Somebody please talk me down (VW bus lust)

Ok, so Ive always been a VW and station wagon nut but never been in a position where I could buy one. Well Ive got a little extra cash and think it would be good for me to have a small wagon as a mostly DD to go to work and the occasional short trip (under 4 hours) to save gas and mileage on the taco. As Ive been looking, Ive started notice more buses and westys that might fit some of my future expedition needs and be good to haul surfboards. The problem is, this is basically what the taco does and a bus kind of negates the whole idea of getting something more economical to drive. The truck fits my needs perfectly but some things are changing and I would like to take some people with me on a few trips that sleeping in a truck bed under a camper just wont work for and I just really do love the old buses. Somebody tell me a tent is easier, cheaper and more practical; stick with the plan and get a wagon.

Oh, and before you say it. I know old iron doesnt make for the best DD and have restored, driven and worked on many pld cars throughout my life (theyre what my dad lives for). It doesnt need to be 100% reliable, Im keeping the taco regardless.
 

Desert Dan

Explorer
I'd stay with the Toyota for reliability reasons.

What year(s) VW vans are you looking at?
How often would you use it?
You could get a tent for overflow campers.
Having an extra vehicle means more maintenance and insurance.

I've had several VW's and one 1970 van that was great for camping. Besides being under powered, at the mercy of side and head winds and needing lots of tinkering it was great. I'm glad I was never in a head on collision in the van that's for sure.
 
I'm deffinitely not looking to replace the tacoma. You're right the reliability is key and its built to be very fitting to my needs. I'm really just looking for a decent scoot around town car with the possibility of taking my dad (has disabilities that make tent camping hard, and sleeping in the camper impossible) out camping again and a few friends that also would be more perceptive to not sleeping in the truck or tent. I have enough tent space around here to house a small army. The longest trip the bus would see is a 250 miles one way. The only reason I havent jumped is because I know a squareback would be more fitting to my everyday needs and they're bad ***. Whatever I end up getting will be registered and driven. The van im looking at is a 74 campmobile, also have my eye on a 71 squareback right now.

Edit: Just realized this might be more fitting in the van forum. Mods feel free to move it if you want.
 

carolinasuby

New member
Go for the bus. I am down in Charleston, and am pondering the same idea. There is a guy in wilmington selling a nice Westfalia and asking $7800 for it. Here is the link. http://wilmington.craigslist.org/cto/1884087735.html I emailed with him a few times, and his name is Mike, and he seems like a nice guy. I would go for this one, but the wife would make me live in it if I bought it so.........
 

pnwkayaker

New member
Sorry, cannot help you, I have a 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro, and I believe is the most amazing vehicle ever built (there, I said it) :bike_rider:
I looked a lot, and couldn't find a vehicle as versatile as this
 

Wyowanderer

Explorer
Go to a local mechanic who works on the regularly and price a complete exhaust system. That ought to dissuade you from owning one.
 

billwilson

Adventurer
vw bus

I had a '84 westy
bought a good one
tricked it out

loved my westy
too cool to drive

sold it and bought a smb

a decent westy is $20k by the time you are done
however, no a/c, no power, and a 20 year old rig

you can get a decent 2wd SMB for the same price

ps
my smb is my 6th rig

'63 vw bus
'68 vw panel bus with corvair drive train
'73 chev 3/4 ton with Sleeper camper
same chev w/ cab over
'84 westy
'01 smb
 

mutineer

New member
the words durable and VW are almost never found in the same sentence

I have had a couple of aircooled VW's (a 74 Super Beetle and a 73' Thing) and an 01 Jetta so I am not coming at this from a inexperienced position

I was always a fan of VW and was consistently let down by quality and durability concerns
 

redbeard

Adventurer
the words durable and VW are almost never found in the same sentence

I have had a couple of aircooled VW's (a 74 Super Beetle and a 73' Thing) and an 01 Jetta so I am not coming at this from a inexperienced position

I was always a fan of VW and was consistently let down by quality and durability concerns

Just spent a while talking to my dad, and he echoed the same thing. His words were among the lines of "I'll never own another volkswagon"

He too - dealt with many problems. The last one he owned was a '73 bus.

He said something about starter motor, clutch cable, broken valve heads, nervous breakdown...I think you get the picture...
 
S

Scenic WonderRunner

Guest
In 1975, while going to college in San Diego. I bought a used 1972 VW Van with 70,000 miles on it. I picked it up cheap. Less than 20,000 miles later the engine blew on the freeway. I was just cruising along at 55...and all of a sudden the engine made a huge Clacking sound and it died! Now it's dead on the side of the freeway.

I called a friend to please come pull me home with a tow rope. In the old days you could just do that I guess.

Two blocks away from my house in Pacific Beach (Emerald Street) was an independent VW shop. I asked the owner to rebuild my engine. We bored it out and even did a dual port with carb. It was actually kinda fast.

Maroon with a white top.

I moved back to Honolulu in 1980, and I shipped it home, and after a few months my new engine started making a clacking noise again! A Clicking sound! I hate that! I had enough with this underpowered engine and decided to sell the Van. I loved the Van, but the underpowered engine sucked. Even though we souped it up.

That's when I sold it and bought my 1972 Porsche 911.

Many trips to Arizona in that VW Van on the I~8 with a strong headwind. Do you know what it's like to have a strong headwind slow you down in a VW Van? It makes you Lean Forward!....LOL OK Everybody! Lean Forward! And Pedal Faster!

If I could do it all over again. I would put in a Porsche 911 engine, and never worry again.

That's my suggestion.



.
 
Yea, I know its not practical. This is totally an emotional decision, the tacoma will stay for practicality. I have grown up riding in totally unpractical, unreliable, and cool cars my whole life. I dont think I have made a single practical decision my whole life, too boring, wouldn't have it any other way. Im going to look at a bus and 64 falcon wagon today, we'll see. I'm also going to start keeping an eye out for a water cooled syncro for reliability and odd-ball factor.

Back to one of the original points of this thread, what kind of mileage could i expect from a bus or syncro? Simply for curiosity sake.
 

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