1973 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

1.7 liter flat four

Manual

2232115914

Unfortunately my loss will be your gain. I purchased this bus to be my primary vehicle and daily driver. Unfortunately the person I purchased it from was incredibly dishonest and was essentially running a used car lot out of his house. He failed to tell me that it had a bent rod, and one of the tires literally came apart within 5 miles. When we talked before the sale, he literally said "it runs great, I drove it yesterday, pick it up and drive it away". It hadn't been driven in at LEAST a year when I got there. The good news (for you) is that it is in pretty decent shape for an un-restored vehicle of this age. I put on brand-new tires all the way around (plus a really good used tire as the spare), a brand-new battery (and connectors), brand new coil, new vacuum hoses, brand new cap and rotor, and brand new plug wires. This is what I usually do first thing when I get an older car (as I always seem to do). They all have less than 200 miles on them. I also added a cup holder/cell phone holder that slides into the ashtray slot (it is actually pretty slick), the ashtray is in the glove box if you want to put it back. I tried to take as many and detailed pictures as I could. The body is extremely straight, and the doors all open and close really well (including the sliding door). There is very little rust (other than surface rust), the only place I could find is in front of the one tire (in the picture). There is a spot on the back driver’s-side corner where it looks like someone backed into something, but not bad at all (also in an attached picture). There is rust under the windshield, but not in the foot wells (which seems to be the most common, pictures of both are here). There aren't any holes in the canvas, although the bungee cords aren't all there so you have to be careful to pull in the sides when closing the roof. The dining room table is in its slot. There is a chip in the front windshield in the upper-driver's side; I attached a picture of it. The gas stove and heater are still there, although the propane tank is too rusty to use as it is. The upper bed is in really good shape (I couldn't fit myself and camera in with the entire thing out, but the foot section is definitely there). The seats all need to be reupholstered. The good news is that I purchased new sisal, new form-fit padding and new coverings for the front seats. The bad news is that I got the wrong ones. I ordered them before I picked up the bus as I was planning to re-cover them when I got it, unfortunately I ordered the ones for seats without the head rest. If you send them back, they will send you the correct ones, and the price was really close to the same. I purchased a rolling floor jack (which is in the bus, brand-new), the original jack is also there. As you can see in the pictures, the particle board that makes up the cabinets will need to be replaced at some point; it is pretty rare for it to last. The engine is the stock 1.7-liter engine; however it has been converted from fuel injection over to twin two-barrel carburetors. It ran and accelerated great until the bent rod became too bad to continue. I heard it lightly in the beginning and wasn't sure of what it was, when it suddenly intensified I immediately shut off the engine and coasted to a stop. I had the bus towed to Southern Buggies in London, KY. They work on nothing but air-cooled VW's. He started it (for a very short while) and confirmed that it has a bent rod. He said that his shop would rebuild it and replace the bent rod for $380 plus parts. To be honest, this whole thing is heartbreaking for me. I have owned two other transporters, and was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I already have more than $5,000 invested in this one, and because I couldn't use it to move (like I had planned) I had to invest another $3,000 to rent a van one-way to move. I just don't have the money or vacation time left to have it fixed and to fly back down to pick it up. I've been wrestling with this decision for two weeks, and have finally decided I can't afford it. I have no choice at this point but to sell it unless I wanted to leave it there for another month while I saved money. Southern Buggies will be happy to fix it for you, or you can pick it up and fix it yourself if you are so inclined (or if you have a spare engine). I really wish I could keep it myself. Feel free to contact me with any other questions. If you live near London, KY, you can stop in to Southern Buggies and look at it. The owner knows I have it for sale and will answer whatever he can as well. I've had 5 people look at it and express interest; however I can't wait for them to make a decision. This is a big-ticket item, and as such I only accept people who already have a score with eBay, or who directly contact me *before* making a bid. I have twice been burned by people without any rating who were just kicking tires, so if you are new to eBay please contact me before you bid or I will remove your bid. As far as shipping, you are entirely responsible for getting the bus and all costs. That said, I have friends who live both in London and nearby who would be happy to facilitate the pickup if you need someone to meet a transportation company at the location outside of Southern Buggy's hours.