First I'd like to thank the members of this forum again for their kind advice and contagious enthusiasm.
I started looking at classic VW kombis early last year. Why? This may seem odd but in general I consider motor cars a very poor investment. As an example I still drive my '94 Kadett that took me through varsity. It just doesn't pay to sell a car. A classic automobile in my opinion is a great way to enjoy motoring and get the best value for your money. It's not all numbers for me I do enjoy the vroom vrooms for what they are. I wouldn't have a '99 R1100GS if I didn't, I do however like to mix my arguably poor choices with a reasonable level of good sense. My "good sense reason" for the GS is that I didn't want to spend big buck on a 4x4 to see some of the less accessible gems our continent has to offer. The motorcycle gets me there quicker and I thoroughly enjoy the whole experience weather and all!
My initial fascination was with Splitty's. I love the look of a standard split window kombi. Two things deterred me. Price and performance. While I don't expect a classic to scoot along like a modern T5 I wasn’t keen on the very slow progress offered by an 1100 Kombi (you do get splittys with more voema). The most practical solution was to get a late bay but my eye was caught by the lovely curves and flash of an early bay at the beginning of 2010. My Dad (a confirmed acvw skeptic) suggested I buy it. It had a true 68000 km on the clock and was offerd at R65K http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... =3&t=17569 . When I called I spoke to the owners wife, a very erudite lady. When I asked if she thought her husband might consider offers I was politely told that he would rather keep the Bus than let it go for less than the asking price. R65K was waaay over my acvw budget so by the time I had persuaded myself to go for the Kombi she was sold. She was Kalahari tan with a white roof and red upholstery and I told myself I’d learned my lesson and wouldn’t hesitate like that again.
Missing out on that bay wasn’t all bad. It gave me a chance to get a feel for the market and continue learning. I’ve learned that there is no set price. These vehicles are worth what a person is willing to pay. That said I was expecting to spend between R20K and R45K depending on condition of the vehicle.
Here are the buys I considered:
Late Bay beautiful Red Executive 2L R30K (owner decided to keep her)
Late Bay Green new 1800 mill R40K (was a bit too rusty for me)
Late Bay Blue 2L R45K (owner stopped communicating, I think I asked for too many pics, last I heard he was going to paint it pink, it looked great in blue)
Eugenes 66 sunroof bug R45K (withdrew sale)
Early Bay ’72 R20K (waiting for reassembly)
Eugenes 66 sunroof bug R40K (who knows what happened)
Early Bay ’72 R20K (still waiting for reassembly)
Bought my ’71 deluxe for R36K
In between all that I considered the merits of speedsters, things and Karmann Ghias. It boiled down to having a classic I could share and buy at a reasonable price.
I know I will end up spending more on the bus. Claimed mileage is 135000km so Im pretty sure I’ll be due for an engine overhaul. The rest of the Kombi looks very neat. Keep in mind I will only see her in steel for the first time later this month. In the meantime my friend has taken photos for me. There is a bit or rust here and there, non of it is holey or very thick and weldworthy, I will post questions regarding how best to deal with it later.
Cosmetic Issues that will be quickly sorted out.
Under the windscreen.
Rear bumper & Front Bumper
Under the trim & Tear in seat
Never mind Kevi, it was clearly not meant to be. I'm delighted that the blue Namib Queen is still blue though. She's a very nice bus! Is she still in the country?
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