Sign of an impending Volkswag-alypse.

The title is intended to be verbalized ominously with a deep-toned German accent; "Volks-vog-alypse". There; that's better.

I fear the air-cooled VW scene is turning into a numbers game. I present before you two potential VW restoration projects, the only real difference between them being age; about 10 years. Both are Volkswagen mid-model vans (one a Kombi, the other a 15-window). The Kombi model was offered to span the gap between slab-sided panel vans and multi-window deluxe versions suitable for family transportation. They were generally used for commercial purposes or often fitted with custom camper kits. Thus they were plentiful.

Granted, older models are always more rare, as production numbers typically rise as the model years roll by. However, I had one of those slack-jawed-yokel moments the other day as I perused the VW classifieds on a popular air-cooled VW website. Admittedly, I have to accept the fact that prices for VW microbuses have skyrocketed in recent years (probably about the past decade) but stratospheric prices are generally reserved for mechanically sound, presentable specimens.

The first one I came across, a ’63, was definitely a fixer-upper of a high magnitude. From the photos posted in the ad, it looked like something that as as kids, way-back-when, we would have come across in a field being used as rifle target practice. This particular model was a step up from a Kombi, being what’s called a “15-window”. That means it’s a bit of a special edition transition between a Kombi and a Deluxe. Deluxe Microbuses were known for their roof windows. The early models had, all told, 23 windows. The later models had their rear curved windows deleted when the rear hatch got enlarged, leaving them with merely 21. The 15-window was really a deluxe bus minus the roof windows and sunroof. Otherwise perhaps known as a “Kombi with korner glass”. In other words, these days it’s a fairly desirable find, even if requiring full restoration. The one I saw advertised was listed for $3,750. Actually quite a bargain (A bargoon at twice the price!).

1963 15-window Microbus

The second bus is the one that made me gasp. Its big claim to fame is that it’s a barndoor. Doncha love collectabilia lingo? A barndoor microbus is a pre-mid-1955 model with a hinged engine cover twice the size of the model years immediately following. I first became aware of this change about 20 years ago when I owned a late ’55 that had the smaller lid. The bus in this ad is a ’52, thus gaining itself big bonus points simply for its barndoor status. But wait; there’s more!

This bus is mostly complete. It’s always better to have all the hard-to-find bits included with the purchase of a restoration project than not, as the little odds ‘n ends could cause no small amount of frustration to locate, much less afford. So that’s a check in the plus column.

However (and I can’t over-emphasize this enough), the engine is missing, and the seller admits that the bottom 6 inches of sheetmetal requires replacement around the truck’s perimeter!

1952 Kombi.

At this point I’m thinking the rarity may balance out the mechanical and metal work costs. But not so fast, Bargain-hunter Bob. Apparently, according to the present owner, this one’s a jewel in the rough, despite being only a Kombi.

I’ve been watching vintage air-cooled VW pricing quite closely the last couple of years. I’ve noticed that the VW buses and Porsche 356s have shot up in value the most, relative to their brethren. High prices for Porsches I can perhaps understand since they’ve always been priced at a premium relative to Volkswagen. It’s like what Cadillac is to Chevrolet.

But what about the ascendance of Microbuses versus Beetles? I’d like to buy a mid-50s Beetle one of these days, and so far my dream is still within reach. There have been, and still are, several mechanically sound, very presentable, hot-rodded and affordable Beetles for sale recently. Not so for Microbuses. Twenty grand is about the lowest price you’ll find for a Kombi driver. Twenty-five to thirty grand is common.

Which brings me back to this ’52 Kombi. When I saw the price at the bottom of the ad I thought it must be due to a thick typing finger adding a zero. Even if this van had been completely finished, in drive-off-the-lot condition I would have thought it expensive. Here's another way to look at it; given the choice, would you rather buy a new Porsche Boxster or a vintage VW van without an engine, requiring about (minimum) $10,000 in sheetmetal repair, plus full interior upholstery restoration? I still can’t quite wrap my head around it.

Clock’s ticking…gotta make up your mind…what’s it gonna be?

That’s what I thought. We’ll continue on the path of paying down the house mortgage.

But to those that are still reading, I’ll let you know that being the proud new owner of this piece of Volkswagen history will set you back $65,000. Yes, you read that right; sixty-five thousand dollars. If we were talking about a’52 Fargo I bet you'd close the deal by lopping off two zeros.