I just finished looking over and admiring a co-worker’s VW pickup yesterday at a car show where I work. They really are practical vehicles, and he was telling me that his father had purchased it new. He was able to resurrect it after a long period of storage in a day or so and drove it home! That kind of simplicity appeals to me in a big way, and based on the interest in these and VW buses, I’m not alone! This one can be found in Maryville, Tennessee and is listed for sale here on eBay, where bidding is only just over $2,500 as I write.

So how much rust are we talking about, Jamie? This much. That’s right, there are actually parts of the vehicle that are just plain missing (look at the lower edge here where someone has added household cabinet latches because the lock plate is just completely gone)! It’s a testimony to the innate strength of the design that the seller is currently using this truck as a daily driver.

There are some spots that aren’t too bad; for example, most of what you see in this rear view is surface rust. And it is pretty cool to drive something looking like this that runs well! I ran a Spitfire with similar non-original ventilation issues for about a year and a half as a daily driver; apart from getting wet every time I drove through a large puddle it was fun to surprise people with how well it drove.

Hmmmm! A new way to access the engine! Realistically, some repairs are going to have to happen even to use this truck as-is. I’d certainly be afraid to put anything heavy in the bed! Perhaps if you are going for the p-word look, a simple plate steel fix would at least restore the utility of the truck.

The interior is serviceable considering the exterior appearance. Kinda fitting, don’t you think?

But on to the good news! The seller has installed a rebuilt 1970 1600 cc engine with about 30-40 thousand miles on it, and rebuilt the brakes and other major systems to make the truck run very well and be reliable. They are also including the original engine, which still runs but probably needs to be rebuilt. Plenty of pictures are included in the auction listing to illustrate what you’d be getting into.

I’m sure there are some enthusiasts who love cutting and welding more than mechanical repairs–this may be the perfect vehicle for those folks. Or maybe you like the idea of using it as-is for the sleeper look? What would you do with this great VW find?