This 1970 VW bus is all about “surfer dude” meets “hot rod dude.” Not only does the bus have a great patina look, but it also features a roof rack with a surfboard, lowered suspension, and some performance out back. It can be found for sale here on Hemmings.com with an asking price of nearly $30,000. There is no mention of the history of the bus, but it is being sold by Streetside Classics in North Carolina. Have a closer look at this awesome VW!
As mentioned, the rear hatch conceals a 1500cc VW motor that has been given enough attention to make it a reliable daily driver. The transmission is a 4-speed manual and the seller says it has “kept people enchanted for over 70 years.”
The interior features some typical VW bus additions including carpet in the cargo area. However, there are some surprises too. The driver’s area looks oddly modern with both rows of seats having been recovered with matching door panels as well. The passenger area is also upgraded. The floor is perhaps the most noticeable change…It is covered with bamboo and woven panels. There is also a sunroof to enjoy the sun or stars.
Overall, this is a really cool bus that any surfer or beach bum would love to have. How about you? Is this your style?
Kind of a neat rig but I’m having a problem finding anything worth 30K here. Anybody to help me out here?
Not that it is much help, but I agree with you 100%, and it isn’t just this bus, it almost everything coming across BF. 7K for a Honda 3 wheeler, 16.2K with reserve unmet for a rusty fake SS 396 Camaro. It’s just nuts!
Patina?
For $30,000 there is no patina that will crank my gears…
He might have confused it with a split window bus when searching the price guides.
Steve R
Paint it brown and call it a dog turd
And I’m getting tired of the “surfboard thing”.
Could it look any ‘stupider’, lowered like that?
This is the end product of a couple good old boys having way too many Budweisers and deciding to place an ad in Hemmings.
“Watch this”.
Can you blame them? Who doesn’t like to take money from rich morons?
I am sick and tired of the “patina” look, rat rods excluded. And the price is laughable, been smokin too much weed and watching ” Fast Times At Ridgemont High”. Come back to reality, and get out of your Mom’s basement.
The word patina means….
paint it yourself sucker so I can make more cash!
I remember driving these back in the day, they were woefully underpowered and down right terrifying in a crosswind. They had a cool quirky factor about them…
For $30K there are a lot of other options that would be a lot more fun.
I’ll keep my nice, not lowered 66 split screen single cab,thank you.
I grew up in Huntington Beach, so I knew a few surfers. These buses went for about $500 each. Guys would trade surfboards for buses.
Stale “build” concept.
F on that stance.
Could’ve splurged on a Rustoleum roller paint job instead!
The Hemmings post suggests that “… the special hum of the motor and the control of the four-speed manual transmission have their own mystic that has kept people enchanted for over 70 years.”
I can’t tell if they meant mystique or mistake, so chose mystic as a middle ground…
We had a 1965, a split window, bought in New England and drove to ABQ for a winter and all over the rest of the West. Came back to CT and a 1967, first 12volt year for a work van, then a 1971 for another cross-country. 1971 was the first year for front disc brakes and dual port head. It was pretty reliable until it…wait, guess…swallowed the #3 exhaust valve. Still was fun and generally reliable except for the sheet metal crash “protection” in front.
I’m somewhat nostalgic about these, liked the one I saw in ABQ with a small-block Chevy sticking out the back, but more safety focused today.
“and some performance out back” got me excited and I enlarged the engine photo – I could not see any performance enhancements….
I then wondered if the lowered suspension assisted with strong crosswinds …..
I then got bored. But at no time did I consider buying this and I have owned & loved many of these over the years, maybe not for surfing but for roadtrips and sleeping out.
There are much better ones out there.
30K? How is this even possible? This isnt a Samba, just a run of the mill VW. I sold mine in the early ’90’s for $500.00 and was glad to see it go. Gutless, went through engines like crazy.. I was lucky to get 20,000 miles out of one and that was with regular valve adjustments. Had other VW’s that I liked, but the bus was not one of them. Cant see any kind of collector value here, especially that kind of a nuts price.