1966 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

1600 DP

246169960

Clear

It is with some trepidation that I list “Pete”. This is an iconic piece of Americana. I am fortunate enough to live 3 blocks off Old 66, the Mother Road and so very much enjoy driving with Pete down it. He is a beloved part of our family and am torn on whether to sell him or not. I bought him with a "2 phase" process of care in mind. Phase 1 was to get him up and running safely, reliably and looking good. Phase 2 was to slam him down, increase the comfort in which he drives, and tweak his looks even more to my style. Phase 1 is complete. And before I launch aggressively into Phase 2 I am offering Pete up to another VW enthusiast that could realize their dream from the point at which I have taken Pete to. I bought and built this bus to be a solid weekend cruiser. Phase 1 is complete. He is road ready and safe to drive. Phase 2 will be to slam him to the ground and updating the transaxle to a freeway flyer model. He currently sits at stock ride height on a set of vintage Empi’s and still rolls through his original gear reduction drivetrain…max speed of 63 mph…..prefers 50 mph. What Pete is NOT; $40k fully restored auction piece. $15k “patina queen”. $10k project with “title issues” Body; Great overall shape. Clean drip rails, no rust, paint is 20 footer…looks great from 20 feet. Nose never been hit, no bondo, still has some dimples primarily around the gas door….didn’t fill them because I didn’t want bondo cracking…rather live with the small metal imperfections than cracks in bondo. Orange peel in some but, again, I built this to cruise not to show. H4 headlight conversations complete with new seals on both the buckets and the headlight lenses. When I replace something I do it completely. Full original belt line trim. Reproduction "volkswagen" emplem on rear and front. Reproduction elephant ear side mirrors. Front and rear blade bumpers, some nicks and rust but nothing more than surface. Rear corners are solid! Drip rails are true. Excellent candidate to make into a 21 window. Undercarriage; Some rust….the worst is primarily around the 4 jack points…the worst is shown in a picture. The inner apron on the front has rust, the outer lower nose cone is clean. Engine: strong running 1600 DP 75 amp chrome alternator kit 12 volt conversation urethane manifold bushings all new points, condenser, cap, rotor, wires, plugs Runs great! Does not smoke, does mark its spot in my garage but would not call it a “leaky engine”. New engine compartment seal included but not installed. Bought in prep for “phase 2” of this build…when I would pull the engine and transaxle to lower and change the gearing of Pete. Empi exahaust J-pipes. NO HEAT. Doghouse blocked off. NO HEAT. Original air cleaner included, but missing the pipes that go to the carb. Gearbox Original gear reduction boxes…left side re-sealed recently. Shifts good, no popping out of gear. Clutch is good. Have to push ever so slightly to the left as you press the clutch pedal down. Shifter linkage is a bit loose….but fully functional. I do have a complete bushing kit for the shifter linkage and was planning on installing when I dropped Pete and changed the transaxle out to a long axle Type 1…which I will do if I decide to keep him. No leaks from axles or transaxle. Interior: Original Z bed rear seat. Bay window bus middle seat, NO mounting hardware included. Seat is black in color and near perfect in shape. Seatbelts installed in rear seat and front seats Green vinyl is in really good shape save for a 2 inch long slit in the back seat. Cheap gray carpet in rear. Leaves a cleaner look but my plans are to go with a bamboo floor in the future, should I keep Pete. Floors are solid….see pics. NOTE: Non replacement cargo floor metal was used to patch the rot at the entrance to the cargo area. It works well and doors operate as they should. Rear hatch floor is super clean. Original, not reproduction, jail bars are installed and in great condition. Rear hatch seal is new Most window hardware is complete and working save for the no-draft latch on the passenger front window and a broken pop-out latch…see pics of both of these. Air exchanger is way cool! I am a bug guy at heart, so this system of allowing air into the cabin is wicked cool. Gas gauge works. Speedo does not (am planning on fixing that if I enter into “phase 2” of this build, when I drop his front end) No radio…4 small cuts extending out from the original radio spot as if someone in the past ALMOST cut the dash up. So its not unmolested but far from “cut up”. Original clock not working. It’s a 6 volt and bus is now 12 volt. Wipers kinda work….but would list them as not working as I don’t believe they would do much good in a rain storm. I was never going to work on them. “phase 2” would have me installing safari windows....no need to work on wipers that would just get in my way! new sunvisors old headliner with ribs included but not installed Email or call with any questions. Pete has a clean Missouri title and is being sold “as is”. I believe Pete to be a solid running and driving bus, but he is almost 50 years old. Do not expect this to replace your Dodge minivan as your family commuter. Would I drive it cross country? Yes, but I am very realistic about what this would mean….a slow, fun, uncomfortable but satisfying experience with chances for failure. It is the type of experience I very much enjoy….but is not for everyone. Phase 2, should I enter it, would make that road trip more enticing for more folks…but the increase in price would reflect that. Please contact me only if you are serious and realistic about buying and caring for Pete. These splittys are doing nothing but increasing in value. I know what I have. I am a 30 year “air head” and stand in awe at the prices these things are going for. I am asking a fair price for a good micro. I have played around with the idea of installing the “samba roof” kit as Pete is an excellent candidate for this and would jump up the value even more….but that is not why I bought this bus originally. I am old school VW enthusiast….not a car collector or investor. My enjoyment is not what this is worth, it is what VW’s represent….fun, unique, quirky, easy to work on and family-friendly when it comes to the cash it needs to take part in this hobby. My concern is the rate in which VW’s are skyrocketing, particularly the splitty market, is that this hobby will be out of reach of the common man, including me, in the near future….and that is a big loss for me. I mean come on, $10k for a 1966 "Patina" bug?!?! Guess I have become that “old guy”…..bare with me. VW’s have been a love of mine for decades…..now when I show up at a cruise in I am many times greeted as if I just showed up in a numbers matching Hemi car! Its just not the same. Dang that American Pickers show! Smile. I very much enjoy talking about Pete and would welcome such conversations from all. But if you are serious about buying him, please be more than a person in love with the IDEA of owning Pete....be a realistic enthusiast. The college girls you see in the photo's above LOVED the idea of Pete, but doubt any of them would actually LOVE taking care of him. KWIM? I have intentionally undersold Pete in this ad. He has warts but he is a solid bus that is getting more rare to find each year. I can accept Paypal but buyer to pay all fees. Thanks for viewing Pete. I reserve the right to pull this ad and jump into phase 2! And I have two young girls who have tears in their eyes as they accept that Pete may no longer be a part of our family….so it’s not gonna take much for me to continue to care for him. While I will stay an enthusiasts and will buy others, I am not interested in trades. Can take any pic you want...wish I could post more. On Nov-23-14 at 16:59:07 PST, seller added the following information: I reserve the right to end auction early as the bus is for sale locally and have several people kicking the tires. Bus is sold "as is". Buyer is responsible for all shipping fees and Paypal fees if that is how the auction is paid for. I am happy to meet the shipper and help him load it. Thanks for viewing Pete....he is a part of our family and my daughters and wife are sad to see him on Ebay. Peace