1974 vw bus for sale by owner - Talmage, CA - craigslist (2024)

I have for sale my 1974 VW Bus. I am the second owner, and it has only 27,000 original miles. It has lived in California its whole life. I have a clean pink slip for it, and it has current registration and insurance. It runs (but needs carb work) and stops.

The original owner was my friend’s grandma, and she bought the bus new (after it had been converted to an AdventureWagen). She drove it on a few trips for camping and traveling, and then in 1985 it was parked on my friend’s property until 2018. It was basically off the road unused for 34 years. As far as I know, those are accurate miles as it was a second vehicle, and the odometer never stopped working. I acquired the bus in 2018, and I have spent the last 5 years replacing everything that needed replacement, and rebuilding the interior. The original motor still turned over, but I decided to replace it (more info on that below), as it was covered in dust, dirt, wasp nests, and mouse detritus. I was building this bus to keep, but plans have changed but unfortunately I will need to sell it to clear up space, time, and money for another project. The following is a list of things I have done, followed by the things I haven’t gotten to yet.

All new German door seals, 2 front, slider, rear hatch, engine hatch, and engine compartment
All 4 new KYB Gas shocks
New German window seals: front windshield, rear window, 2 driver’s side rear windows, 1 right rear window
New Curtains for the windows, custom made with black out material
New fuel pump shutoff relay for safety (electric fuel pump)
New locking gas cap
New sunvisors
Professionally re-upholstered front seats
New retractable 3-point seatbelts in the front
2 standard original lap belts in the rear seat.
New handbuilt custom cabinetry with furniture grade wood
Old growth recycled redwood counter tops/ top cabinet door, and swing out mini shelf
All new rebuilt brake system: rotors, calipers, drums, pads, master cylinder, power booster, and flexible brake lines.
Transmission fluid drained and replaced
Speedometer and odometer work fine
Professionally rebuilt 1800cc engine with new clutch, exhaust, Pertronix distributer with electronic points, dual Weber 34 ICT carbs.
Floors treated with Por-15
Sink Cabinet: 7 gallons fresh water with nautical foot pump, 10 gallons of grey water storage underneath the bus. Stainless steel sink and faucet.
5 custom drink/water bottle holders built into the cabinetry
(4) LED recessed lighting in the ceiling
(2) directional LED reading lights on walls and above sink
High end low draw Sirocco II omnidirectional 12V fan
Blaze Cut engine compartment fire suppression system
Westfalia Bed/cabinet
Hand crafted Wheelskins leather steering wheel cover
Steering on the bus is nice and tight, and tracks straight while driving
Original paint, except on the back under bumper, rear right corner, and a spot on the front right corner. Very little rust. Some surface rust under where the headliner was. I think some water may have been trapped in there. There is one spot of rust through inside above the driver’s head on the upper left (maybe 2 inches). The other rust up there is surface rust and has been treated with POR-15. The headliner will need to be replaced, I do have the metal bows. Also, there is a skim coat of bondo behind the rear bumper (pictured) that could be removed and re-done, depending on how fancy you would want to make this bus. It never bothered me, so I just left it alone.
Transmission works perfectly, good clutch, too!
Engine runs great, I bought it used off of Craigslist from a machinist in Humboldt who specializes in high end vehicles. This engine has less than 5000 miles. I just did a compression test, and all cylinders are around 115 to 120 psi.
Heavy duty reinforced rear bumper with trailer hitch
New waterproof laminate flooring
All lights work, turn signals (after market turn signal switch), brake lights, running lights, tail lights, and back up lights.
Horn works on a button on the dashboard
New front kick panels
Custom built attic storage area
Good 12 volt battery
New glovebox
Almost new load range C Ranger Thunderer 185 R-14 tires. Rims removed and painted with UV resistant Por-15 grey paint as well as the skid plate underneath the bus.
Small portable gas stove
Key works in ignition, driver’s side door, passenger side door, sliding door, and rear hatch.
Shore power cord for plugging into 110. Heavy duty cord with breaker panel, and one GFCI protected outlet
Auxiliary power provided by a Goal Zero Yeti 200 lithium ion battery pack. This is hooked up to a control panel that houses the electric generator to allow you to control lights/fans/etc. by a labeled switch. The Goal Zero is easily removed, and can be used remotely as well.

Things I haven’t done yet:

Headliner
Small patches on nose made by the bolts of the spare tire carrier that I removed. I patched them, but it could be professionally done if you wanted it to look better
Driver’s side and passenger side roll down windows could use new felt and window seal.

The bus currently runs, but I think it needs carb tuning, or timing done. It idles well, but has a hesitation when accelerating. Test driving around the neighborhood is ok, but will need to be trailered home. Recent compression test shows over 115 psi in all cylinders.

I’m probably forgetting some items that I have done, but I think I covered the bulk of it. Please read the description carefully as your questions are probably answered somewhere in this description. My price of $8,000 is a firm price, meaning I am not open to offers. This bus is a low mile gem, and whoever is getting it is getting an amazing deal. I have put a ton of love and energy into this bus, and I would prefer it to go to someone who is looking to enjoy it and love it as I have. I have been as honest and thorough as I could, so please do the same for me. I appreciate it! Cash only, no delivery available. The transaction will need to be completed in person, so if you are interested in the bus, please plan on meeting me in person. Cashier’s Check is ok, but that transaction will have to take place at my bank so they can verify funds. I can’t ship this vehicle. Thanks so much for looking!