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Unfortunately, I have to say goodbye to my beloved 1982 Volkswagen Diesel Vanagon Westfalia camper. I'm returning to grad school and need a city driver instead. But my loss can be your gain! When I bought her in Florida a year and half ago, I became the third owner. Since then, I've driven from coast to coast. Along the way I've put a lot of work into it, both professionally and personally.

The engine is the original 1.6L Diesel with 48 horsepower, which runs well and as intended. It could easily and inexpensively be set-up for a biodiesel conversion. It could also easily be converted to a turbo with one of the plentiful VW 1.9L engines that would drop right into place. Currently the vehicle averages 25 mpg and tops out at 60-65 mph. In my experience, by avoiding the interstate, one can ride comfortably, affordably, and travel through country that is seldom seen. On your weekend get-a-way, the journey becomes a part of the destination.

One of the photos (easier to appreciate in person) details all the work I had done by a vintage Volkswagen specialist in Phoenix. Here is a semi-complete list of repairs/replacements since I acquired the van:

Radiator, Starter, Alternator, Battery, Muffler, Timing Belt, Water Pump, Glow Plugs, Belts, Relays, Thermostat, Shocks, Clutch Slave Cylinder, Wheel Cylinder, Heater Blower, Poptop Seal, LED Dash Lights, Speaker, 12V Charger, Shift Bushings, Lines/Hoses.

Considering its age, I think the van is in very good shape. I focused primarily on mechanical issues in my repairs, and the van runs well today as a result.

There are a few cosmetic issues that remain. There are small superficial spots of rust scattered over the body. In the center of the front bumper is the only significant rust that goes through (pictured). Never could understand why that one spot was so vulnerable. One portion of a cabinet was cut out by a previous owner. It's missing one of the L-bars for one of the tables, and a cover that connects the heater to the floor vents (pictured). The front top grille needs to be replaced. The canvas for the pop-top has a couple of small tears. The original top bed has been replaced with a cushion set-up that works nicely. I believe those are all of the flaws. Overall, she's a beaut. Even has the ice cube trays and working original radio/tape player! The mileage is approximate because it's a replacement odometer. But the previous owner had the decency to write the mileage from the original on the back of the current (both pictured).

Included with your purchase is the Bentley Repair Manual and an assortment of original manuals (pictured). In an attempt to be as transparent as possible, I've included the CARFAX report. If you have any questions, please email me. You can also call or text me at (979)5ive fore nine - six six zeer0 seven

Auto blog

Piech is back (kinda) at VW

Wed, Oct 7 2015

Before the company was rocked by the diesel emissions scandal, you would've thought that the ouster of Ferdinand Piech as chairman of the Volkswagen Supervisory Board in April was the biggest corporate news from the automaker all year. After all, the longtime exec was a towering figure in the German auto industry. He wasn't gone for long, though. In a fascinating article, The Wall Street Journal breaks down how Piech is now wielding influence within the giant corporation yet again. Piech's continued sway has come in part because two people close to him have started running the company. His resignation reportedly came because Piech was supporting Matthias Muller as next group CEO, rather than Martin Winterkorn. Now, Muller has achieved exactly that role. In addition, Hans Dieter Potsch has taken over as supervisory board chairman. He's also the chief financial officer at Porsche SE, the family holding company that controls a vast swath of VW stock. "The Porsche-Piech family will exert more influence over the company in the future," an anonymous person close to the board said to The Wall Street Journal. Piech appears fully aware of his changing fortunes within the company, too. According to the WSJ, he and his wife Ursula arrived at the VW factory's main gates in a red Bentley the day after WInterkorn's resignation. If you find all of these corporate machinations fascinating, then the piece is well worth a read.

VW Group to split brands under four holding companies

Tue, Jun 16 2015

The Volkswagen Group is planning a tremendous shift in its internal structure that will decentralize operations by splitting its 12 brands into four different holding companies. Here's the breakdown. Things will be split logically, considering the inter-sharing of parts, platforms, and engines. The Volkswagen brand, Seat, and Skoda make up a passenger vehicle division led by former BMW man Herbert Diess. Audi, which is tightly intertwined with Lamborghini and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, will be managed by current Audi exec Rupert Stadler. Porsche and Bentley, which are already quite close, will be joined by Bugatti and run by Matthias Mueller. Finally, a commercial vehicles division will include Volkswagen Commercial, Scania, and Man. Former Daimler exec Andreas Renschler will take care of the big vehicles. The massive move, according to Automotive News Europe, is part of an internal VAG effort to move away from the structure established by ousted Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who favored a compact, but highly centralized, management structure to oversee the independent actions of the company's brands. Criticism of Piech's arrangement stemmed from the company's slow responses to changes in the market, ANE reports. The new structure should make for a more efficient, streamlined company that's better able to make crucial decisions. What are your thoughts? Should VAG decentralize, or did Piech have the right idea? Have your say in Comments.

Golf tees up new sales for VW

Sat, Sep 12 2015

If you consider the Passat and the CC two different lines, Volkswagen USA lists nine different models on its website, and they have sold a total of 238,074 units in the US this year through the end of August. The Golf, which was voted North American car of the year in 2015, and its variants account for 44,416 sales, an increase of nearly 150 percent compared to the same period last year. That's also the most Golfs ever sold in that time in the US, and almost 19 percent of this year's entire brand sales. This is compared to a compact car segment that has gained just 1.1 percent compared to 2014. A number of factors are responsible, according to a report in Automotive News: the MQB platform allows different powertrains to roll down the same assembly line; VW USA product planners can now configure vehicles to suit our market and they work with a selection of dealers to refine the retail offering; and the Golf maintains its proper European driving experience. The expanse of the Golf range has meant not only increased profits and new buyers, but more breadth in the buying demographic - expanding outward from the standard Golf to five different extremes, from the e-Golf to the Golf R. Room will be made for a new kind of consumer next year when the current Sportwagen model goes all-wheel drive with an Alltrack designation. Unsurprisingly, VW USA says, "Golf is a role model for the US for us. We want to learn from our success and implement those lessons in our future model planning." After decades of uneven effort, perhaps that formula plus a long-awaited range of crossovers can finally deliver on the promise of the US market. Related Video:

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Auto blog

Piech is back (kinda) at VW

VW Group to split brands under four holding companies

Golf tees up new sales for VW