…and we should all be ok with that. Is it astoundingly dumb that a rusted, engineless shell of a 1960 15-window VW Bus would sell for so much money? Yes. However, that’s really only a good thing for us. Those of us owning anything close to this model might feel a trickle-down bump from the inflating prices of these vans, while the rest of us will just find something else that’s cheap and endearingly crappy.
Whoever’s bidding up this van knows that completely restored versions are selling for even more absurd prices at auction. He or she is doing the math on what it’d take to reconstruct what’s missing and shine up what’s there. Whether or not they actually make money on the endeavor is irrelevant; someone’s about to pour mid five-figure sums into independent automotive shops and parts suppliers to bring this thing back to life. Those dollars aren’t going to buy cheap sweatshop-made sensors and sending units via RockAuto for a more sensible newish car, they’re going to the Hanzel’s Auto Body Works and Canepas of the world. If everyone were cheapskates like us, the automotive aftermarket economy couldn’t support itself. If some nostalgia-drunk (or just drunk drunk) Baby Boomer with more money than sense wants to create their own personal stimulus package, more power to them.
In case you’re interested in practicing your body work skills for the next 100 years, here’s the auction. Bidding ends Saturday!
1960 Volkswagen Bus for sale – eBay Motors
I thought the ‘rustoration’ mustie1 did on his 1959 single cab was insane:
That van might be beyond even his skill.
“…to sell for over $6000”
Or not sell at all, as the most significant words so far are “Reserve not met.”
Indeed, the reserve remained unmet at $7600 at the close of the auction.
“Reasonable result”, said the warden.
Saw this in front of a store in BC.
What do you think, should I offer then $10k? Or is that ripping them off?
It’s Canada. Offer Beaver pelts, maple syrup and an autographed Triumph album cover.
As a Canadian, I should be offended…
…but then I realized that my family has beavers on our property, we have maple syrup in the fridge, and my dad probably a Triumph album in his cassette collection.
You shouldn’t be offended. If I’d said an autographed Bieber CD and Winnipeg Jets tickets, you should have been offended.
I definitely would have been offended. By the way, when are you coming to claim him?
https://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/loser-keeps-justin-bieber-hockey-olympics-lead-11.jpg?w=600
http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/02/21/usa-keeps-justin-bieber-loses-to-canada-olympics-hockey/
It’s only a matter of time. The U.S. and Canada have an extradition agreement.
Maybe Dubai wants him. His cars would certainly fit in:
http://www.celebritycarsblog.com/celebrity/justin-bieber/
He has good taste in models (R8, Karma, CTS-V), but his taste in customization..
/shudder/
Not car, much less an R8 deserves a leopard print vinyl rap.
http://cdn.celebritycarsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/justin-bieber-leopard-print-audi-r8-600×600.jpeg
As much as I dislike his “music” and pretty much everything else about him, hey, he’s an earner. So I guess he’s good for something.
“What is seen in the pictures is what is included, nothing more and nothing less!!”
That is a lie. I can almost guarantee a lot of iron oxide has fallen off…
Maybe bring a vacuum if you want to take the seller up on his guarantee?
Customers who have bid on this item have also bid on:
http://blog.collectorcarads.com/ocean-find-1964-bonneville-station-wagon/03/2012/
Ran when parked.
Parked while running
Swam when ran.
ROFL! Six grand is nothing. You want a good cry, go over to the classifieds section on thesamba.com and have a look at what people are asking for their buses!
Worth it just for the original drinl tray. Whatever that is…
It’s a Hanukkah thing.
Mazeltov.
http://shop.oktoberfest.de/out/pictures/z1/of_m_053_1_z1.jpg
Dirndl?
Prndl
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/MQwAAOSw3ydVhIwq/$_12.JPG
Original door panel screws? Well, now it’s worth at least six grand.
Was the engine purposefully removed, or did it fall out?
As long as it’s not my money, more power to ya, guy.
Celebrity owned cars usually bring a premium. This one came from the Fred Flintstone collection.
I think this proves P.T Barnum’s line about there being one born every minute.
Typical Hooniversal reaction…
Why on earth are these worth so much when (insert your favourite classic car here) is only worth a (appropriate desultory fraction ) as much?
It is interesting that these are worth so much. And modern European hippies do still prefer VW busses over their Japanese and Korean competition. Doesn’t make that much sense, rationally.
Paying for the VIN and little else. If it were legal to do so, I’m sure the seller would just cut off all of the VIN plates from the heap (or, lets be honest, just pull them off — there can’t be much integrity left) and sell those to someone building a bus completely from NOS parts.
This is typical price/condition for 4Runners around here
HAH! The memory of this old bus is so much better than the reality! My folks had two of them and I had a 59 Kombi Wesfalia….
Here’s that bus without rust…. Funny story about this bus (well, it’s funny now). In 1960 I was 11 years old and a smart azz. My Mom –that’s here in the photo— told me to do something and I smarted off an answer, she started to slap my face, I raised my arm and she broke her hand on my arm. Her right hand. She could not shift gears. And that is how I learned to drive, shifting the gears for her.