VW rust decisions

One of the things I learned when it comes buying vintage VW bus and buses is to control my emotions before jumping into a project. With the prices of pre-1967 VW buses reaching astronomical levels, good deals are beginning to be scarce. Whenever an early bus or bug comes into the market, a huge flock of buyers seemed to descend on this deal and it is plucked out of the market in a matter of hours or even minutes.

One of the mistakes that people commit is buying old bugs and buses that are cheap without really realizing the cost to restore them to a level where the value of the vehicle is more than the amount they invested in it.

Recently, a pre-1967 VW bus was put in the market. The bus came somewhere in Mexico and brought to the U.S.. I don’t know exactly how it passed through the US-Mexico border. The owner put it up for sale for $2,200. I called the guy and he described to me the condition of the bus. When I saw that the bus had rust holes on the roof, I immediately backed out because I know that is an expensive repair. Collectors normally want a roof that is in good condition. The middle and high end buyers of vintage VWs are very picky but they make the highest bid on good conditioned buses and bugs.

I backed out on the deal and another guy came in and paid the full price. I found out that he paid about $300 at the Department of Motor vehicles for registration and other fees. The new owner is a VW flipper and so he immediately put up the bus for sale for $5000.

With the picky market, there seemed to be no takers for the bus. After a few weeks, I saw the asking price go down from $5000 to $3500. As of today, the bus is still for sale.

When buying a bug, specially a bus, always use caution in your purchase decision because a vintage vehicle can be a money maker or a money pit. Quickly identify the areas in the body that has rust because rust always equals restoration cost. Some parts of the VW is a common rust areas and can easily be repaired. But when rust reaches certain areas like the roof, nose, areas around the windshield, main body frame, the restoration cost becomes quite pricey.