As part of the large Georgia collection cleanout we’re handling (get excited, I’m headed back there this weekend!), one of the Barn Finds Exclusives we listed  a 1974 VW Bus – sold quite fast. It was a great project vehicle, with minimal rust and a clean interior. It was absolutely in far better shape than this 1969 VW Bus here on eBay, which has a  $5K Buy-It-Now. Granted, it’s a low-light model, but I don’t think that’s enough to justify restoring what is otherwise a parts Bus.

Bidding is active for this Bus, ticking above $700 at the moment. As I learned with selling the ’74 and the earlier split-windows, the model year makes a huge difference as it relates to value. A 1969 likely has some parts that are hard to come by, and the low-light moniker – which has to do with where the turn signals are mounted on the front-end – does play a role in enthusiasts’ perception of desirability and/or rarity.

The seller says the Bus belonged to his parents and then came into his possession. Since he makes little effort to photograph the interior and no mention of a project gone sideways, my guess is he reluctantly inherited this Bus. Why else would you shove it into the Back 40 and let it get covered with so much moss the original color is mostly obscured? This is a sad, unloved Bus, and it didn’t have to be this way.

Of course, with this much surface rust blossoming on every panel, there’s a good chance there was no hope for the ’69 even when it arrived in the seller’s possession. Old aircooleds don’t respond well to sitting outside and exposed for years at a time, which this Bus almost certainly has. I’m sure there’s an easy $1K in parts on this VW, but I would call the seller’s Buy-It-Now quite optimistic. Do you agree?