Sometimes, one craigslist ad can address all of your yearnings in one shot. If you’ve been hunting for a Volkswagen Bus and haven’t been able to settle on a single generation, you may want to get in touch with one seller in Portland, Oregon who has a nice assortment of desirable Buses for sale from each generation. The early split window is shown here, and not only is it a desirable Type 2, but it’s a super rare Sundial conversion. The Sundials were effectively the “American Westfalia” and are hard to come by today; the seller claims his example is very solid and he’s asking $25,000 for the Bus. Find it and the rest of the collection here on craigslist.
The seller also has this later bay window Bus with the desirable pop-top sleeping arrangement, and orange is probably one of the best colors for a camper of this vintage. The seller claims this one is also very sold, although it sounds like it has a few more instances of rot than the Sundian conversion. The frame is rust-free and the interior is said to be complete, which is sometimes one of the more challenging aspects of restoring one of these – tracking down all of the original “Campmobile” pieces that are incredibly hard to find these days. The seller notes the engine does need an overhaul, so factor that into your offer against the $10,000 asking price.
And now for something completely different, before we return to the Buses, is this mildly customized 1971 Sqaureback. These are interesting vehicles, not necessarily the most collectible air-cooled you can buy but definitely one of the more unique specimens. The seller’s Squareback is tweaked with an aftermarket exhaust that he claims makes the rear-mounted flat-four engine really sing, and the photos show it to have multiple paint colors splashed over its claimed rust-free sheetmetal. The suspension looks quite low and the wheels are aftermarket; the seller is asking $7,500.
And if you’re a fan of the later Buses, the seller has you covered there as well. This is a 1984 Vanagon with a 1.9L water-cooled engine. It has a four-speed manual and came from the factory without air conditioning, so I’m guessing it will feel even faster than one with A/C! The seller claims it will cruise at 75 and even kiss 80 if you ask it nicely, which seems like a lot to ask from one of these over-worked flat-fours. It has front disc brakes but the middle seat is missing (why is every Bus missing the middle seat?!), but the seller points out that you can live without it once you realize the rear seat converts into a proper bed. The asking price for this one is $11,000. Lots to like here for the VW fan – which one would you take home?
Interesting custom lettering on the green ’65 camper “30 Sperm Whales.”. Must be more to the story.
Looks like there’s an = sing in front of the 30, so probably an ecology themed post…
Bought an ’84 factory camper with AC and it didn’t affect the power or speed at all. Pulled race cars on an open trailer at 70 mph with no problem. Only problem was the uncomfortable front seats and the input bearing coming apart at 81,000 miles.
Note: the Squareback’s lowered stance is similar to what we did with our Notchback which was decamber the rear suspension, rotate the front torsion bars one square, and install a set of good shocks. Dramatically changed the handling for the better.
greetings from Puerto Rico I am interested in the orange Riviera how could I bring it home and if that is the final price, thank you very much
Eric, click on the “craigslist” link towards the beginning of this write-up, and find the owner of these vehicles there… Good luck!
The 65 bus is one of the more workable early type 2’s I’ve seen in a while. It needs EVERYTHING but not “everything from the windows on down” like most of them. WORTH 25 grand? I often wonder, as an owner/driver/mechanic of VW buses for 50+ years, how many people buy them, restore them and then go “What was I THINKING?!?!?” when they actually have them on the road.
Collecting the parts (bumpers et al) and then fixing or replacing almost everything from windshield gaskets to shift rod bushings, you could end up with 2x the asking price. Yes, the 65 bus WILL go 65 MPH with a strong 1500 or 1600 CC engine but it will not like it and neither will you. 3450 rpm is VW’s published maximum sustained RPM on those engines. 65 would be 4500+. 45mph is a much better speed. Brakes and handling at the lower speed is better/safer.
So $50K for the ability to drive around town in a cramped noisy vehicle where people will look and give you a thumbs up or flash a peace sign? I guess some people crave attention more than I do….. Yeah, I’d be loading it on the trailer right now for $2500. I have or can get most of the parts cheap enough and do all the work and, even then, I’d be in it for 10 grand and go “What was I THINKING!” The other vehicles are just “meh” versions of things that are still available and they are, in my opinion, over priced.
The reason that many buses are missing the center seat: they are easily removed to be able to haul furniture, bags of mulch, etc.. and the seat is then put in the back of the garage when the task is completed. “Stuff” is then piled upon the seat. Later, the bus is sold with little thought given to replacing the middle seat.
The same thing happens to truck tailgates.
Located in Portland, OR
The orange bus brings back good memories. “Lead Twinkie” I miss you!
Same with our ’77 “Orange Julius” camper.
Seller must have found some doobies crammed in the bus dashboard.