This 1967 Volkswagen Bus is a little bit of a mystery. The seller says it was born in Germany as a 13-window bus, but as you can see, there have been eight more windows added on the roof making this a 21-window version. The ad is a little mysterious about exactly how this conversion came to be, saying “I purchased from a brokerage who contracted the exacting factory conversion.” The van can be found here on eBay with an asking price of $80,000. Located in Los Angeles, California, this van looks right at home on the beach. Let us know what you think of this conversion. Is it similar to a Yenko clone or someone putting Chevelle SS badges on a bare-bones Malibu?
The seller says the interior is all original with the exception of re-covered front seats. As you can tell, this model also features a large sunroof, which is a really fun feature. This bus would be great to go camping in!
The engine has been professionally rebuilt and has less than 800 miles on it. The seller doesn’t say what the engine is, but they could range from 1.6 to 2.0 liters in size. If you are a keen-eyed reader who knows what engine it is, leave a comment.
The seller touts the “originality” of this van (except for the roof windows I suppose). Obviously, the paint appears to be original and sun-baked. Overall, this is a really cool van, but I’m not sure if the current owner will realize their asking price. What do you think?
Partial picture of the engine reveals its still a single port and in 67 they would have been a 1500cc. If it’s been rebuilt most likely it’s a 1600 now. The large portion of the engine compartment shows a gas heater option which is desirable to have. Looks like a nice clean bus and maybe someone is willing to pony up 80K to buy this. To me it just seems crazy what a factory 21 window would sell for.
For anyone who is considering taking the plunge to own one of these classics you have to owned one in the past or you need to spend time driving in windy weather. These are terrible in crosswinds and with the small engine performance is nonexistent. I remember the first bus I worked on as a technician. I was driving in a heavy crosswind counter steering more than a 1/4 turn when a drove by a barn close to the road that blocked the wind. I damn near crossed into the incoming traffic! I drove back to the shop and proceeded to tell my story to the other techs. They all had a good laugh that day knowing what I was talking about. Also the shifters were so nondescript about what gear you were shifting into. You just pointed the shifter in the general direction and hoped you hit it.
“Dude, you rubbed the paint too hard”,,,let’s take a BF’s poll shall we? How would YOU spend $80,000? If you say, “buy a VW bus”, you need professional help.
Would not pay that kind of money for this bus but it is a very nice example. Years ago I paid $500 for my panel van with a fresh rebuilt engine so, yes, I think the market has gone nuts on these.
Looks good but price is waaaay too high, I don’t care what they go for at Barrett-Jackson.
Hilarious HoA!
Having owned a REAL 21 Window in the Eighties and having sold it for Six Large, I thought I cleaned up. I love these busses but I’m not paying even five grand for one. But then no one asked me :)
True story…some years ago I was at one of the well known auctions enjoying the sight of guys whose supply of the little blue pills had diminished and with their gold chains bumping against their ample bellies, trying to outbid each other on a bus. I mean these guys wouldn’t have been caught DEAD driving one back in the day…..
Capitalism certainly has it’s ironies
Nostalgia is expensive, as we all know. What I don’t understand is people who spend 30K to put a Subaru water cooled engine in one of these. Granted, you just made it safer, but what a chunk of change.
I wish I had their money.
Something about that engine doesn’t look right. There is a downpipe that does appear to be down all the way. And I see a rubber hose with a clamp. Did the gas heater heater use some kind of recirculating water?
It looks like a flue inducer, which would purge the gas heater exhaust from the heat exchanger. Definitely needed to prevent CO and H²O from accumulating in the loop
Just my guess.
Not sure what the parts were called but the gas heater in our ’73 Thing had a separate intake and exhaust and a third pipe into the interior. I’ve seen the bus heater but don’t know how it’s plumbing works. Either way, I was real glad to have that heater for Oklahoma winters.
I had a bus like this, a 40 hp engine and all. It was slow. I have one now that is has an 1800cc engine that is quicker. Although the interior looks lovely, is open and enthusing, the roadworthiness is ruled by the wind.
It doesn’t matter your destination, or where you intend to go, the wind is a huge factor driving anywhere. You might end up in a better place, that is the gamble.
I don’t understand the high prices these are fetching.
My ’66 gas heater was mounted under the dashboard. It sometimes made an exciting firecracker pop when firing up! That unconnected pipe looks to be missing an extension needed to get the heater’s combustion gas outside the engine compartment, witness the hole directly beneath. Those wires touching it aren’t a great idea either!! The ’66 had a similar pipe through the floor. I avoided using it even though it gets really cold in Wisconsin. Fear of fire!!
The asking price makes buying a Hemi B body at Mecum or Barrett-Jackson like a trip to GoodWill.
At some point the music will stop and someone will not have a chair to sit on. Thats how I see the sudden quick demise of the over inflated pricing for these slightly under average vans. They were owned by hippies back in the day because they were CHEAP transportation. Not fast, safe or remarkable but CHEAP.
“What do U think?”
They added thousands of Resale (‘consumer’) dollars to it w/the window change.
BUT
for the ‘collector’ they nixed 80% of the entire Value that way.
Funny how these 2 can B so different. I can side with the 2nd as I own a collectable and think it looks pretty weird when pimped up as some do. (I think we hada example ofa 4 dor Jeep FC in grey recently).
My assumptions is the vin tag or what ever a ve dub has, has not been changed to match (illegal) and the tag shows detail like that of Mr Danford’s article.
turbo…lol
An eight-window replacement roof with a fabric sunroof is available fro several restoration parts sources and from South America where the Samba was produced after Germany stopped making them. I put 213,000 miles on a 23-window bus in the early seventies and sold it for $25.00.
Tom…..u could have left it in your front yard all these years and got more $ today!