Looking for VW Westy camper to travel in

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Westycamper

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way too many years ago I traveled in an old VW Westfalia camper,

The Westy was not fast but I was not in a hurry anyway :)

If you happen to know where one is sitting that needs to be put back on the road please let me know ......

send me a message with a "treasure map" if you can.

Thanks for your help
 
IMHO; there are a lot of them out there but they are all over priced. Don't get me wrong I love them as much as the next person. The nostalgia of a VW van is legendary but they are just to undependable for full time living. Again; MHO!!
I had one 10 years ago or so and like everyone I loved it. I finally had to sell it out of a shear sense of practicality. Owning it wasn't penciling out and I did all the work myself.
 
There are one or two overpriced ones in the Craigslist in my area all the time and there is a dealer who converts them and is overpriced here in Maryland.
 
I've been watching YouTube videos from a fulltime vandweller, I think his name is Chad and his user name is "Living The Van Life". He loves his Wesfalia camper van dearly, but lately in the past year he's had to change his engine 4 times (FOUR times!), and now he's consider selling it due to mechanical problems. I feel bad for the guy, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
 
German engineering is the best .......until it craps out! Then.....look out.
I've always found the Westfalias to be handsome but underpowered, overpriced, and too small.
 
caseyc said:
I've been watching YouTube videos from a fulltime vandweller, I think his name is Chad and his user name is "Living The Van Life". He loves his Wesfalia camper van dearly, but lately in the past year he's had to change his engine 4 times (FOUR times!), and now he's consider selling it due to mechanical problems. I feel bad for the guy, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Either this guy needs to find a new mechanic ('cause the one he's using SUCKS!!!)

...or he needs to swap it over to a Subaru mil. Alot more power, and much more efficient & reliable.

________________________________________________________________________________________

I LOVE Kombi's & Westys...but to me, they're just like Harleys. Ya pay way too much for a nameplate.


....waitaminute....I own a Harley!!! :s
 
I am looking for an earlier Westy as of now (but who knows ;)

I can do most of the work myself including rebuilding the motor, so I do not care if it runs or even has a motor !

"Living The Van Life" guy has a 1991 which was the last year of that style Westy , 4 engines seems crazy but they do have problems.

I am not going to live in it all the time , just travel around when I get bored at home :)

anyway if you happen to know where one is sitting , dead or alive , let me know

thanks
 
I full time in mine. It's a 84 with a 2.1 wbx and has 200w of solar as well as a 12v fridge. It's not for sale yet, but at some point it will be so I can get the funds to finish up my Syncro rebuild.

IMG_20140304_180131.jpg


If you buy one that is already road worthy it will cost you a lot unless you get lucky. I bought mine needing a engine and did all the work myself.

I also have a 86 Syncro that I'm putting a GM 2.4 ecotec engine in then converting it into a camper. It's back in FL though and I wont finish it up til sometime this winter.
 
I like German-made stuff. BMW, Mercedes, Sig Sauer, Hasselblad, etc. Good stuff until something goes wrong. Then it costs more than usual for repairs.


Mac J said:
German engineering is the best .......until it craps out! Then.....look out.
I've always found the Westfalias to be handsome but underpowered, overpriced, and too small.
 
I used to have a 71. Was the best year IMO!! Disk brakes and the type 1 engine.. Easy to work on, readily available parts, and all T1 motors will just bolt in!! Only thing is you need to learn to adjust valves, and get the VW for dummies book ( legendary book for VW owners, forgot who wrote it ). I even got like 22-25 mpg, but speed was it's kryptonite!!!
 
bindi&us said:
David...that's a clean looking Westy. Would like to see interior pics.
Would appreciate you sizing them down some tho ;)
Biggins kinda blow up the board :p

Most forums automatically resize images to a max width & height. Not sure why it's not doing it here.

Sadly that image came from my cell phone and for some reason my laptop stopped recognizing my phone so I can't import pictures to the laptop at the moment and no way to resize them while they are on the phone.

As far as the van, it's very clean considering the age and has almost no rust, but a few small dents here and there. The inside is very clean as well, but I made a few additions, but I only have pictures from my phone.
 
I learned the hard way that this forum doesn't automatically resize down the original picture. You would need to manually do so yourself. There are 3rd party picture apps that you can install to your smartphone which will downsize a picture for you prior to sending to this forum. That's how I do it through my phone if I'm not at my computer.

I use this free Android app called Photo Editor, which has a "Resize/Fit" button so I can reduce the image size down to different choices such as 1024x768 or 800x600, etc, plus a manual option to resize.

Here's the link to the Google Play Store to download the free Photo Editor app. You're welcome by the way, haha! Unless you are an iPhone fan, in which case I have no idea about the Apple store.

Photo Editor:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iudesk.android.photo.editor


David said:
Most forums automatically resize images to a max width & height. Not sure why it's not doing it here.
 
caseyc said:
I learned the hard way that this forum doesn't automatically resize down the original picture. You would need to manually do so yourself. There are 3rd party picture apps that you can install to your smartphone which will downsize a picture for you prior to sending to this forum. That's how I do it through my phone if I'm not at my computer.

I use this free Android app called Photo Editor, which has a "Resize/Fit" button so I can reduce the image size down to different choices such as 1024x768 or 800x600, etc, plus a manual option to resize.

Here's the link to the Google Play Store to download the free Photo Editor app. You're welcome by the way, haha! Unless you are an iPhone fan, in which case I have no idea about the Apple store.

Photo Editor:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iudesk.android.photo.editor


David said:
Most forums automatically resize images to a max width & height. Not sure why it's not doing it here.

Well the picture is actually hosted on my blog, so I normally don't resize them due to wanting to link to the full size image.

As far as this forum not resizing, I'd assume there is a option in the mybb admin area that allows a max width & height.

However another work around could probably be something like adding this to the CSS file and testing it out.

img {
max-width: 100%;
max-height: auto;
}

Likely won't be perfect with out knowing how the CSS is set up, but should be ok as a work around and will resize the images to fit both computer screens and phone/tablets. Could always adjust the 100% down if needed. Again it's not the best solution but it should work.
 
Mac J said:
German engineering is the best .......until it craps out! Then.....look out.
I've always found the Westfalias to be handsome but underpowered, overpriced, and too small.

Not all German vehicles are like that. I have two Mercedes diesel cars. I've been driving mercedes for 7 years dollar for dollar they are by far the cheapest vehicles to operate I've ever owned. I just recently worked for an engineering company that paid 50 cents a mile fr the mileage I put on my car. I averaged about 40,000 miles a year. With fuel, repairs, tires and maint. I put money in the bank every year. Here is a pic of the oldest one. this one has about 150,000 on it the newer one has 269,000. I used this one on the job for a couple of years it was so cool I didn't want to ruin it so I bought a newer one. Drove heck out of that one and it is still ready to rock.

 
I have often contemplated trying to take the old big Mercedes Diesel motor in a full size van.They are legendary with non issues and run and run and run!!!! Anyone know what the biggest (hp & torque) MB Diesel engine was made in the 70's??? I am finding some MB complete cars for under $1500 running and driving!!!!

My VW tdi has been a great car. Have 182k on the clock and have just done a timing belt and regular maint.!!! Needs it's first clutch this summer.
 
The Mercedes diesels from the 70's are small motors big on torque and small on speed. The one in the pic. has a 5 cyl. NON turbo. 85 HP. A turbo model from the early to mid 80's 5 cyl. is about 105 HP.

Malibusurfer said:
I have often contemplated trying to take the old big Mercedes Diesel motor in a full size van.They are legendary with non issues and run and run and run!!!! Anyone know what the biggest (hp & torque) MB Diesel engine was made in the 70's??? I am finding some MB complete cars for under $1500 running and driving!!!!

My VW tdi has been a great car. Have 182k on the clock and have just done a timing belt and regular maint.!!! Needs it's first clutch this summer.
 
The 300d turbo looks like it might be able to power a full size van. Are these 70's-early 80's computer motors or plug and play....
Speed is not an issue (to a point), just would love reliability and better fuel mileage in my van. Wonder if I could get 20 mpg + with this swap! even with the weight of a van. The Sprinter motors are small on hp and torque #'s too....
 
That car weighs in @ 3300 lbs; so it's no lite weight. It gets 28mpg @ 70 mph. 60 65 in a standard van should get you low 20's I bet. they are plug and play for sure. My 95 doesn't even have a computer in it. Not the diesels anyway. The 95 flat hauls the mail. It will get up to 42 mpg with a tailwind. 80mph all day long.
 

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