wipeouts

what is a wipeout

These are the not so feel good stories of everyday people buying the classic volkswagens..from bugs (type 1), buses (type 2), squarebacks, fastbacks, notchbacks (type 3), ghias, things, and other aircools. They are here as examples to help as references. If you or anyone else has a story to tell please contact us.

my wipeout

In a nutshell I saw an ad online for a wonderful looking Type 2 66 VW Riviera bus. The early model VW buses (54-67) had split windows, and that is how they are referred to today. This one was also a riviera camper conversion. These buses wre bought by Riviera Motors in Beaverton, Oregon and converted into campers by ASI in Vancouver, Washington. I had been a VW ethusiast for many years, having owned most of the models from beetles to ghia, but never a bus. I was taken by this ad placed by a woman in Wilmington, NC because I was only four hours away.. and splits were rare on the East coast-especially Rivieras. I emailed the woman initially to express my interest. she replied and told me I could call her. I talked to her a few nights later for almost an hour. She seemed very knowledgeable. I asked her about the condition of the bus, only having seen the pics online. She told me it was a great bus in great shape. She added that she would not be scared to drive it to Florida even. this all sounded like candy to my hears. At this point I would like to say that my ethusiasm for the bus was very high. I told her that I was more than likely going to purchase her bus.. and would drive up in a week. One week later, my roomate and I drove the four hours to Wilmington to see the bus. when we arrived the first thing I noticed was that the rear bumper was off..although in the ad it was on. I asked her about it, but she had a vague answer. Little did I know..this was a red flag. It was dark, but we gave the bus a good once over. Cosmetically it looked solid. Little if any rust or cancer. We started it up and the engine purred.I was in love, but like most people in love Ilost reason and concentration. I handed her $3500 and signed the bill of sale. She handed me the title. I jumped in and we started the drive home. On the way the nightmare began. The car swayed back and forth. We knew right away that the front end was not good. We eventually made it home. The next day.. I took a closer look at the bus and the title. My mechanic received the bus and gave it a once over. he called and said.."Tony..you got took." He said the bus had several problems..of which the major was the transmission. It would need to be replace and repaired. he said the front end needed work as well as the brakes too. Before I did anything.. I emailed the seller and told her what was up. I had also noticed the title was not even in her name. it took a day, but she wrote back..telling me she owned the bus but never got the title transferred. She hinted slightly that we could chat later about the bus mechanicals. This all coming from a lady who said in her ad that the bus was "mechanically sound." Well...I went ahead and had almost $2000 in repairs to the bus. I sent the title back to her. I repeatedly emailed her about the mechanicals..she ignored them. All she talked about was the title. Eventually the title came back. the bus was reapired, but I was never reimbursed. Currently I am suing her in civil court. Itell this story because it is the one that motivated me to design this site and find out other stories related to the purchasing of early vws and associated problems. A lesson learned is another day of knowledge. antonio diaz

your wipe outs

"Its funny that I read this...same thing, different bus and different person. I sold a bill of goods on a repainted 77 Westy. He told me that I would not have to do a damn thing to the car for at least the next year or so..except for a tune-up. Even after I told him that it was the only way the family and I were gonna get to do summer vacation..he did not care.. he f$%^%#$# lied to me and I paid all the dough for a bus yellow rust bucket. ...I bought the bus and recently had the bus checked out and the breaking system, exhaust system, ball joints, cv boots and many other things needed fixing. He told me they all had been replaced and/or fixed. Im stuck and its even jeapordizing my livelihood as I have no day to day transportation. If you can help me out I would appreciate it." john calloway

"I am going through something with a guy named Ken Sherman. I purchased a 1951 Deluxe Beetle from this man, and after I paid for the vehicle he tells me that he does not have the title(its been lost). I am still waiting for him to say his vehicle was stolen and he knows where it is (my house). At least I have a bill of sale. The story goes on.. I still foolishly did not learn my lesson, and still tried to do business with this man. I know he had some parts for my vehicle that I needed and wanted to but-hard to find parts (4 bolt wheel cylinders, etc.) I paid him to build a 38HP longblock last July/August 01. It is now February 02. The last time I talked to him was a week ago. He told me that I was not going to get anything for the money that I gave him ( for the motor), and that the pieces that were originally on my car (ie. ribbed bumpers, ribbed semaphores, ribbed running board molding were removed the day after I looked at the vehicle. he said he still had them. If you know the prices for split window beetles, then you know they are pricey. I expressed interest in the vehicle when it was parked way in the back of his lot and after talking to him 4-5 times, he finally let me see it. he told me he never had the parts. I am taking him to small claims court. i wanted to put out a warning about him on here and everywhere else I could. this is to warn others about this sneaky b#$^&!@. I was afraid he would sue me for slander. I have gone to ask him about the motor several times and have gotten him so pissed off he cried. I have since found out that the original crashbox trnasmission is from a 1960 something...on and on and on. I will soon see if the courts will work in my favor." gregory ornelas

I saw an ad for a 1972 Beetle. The ad said the motor had been rebuilt, tuneup performed, no rust, solid interior, and more good things. I sent the guy a deposit, and then drove to see the car a week later. When I arrived, the bug was not there. He said he had it taken in for more repairs. I told him I wanted my deposit back, but he refuse..saying that there was no mention of a return of the deposit. I in turn angrily told him that there was not mention of the keeping of it either. We argued for at least an hour. I finally left.. called an attorney. I threatened the guy with a civil claim, and only then did he give me my deposit back.. sans $12 for mailing costs of a money order. jefrrey wright, pittsburgh

To say I was taken was an understatement, but not in the usual way as some of you. I found a very nice Westfalia bus for what at the time seemed a great price. Icontacted the owner, but he was not in. I stopped by the home where I had seen the bus, and inquired about it. There was a woman there who told me..her husband was sick, but I could basically have the bus for FREE. I told her I wanted it all in writing. She and I both signed a document and she even gave me the title. When I went to get her husband's signature at the hospital... the staff there said there was no one by that name. I promptly went back to see the lady. No one was home. Thinking scam, I called the police. They asked me what home.. and I told him. They then told me that they had the woman who I had talked to in jail for squatting. Evidently, she had broken into the man's home while he was on vacation and lived there like she was his spouse. The police had been tracking her for sometime, but found here when the man came home and found her in his shower.The funny thing is.... he still gave me the bus because I had inadvertently helped the police catch this woman. Matt Byer, St. Louis,
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