fuel lines are cracked, you can start it with a fire extinguisher handy, but shouldn't drive it.  Unless the fuel lines are brand new, you'll be replacing them anyway to be sure.

Engine should start fairly easily and not knock or "crack" when the throttle is blipped.

If it has a single carb in place of the FI, run away screaming.

If you take it for a test drive, be aware that the old Fuel Injection is prone to causing bucking when not properly maintained.  If the engine sounds good, and revs fine, but "bucks" when driven, it is probably an FI or ignition problem, which are both fairly easy to fix with some simple troubleshooting.  Do keep in mind that parts for the FI are a bit on the expensive/rare side, at least relative to other VW parts.

[Matdy]

Awesome.  Thanks for all the great info, I'm still not sure at this point.  As I said, I've wanted one forever, however, I'm working at a National Park for the summer and don't know keen they are on me having multiple vehicles here. 

I'll keep you all updated though!

Matdy

[GostaBerling]

So what do you do for the parks service? I am hoping to land a job with the Forest Service, one day.

[Dj:Eep]

Are you handy with a wrench, VOM and repair manual?   

FI buses need more "finesse" in maintenance, less "finesse" in driving.  Earlier buses need "finesse" to drive, as the motor is a little pickier about what hill it will want to go up at which speed, but the parts are easier to find, and the work a little easier to perform.

That said, the camper layouts often have a lot more "amenities" in the later buses, so that is another pro for them.

[Matdy]

Gosta  I'm a seasonal wildland firefighter at Carlsbad Caverns NP.  Are you a forester or what are your intentions with the FS?

Dj:   I am mechanically inclined yes, while I haven't had the experience of say, tearing down and rebuilding a motor, I can do most other things and always am willing to learn.

At the moment, I've spent the last couple days trying to figure out the ignition problem with my '87 Toyota, and after a bunch of resistance testing think I've figured it out.  But, that's another story...

[hippie]

 Hey Matdy,
dont buy it,forget you ever wanted a bus,run far away,bang your head against a wall,dont EVER come back here,leave now and you might save your self.
VW buses are BAD,realbad.
its all you will think about,talk about,spend money on,ooohhh there bad,evil,nasty things.werst than any women.
you will end up like us,time wasted on the puter,time wasted on working on it,money wasted on it.they are EVIL.
 but sence your here,it is to late.i hope you enjoy your stay.
to L.M.B.
sence your a wild lands fire fighter,you'll fit in.
i fight fires alot of years ago for the USFS.good times,hard work.met a lot of great people.
later.

[GostaBerling]

Gosta  I'm a seasonal wildland firefighter at Carlsbad Caverns NP.  Are you a forester or what are your intentions with the FS?

I would like to get into Forest archaeology. I spent three weeks this summer in the Lolo National Forest working on an excavation. Best time in my life, I am now hopelessly in love with the idea, though the bunkhouse was a bit scary. I graduate with a degree in anthropology next December and then off to Grad school for a couple of years.

Hey Matdy,
dont buy it,forget you ever wanted a bus,run far away,bang your head against a wall,dont EVER come back here,leave now and you might save your self.
VW buses are BAD,realbad.
its all you will think about,talk about,spend money on,ooohhh there bad,evil,nasty things.werst than any women.
you will end up like us,time wasted on the puter,time wasted on working on it,money wasted on it.they are EVIL.
 but sence your here,it is to late.i hope you enjoy your stay.
to L.M.B.
sence your a wild lands fire fighter,you'll fit in.
i fight fires alot of years ago for the USFS.good times,hard work.met a lot of great people.
later.

Hippie you had me in tears. 

[Matdy]

Gosta - The Lolo, nice.  I love that part of MT and have a couple of friends that live and a few that work seasonally out there.  Also, I just realized your from Mad-town.  Before I came to NM I went to school at Stevens Point and was from West Bend.


Hippie - Thanks for the (and the warning!)