A Brief History

I purchased this vehicle in 1993 or 1994 (I can�t remember which).� A VW bus had been something that I wanted for quite some time, and found Beethoven in Spokane, WA (my kids named it Beethoven).� I�ve driven it across the country a few times.

I�ve done most of the maintenance myself.� Several years ago I converted it to the progressive single carb, and shortly thereafter I took out the engine and replaced the clutch.� I religiously changed the oil � it is an air-cooled VW after all � and I adjusted the valves regularly, etc.� In 1997 Beethoven broke down in Sterling, Colorado, on a cross-country adventure, where a mechanic replaced the fuel pump.� (That is the only time I remember someone else messing around with Beethoven.)� Once, while shopping in Albertsons in Clarkston, Washington, I was stopped by a woman who said she had a roof rack that she would like to give me from a bus she used to love, hence the rare full roof rack.

I moved to Florida in 1998, and Beethoven stayed in Coeur d�Alene, Idaho for a year.� The next summer I caught a Greyhound back to the northwest, and my dad and I drove Beethoven back to Tallahassee.� One night we slept in the bus at a rest area in northern Wyoming, after which my dad said, �Peter, I had some bad nights when I was in the Army, but that was the worst night of my life."� (He was referring to the cold, and not the roomy interior of the bus.� We spent the next night in a motel in Omaha, NE!)

Beethoven has lived in Tallahassee since the summer of 1999.� I used it as a daily driver for years, until about 2002/3.� Since then, he has been parked, rarely going out for short trips around town, though a few times we took family trips in Beethoven (Panama City area a couple of times and Jacksonville once, all between 2002 and 2003).

As I see it, I�m letting Beethoven go to waste by parking it in my driveway.� I�m not a car person, and this is the only vehicle that I ever really paid attention to.� I want Beethoven to go to someone that will fully appreciate him, preferably a VW lover.

Beethoven�s Condition as of RIGHT NOW

Last time I started Beethoven was about a year ago.� He wouldn�t start at first, but after I poured just a bit of gas in the carb, he fired up, and idled OK.� At the time, I was desperate to get him up and useful again, so I pulled the carb off with the intentions of either buying a rebuild kit for it and doing it myself, or having someone else rebuild it.� I called around to a few places locally, and determined that I would probably be better off just buying a new carb, but I never did.� So, the carb is off (but comes with the van).� Beethoven, strictly speaking, then, is not running.� Oh, and I�m sure the battery is dead. UPDATE: I bought a battery on February 2nd, put the carb back on, and cranked it up. Again, after getting a little gas in the carb, I had her running! It was a wonderful sound!

The transmission was getting a little sketchy when I stopped driving it.� (My girlfriend at the time, wife now, was credited with having done some type of damage to the tranny while we were moving.� Our kids say that she killed Beethoven.)� While it could be the case that there is just some misalignment with the linkage stuff, I suspect that the tranny is starting to go.� I could get it in to all gears when I stopped driving it, though.

As a VW, this bus does have some rust in the normal areas.� Nothing too dramatic that I�ve noticed, but you can't really tell from some of the pics. Trust me - it is there.

Because we live in the (liquid) sunshine state, moisture would eventually work it�s way in to the bus, so the headliner has some mold.� A couple of years ago I got out with heavy duty cleaner and wiped it away, so it isn�t too big a deal.

The front seats are a bit rough, and are covered with cheap seat covers.� The middle and back seats are in good condition.� I removed the interior door panels, and had high hopes of replacing them, but right now he is naked on the inside.� I gave Beethoven several different paint jobs over the years (with over-the-counter spray cans).� If that offends you, you probably don�t want an older VW bus.

A couple of the CV joints need to be replaced, as do their covers.� I had ordered these parts, and I will try to locate them to go with the bus.� I would also give up my few remaining VW books, including the Muir bible (complete with oily fingerprints on the valve adjustment pages).

What I Want

Because Beethoven means quite a bit to me, I have enlisted the help of a neighbor to sell the bus (a disinterested third party who won�t get upset when prospective buyers come and criticize things).� Marty will deal with all interested parties, show them Beethoven, consider offers, and make the final decision on who will adopt my VW.

As I mentioned, my primary goal is to have Beethoven loved properly.� Marty and I are pretty firm on $1500.�

Phone = (850) 519-6302

Location = 2059 Hollywood Drive (Please call before showing up if you want to talk.� For just a drive-by look, feel free to come down the street unannounced.)