(j3vwrestore)
If you’re hoping to get your paws on American Pickers’ unique "Coyote Killer" Volkswagen bus, it’ll take a Wolfe pact.
Mike Wolfe, co-star of the History Channel series about a pair of antique treasure hunters from Iowa, purchased the unusual 1966 VW bus while shooting an episode of the show in Texas last year. Customized to hunt for coyotes preying on livestock, the "Coyote Killer" was discovered in rough shape. Among its many needs: an engine rebuild, electrical work, glass replacement and new tires. Wolfe and the seller agreed on $2,700.
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Months later, the VW is repaired and ready for cruising – or chasing coyotes, if you’re into that sort of thing. Wolfe attempted to sell it twice on eBay in January, but the bidding fell short of the reserve both times, first at $9,400 and then $9,301. The bus is now listed on The Samba for $24,000, offering a pretty good idea of just how much it cost to bring it back to life.
The Coyote Killer has a new 1,776-cc engine, built by California’s Brothers VW Machine Shop, which features dual Weber 40 IDFs, remote oil filter and thermostatically controlled electric oil cooler. It also has a new Rancho-built Pro Street transmission, and all the following parts are new, too: fuel tank and sending unit, tires, brake system, front door panels, front seats and pads, starter, and drag link and pivot pin. We’re also happy to report that, although the show made a big deal of the VW’s unpleasant smell when it was discovered, the bus is now "minty fresh."
Rich Ewald, selling the Killer on Wolfe’s behalf, writes: "If Coyote Killer isn’t your thing, it’s an easy fix to put back to stock… (The) hard part’s already done... Just need fender wells from Gerson and donor skin to fix roof."
We’re wondering who would go to all that trouble? Isn’t the Killer’s provenance its most important asset? If you had the money to buy it, would you return it to stock or leave it as is?