squareweave
Well-known member
Part 1 THE HUNT!!!!
I posted a few pictures of my van in the gallery section and mentioned that I would tell you my short story about the journey home in my first early bay (I have owned a whack of splits, type 3's and beetles). To start this off I live in Vancouver, Canada and bought my van in San Jose California, approx. 1000 miles away.
So here it goes!!! I had been looking for a westy hardtop casually for a while (nothing to serious) when I came across an add in January on thesamba.com for a 70 westy hardtop in San Jose. There were a few pictures of the bus and it appeared to very original. I emailed the owner with no response, I emailed him probably 7-8 times with no response. So I gave up and thought it had sold but this bus really had me interested in and early baywindow now so I followed a few other leads. I had found another van, a 69 weekender in Portland, Oregon that seemed solid with original paint (og paint was a must for me). Tried to work out a deal with the owner but he backed out of selling it and told me that if he did want to sell it again he would let me know. A few more weeks went by and I was on vacation in the carribean and I checked my email and the dude from Portland sends me a message stating he will sell the bus now. So I devulge my plan to my wife and went on the samba.com to show here pictures of the 69 weekender but as I went to find the pictures of the 69 I see the 70 westy hardtop add had been updated. So I emailed the owner of the 70 westy and he finally replied. I asked him for his phone # so I could call him and kept checking back on my email. Again no response from the guy. I was checking my email every few hours. I never got a response back at all. I was pissed but figured oh well this guy seems kind of sketchy to deal with anyways. I got home and did a bit more surfing and found the 70 westy on the craigslist in San Francisco and the add had the phone #. So I called and got a hold of the owner, had a chat with him and told him I would buy the van. He was busy with familly that night and told me to call back the next afternoon and we would figure out the deal. So I called back the day and what do you think, No answer of course. In the following week and a half I must have called long distance more than 40 times (no BS) sometimes leaving a message and sometimes not, never getting and answer. I was also emailed the guy once a day if not more. Actually to the point that I felt stupid to have to try this hard to buy something from somebody. Again I gave up. Another week went by and I was at home on a thursday night and I said to my wife I am going to try him one more time(something kept pulling me back to the 70 westy). Voila his wife answers the phone and passes it on to him. Again I said that I wanted to buy the van and would fly down and pay him cash. He thinks that I am mad as all he does is drive the van around town and here I am going to take this thing on a 1000 mile journey. He wasn't a VW guy nevermind a car guy. I think he thought that I was a drug smokin hippy. He agreed to the deal and I decided to fly down the following Sunday, 3 days later with my wife. So we flew to San Francisco rented a car and drove south to San Jose with tools and pocket of cash.
Part 2 THE JOURNEY
to follow
I posted a few pictures of my van in the gallery section and mentioned that I would tell you my short story about the journey home in my first early bay (I have owned a whack of splits, type 3's and beetles). To start this off I live in Vancouver, Canada and bought my van in San Jose California, approx. 1000 miles away.
So here it goes!!! I had been looking for a westy hardtop casually for a while (nothing to serious) when I came across an add in January on thesamba.com for a 70 westy hardtop in San Jose. There were a few pictures of the bus and it appeared to very original. I emailed the owner with no response, I emailed him probably 7-8 times with no response. So I gave up and thought it had sold but this bus really had me interested in and early baywindow now so I followed a few other leads. I had found another van, a 69 weekender in Portland, Oregon that seemed solid with original paint (og paint was a must for me). Tried to work out a deal with the owner but he backed out of selling it and told me that if he did want to sell it again he would let me know. A few more weeks went by and I was on vacation in the carribean and I checked my email and the dude from Portland sends me a message stating he will sell the bus now. So I devulge my plan to my wife and went on the samba.com to show here pictures of the 69 weekender but as I went to find the pictures of the 69 I see the 70 westy hardtop add had been updated. So I emailed the owner of the 70 westy and he finally replied. I asked him for his phone # so I could call him and kept checking back on my email. Again no response from the guy. I was checking my email every few hours. I never got a response back at all. I was pissed but figured oh well this guy seems kind of sketchy to deal with anyways. I got home and did a bit more surfing and found the 70 westy on the craigslist in San Francisco and the add had the phone #. So I called and got a hold of the owner, had a chat with him and told him I would buy the van. He was busy with familly that night and told me to call back the next afternoon and we would figure out the deal. So I called back the day and what do you think, No answer of course. In the following week and a half I must have called long distance more than 40 times (no BS) sometimes leaving a message and sometimes not, never getting and answer. I was also emailed the guy once a day if not more. Actually to the point that I felt stupid to have to try this hard to buy something from somebody. Again I gave up. Another week went by and I was at home on a thursday night and I said to my wife I am going to try him one more time(something kept pulling me back to the 70 westy). Voila his wife answers the phone and passes it on to him. Again I said that I wanted to buy the van and would fly down and pay him cash. He thinks that I am mad as all he does is drive the van around town and here I am going to take this thing on a 1000 mile journey. He wasn't a VW guy nevermind a car guy. I think he thought that I was a drug smokin hippy. He agreed to the deal and I decided to fly down the following Sunday, 3 days later with my wife. So we flew to San Francisco rented a car and drove south to San Jose with tools and pocket of cash.
Part 2 THE JOURNEY
to follow
