I inspected that thoroughly before I paid $500 in towing 250+ miles on the back of a Uhaul. Superficial. The front is the worst of it, and it looks much worse than it actually is. It’s like rust tie-dye. Floor pans/chassis are solid.
I appreciate all of your advice. I’ll take heed. Also, the battery is the one and only step I’ve taken. It was an optimistic psyche-myself-up purchase over the holidays. I’m keeping it in a cool, dry place. Or my father is, rather.
Trust me, I’ve thought about it. It was my dad who suggested I wait it out a little longer. Come august, if it’s not running, eBay it is. Want to buy it?
Come on! Don’t give up that easily!
There is a generational divide present here. The Baby Boomer generation put off fun purchases until later in life, saving along the way. Today’s young people want immediate gratification and are willing to finance a brand new Mustang right out of college. I think the best balance is somewhere in between the two extremes.
When you say you are 28 and broke, I don’t think that gives us the whole picture. I find that when people’s income goes up or down, their lifestyles almost seem to adjust themselves. It isn’t how much you make, it is how much you keep. So my advice is to make a financial commitment to this vehicle. It doesn’t have to be a large commitment. If you haven’t already created a budget and looked at your finances, that would be a good place to start. Then set aside a small amount routinely for this project until you save enough to perform some part of the restoration. Find room in your budget for this project. You will be much happier, and if you encounter a financial crisis along the way, you can still sell the bus and use the money in your account for more important priorities.
I hear you, and I think it’s a good idea. When I can find work again, and actually have income again (was laid-off last November), I definitely will budget it.
I’m just glad I don’t want a brand new Mustang…
Thanks for clarifying the bit about the rust. A solid chassis accounts for a lot.
While it’s not a definitive test for all problems, you can do a quick test to find out if the engine will need to be rebuilt.
First try to rotate the engine with a wrench on the crankshaft pulley bolt.
After that, grasp the pulley and pull it back as hard as you can. Now, try to slam it forward. There should be little movement. If there is noticeable movement and a thunk sound this means the engine is worn out and doing a proper rebuild will mean a few specialized tools that even many auto machine shops do not have.
Same goes for multiple oil leaks. An air-cooled engine that leaks from multiple locations has to be rebuilt to cure these problems.
And always replace every fuel line on a regular basis. Many VWs have burnt to the ground because a regular fuel line replacement interval was not followed.
So if there isn’t a thunk sound then it could be decent shape? I’m in contact with the previous owner (when I said I “inherited” it, I didn’t mean through a death - he lives in england), and he said that over the course of the 10 years he drove it, he replaced a good portion of the engine. That’s not to say that 10 years under a tarp in the northeast couldn’t ruin it.
And thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. It’s all very helpful advice and suggestions.
I have a copy. So far, obviously, i haven’t put it to use…
Read it cover to cover. It is a good entertaining educational read even if you never see a VW.
I can belive what u have in ur posession it is a nice van if u still broke kept it when u get a job do what one of the person said save some money its along way buddy is gone cost u but u gone have one badass van how far u thinking in restoring it like a cali van style mucho money, or just get u from local town to town u know somenthing if ur friend is going to fix it for u ask him few questions does he know bodywork mecanic all that stuff u know just make sure he is not bs with the work on the van he should be able to tell u how much is gone cost u, if u still want to kept going go for it there is amag call hotwv there are a bunch of dealers and manufactors ads in it if ur friend knows how much is gone cost u get mag and start calling, if u dont like whst u going to spend put it on ebay i will keep an eye on its a nice van ill ship it to mexico for a good restoration; good luck on ur desition.
When in Rome act like a Roman, not every Forum uses text lingo as its default written language. Do you see anyone else writing as you do? I am not the Forum moderator so I only give opinion when I express the idea that the Forum has chosen not to use text shorthand.
Just to add something about the crank pulley comment I made earlier. A tight crank pulley does not mean the engine is fine. There could still be a compression problem in a cylinder or even a rod bearing knock.
However, what this wiggle test does is affirm right off the bat if the engine needs a total rebuild due to a main bearing problem.
Mileage and heavy use of the clutch means the crankshaft is jolted constantly against the thrust surface of one of the main bearings. The crankshaft has a small amount of free-play in it; about .010 or so when things are normal.
Over time the jolting of the crankshaft against the main bearing will actually beat the engine block out and increase the free-play. This leads to oil leaks, thumping, and erratic clutch operation.
This occurs because the material the main bearings are made out of is stronger than the engine block itself so the weaker block starts to give up over time.
The harder it’s driven and the more clutching being done, the faster it occurs and the more severe this problem becomes.
Let me share my perspective with you. You’re 28 and broke? Of course that is just a temporary situation. You never mentioned your maritial status. If you are a single guy, and need a hobby, or always dreamed of having one of these cars, and you don’t have to pay for storage, then if it were me, I’d keep the car. Now on the other hand, if you’re married and your better half isn’t crazy about the car the way you are, then this car-rebuilding idea might be just the straw that breaks the camels back. It will take much time and money, where you would otherwise be spending both on her. If can be a relatively cheap hobby providing the car is mechanically sound you keep your expectations low and are not looking to build a show car.
Even if you’re a poor man you can start somewhere with this bus. This is a pretty simple vehicle to work on . . . more or less. And if you have a candidate that’s not too rusty, it will be worth the trip. I’d do a project at a time, and then move on to the next. Obviously the engine & transmission are big $$ compared to other stuff. But you could do brakes . . . even one wheel at a time, if you want to do it as a hobby and on a budget. I vote to keep it. Rocketman
What he said.
In addendum, my advice is identify what you wish to do with the vehicle and how far you are willing to go, how much of the work you can realistically do on your own and an estimate of the work you will need to farm out to other shops as necessary. Even the tools you will need to do the work yourself can be pretty expensive. While you may not have the money right now, you still have plenty of time to think about what you want to do in the event you plan on keeping this van in the long term.
I was 24 and broke, then graduated from college and got a nice job, had some money, was laid off a couple of times and though I have a new, lesser paying job I am now married and broke. Fortunately in the span of 25 ? 26 I was able to spend money on my own 1968 project Cutlass before the wife had the right to complain. It really pays to be single during one of your projects, as you can really set your own priorities.
I have very little mechanical aptitude myself so I had to pay for most of the work to be done, including having major paint and bodywork done (purchased a hardtop roof from Desert Valley auto recycling yard in AZ to resolve those notorious rust issues related to vinyl tops) as well as an engine and transmission overhaul. If you don?t have the tools or know how to do much of the work yourself you could easily be spending tens of thousands of dollars on parts/mechanical/bodywork to really bring out the potential of your project.
I never thought I would spend $20K to get to where I am now with the Cutlass, and though I am happy with the outcome I would have never guessed it would have been so much time, money and effort. Not to mention there is still probably another $15K to go with the Interior, brakes, and differential as well as the (someday) planned overhaul of the original engine sitting in my garage.
While your VW looks great now it is surprising what you will find once you do decide to start tearing her down, as 40 years of grime and rust can really take its toll. From underneath my Cutlass looked fairly solid (and was) but that Vinyl roof and all the junk in the trunk hid all the rust issues in those areas. Things really look different when everything is stripped down.
Keep things realistic and good luck! If this is your dream I say go for it, and at the very least these things are plentiful so if this one turns out to be too much of a project a nicer one can be had fairly easily. And if you only want to tool around in an old beater, it shouldn?t cost much to keep it mostly as is and putt around in a cool old van, provided it is structurally sound, you can do much of the work yourself and all the important mechanical bits are in good shape.
Whitey, my friend, your comments about the generational divide are very true. Although I think regional differences may be more a factor. Certainly the west coast culture didn’t postpome enjoying life in the '60s and '70s. But we up here in the Northeast, and those in the midwest, probably did.
Thanks for the chuckle. Your point was well made.
28 and broke…welcome to the old car hobby!! I say you should absolutely keep this VW and make it part of your life. I’ve been building, maintaining, and enjoying old cars since junior high school in the early '70s. It’s a great hobby, and believe me, you’ll accumulate tons of useful knowledge that you can apply to any car, regardless of the age.
VW’s are some of the easiest cars to repair and maintain, and the design is about as complicated as an anvil. This makes them great cars for a first-timer like yourself. I agree with all the other replies suggesting you get a few repair manuals specific to your bus, and dive in.
One thing I adamantly disagree with, though, is that this vehicle shouldn’t be driven on today’s highways. Garbage !! The speed limits were higher in the 60’s when your bus was new. I drive tractor trailers for a living, and a VW bus will definitely out-accelerate a semi grossing 80,000#. And that means it can run the same roads as anybody else. The newest car I own is a '73, and I drive a '51 Chevy pickup the most when I’m home, and I take it anywhere. It tops out at just under 60. Do I run the center lane at 57 mph like a scared Gramma? No, of course not. A healthy dose of common sense, and a little courtesy, go way further than all the high tech gizmos packed into new cars today. Drive smart, and use your brain, and you and your VW Bus will have a long, fun life together.
Drive it and be glad you did!
Yeah, this is probably the ideal car to have for you. There’s a million cheap parts available, folks that own them are used to fixing them on the cheap, you could probably trade work for used parts, that kind of thing. Just do the simple stuff to prevent deterioration, like sand and prime the front to keep the rust at bay.
Are you up for a restoration project? That’s what your bus realisticly needs. I owned a '71 in similar condition and that’s what I did. You can do what it takes to drive it, but in the end you’ll end up fixing everything! I won’t sugar-coat it; it’s a huge, expensive job that when finished will yield a refinished antique which is fun and attracts attentiion but belongs to an age where interstate highways were an alternative.It’s a labor of love. Good luck!