Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hi Everyone! I used to own a 1972 Westfalia but sold it in 2009 I believe because my wife and I were just not using it enough. Since then my family situation has changed and I now have two kids (8 and 10) whom I took on a successful camping trip in a borrowed Eurovan last week. This of course made me miss my bus so I started looking around on the internet and found this 1980 Vanagon. Boy, our buses have become expensive in the last ten years! They want $14k for this one but I can probably get it down to $12k. The best thing about this bus is that it has only 54k miles. I just drove it and it feels very solid and almost like a new vehicle. The engine feels and sounds good and all the original equipment was there. But it just seems so expensive! Is there anything I should know about these air cooled Vanagons? Any reason to avoid them? Any thoughts about the price for this one? I really look forward to getting back into buses! Hope everyone here has been doing well in the past 9 years! Cheers! --Hans

Hey! Long time no see! =D

That seems to be about the going rate for an air-cooled Vanagon Westy, in or out of California. Water-cooled models are more, and while sometimes you can find deals looking in the other 49 states, you might have emissions issues depending on what was done with it over the years. Baywindow prices have gotten somewhat insane the last few years. Other than the seam rust in one of those pictures I don't see anything that scares me. If it runs well, fits your needs and will pass smog, jump on it.

2009 .. has it really been that long? Seems like just the other day...

W/ 54k miles (assuming it looks like it has 54k miles, and not 154,) If you can get it for 12k, yeah, I'd jump on it...I don't think $13k would be out of line either. . Yes, the prices have really gone through the roof.

covelo wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:05 pm

A) I now have two kids (8 and 10)

B) They want $14k for this one but I can probably get it down to $12k. The best thing about this bus is that it has only 54k miles.
Cheers! --Hans

Hello Hans,

a) Holy cats, what?? EIGHT and TEN year-olds??

b) Jump! Great vehicles!

Colin
(your Squareback says, "hi!" and "why did I have to teach four kids how to drive a stickshift for the first time?" It did splendidly, docile and forgiving)

Does the van odometer have six digit capability? Or do you have service records to back up the milage? There are little signs in the engine that say someone diddled who didn't care very much about details.

Where is the van located? Looks like Oregon plates from here… Ask for copies of the recent emissions tests if they live where those would be applicable.

If the car was ever registered in CA, a VIN (or CA license plate) can be used to check its history here:
https://www.bar.ca.gov/pubwebquery/Vehi ... stQry.aspx

--

That was YOUR squareback? So I'm going to have to drag it back to California when I buy it?
Robbie

asiab3 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:13 am

Looks like Oregon plates from here…

Pfft. Look close, those are OG blue and yellow California plates, like my childhood buddy's dad made when he was in prison. Possibly even one he made given the year of the van.

And you call yourself a Californian....

Apart from that missing end cap on the front bumper, it looks pretty good.
I’d vote for get it.

Yes, the odometer has a leading zero. Also felt like a “newish” car while driving it. A little like Colin’s squareback, which I picked up with about 30k miles long ago. I’ll check the CA records. Thanks for the link. I’m inclined to do it if I can justify spending the money. Anyone in the market for an excellent 87 Alfa Spider? Will keep you all posted!

—Hans

(The 8 and 10 year olds are my new fiancée’s - long story. Would love to get them into the bus camping lifestyle before they’re too compromised by YouTube Lamborghinis and electric cars). They are good drivers already but no stick yet!

covelo wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 26, 2018 10:47 pm

(The 8 and 10 year olds are my new fiancée’s - long story. Would love to get them into the bus camping lifestyle before they’re too compromised by YouTube Lamborghinis and electric cars). They are good drivers already but no stick yet!

Good for you! You can see it in their faces. Thank-you for helping to bring the next generation in the VW fold.
Colin

Today I picked up the bus and drove it up to Fairfax in the lovely first rain of the season. Lovely drive and so great to have a bus again! Everything worked well. A few observations:

1. It has more power than I expected. I flew up the Waldo grade in third and almost overran the engine by the time I reached the top, hitting 55. (My ears are not what they once were or I would have shifted up at 50 or so). It also does well on my hill in Fairfax although it’s in first most of the way (the curviness robs momentum on that road so I barely get into second in my Alfa).

2. It smelled a little oily on the big grade out of Pacifica on hwy 1. I think I may have an oil leak somewhere. The smell went away (or I got used to it) later on. Also grabbing the dipstick was comfortable after arriving home. (Is that a good indicator for proper cooling on an aircooled vanagon as well?). Also none of that burnt oil smell that I sometimes had on my bus after long runs.

3. Engine bay looks good and clean, except I’m missing a little piece of the foam seal around the tin. (Maybe 5 inches in the southwest corner looking from above).

4. I love the original 1980s Westy interior and the kids do to. Only dilemma is that it has a good original pop top canvas but the kids (and I) want one with the three windows rather than the front-only original. That’s going to be a difficult decision.

A couple of pictures. Let me know if you see anything in the engine compartment that I should pay attention to. (Sorry for the fuzzy photos but I’m having trouble resizing too large files on my iPad).

—Hans

Congratulations. That is a great find. From what I can see, everything appears to be present and correct in the engine bay.

If I recall correctly, the 1980 Vanagon didn't have an EGR system (one year only, I believe), so that's one less thing to worry about at smogging time, although you may need to be prepared to argue its absence with your smog tech...

The age and condition of the fuel hoses would be my first concern. Unless the previous owner can definitively assert that they were replaced recently, I would get in there and do a preemptive hose replacement. You don't want your first fire on a camping trip to be in the back of your bus.

Replace that canvas for three widows and don't look back! I had the same dilemma and am very glad I chose to.

Congrabulations, and welcome back into the fold. I've wondered how you're doing at times over the years. Still have the property in the place your screen name is from?

No, I sold the land in Covelo about eight years ago. Visited a couple of months ago and it’s a big (legal) marijuana plantation now. Fortunately our house in Fairfax has a “back 40” with the same look and feel and without the 4+ hour drive!