Restored Vw Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973 on 2040-cars

Year:1973 Mileage:65000

Location:

Forest Grove, Oregon, United States

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 1

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 2

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 3

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 4

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 5

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 6

Restored VW Westfalia Camper Bus, 1973, image 7

Advertising:

You are bidding on a restored, 1973, Bay Window, Westfalia VW Camper bus. Life circumstances require a lifestyle adjustment and it's time we said goodbye to the VW bus we called Nikita. We thought we would own this bus for a long time and invested a lot of time and money into it. This restoration is in excellent condition and includes a complete engine rebuild, bodywork/paint, and an interior cabinet rebuild. We designed the bus so that it could be used for what it does best for another 20 years, while minimizing maintenance. That means this bus is ready to roll in current condition. If you are interested in a show-vehicle restored to completely original condition, then Nikita could do that too, but you would need a couple extra projects completed. In general, we spared no expense and used quality craftsmen for the engine and bodywork, while my wife and I handled the interior upgrades. This bus would be ideal for someone wanting to take it on the road, wanting a custom show vehicle, or someone looking for a solid base to create an original restoration. Nikita's next adventure is up to you!

Engine:

The engine has under 1000 miles on it and the rebuild was completed in 2011 by a very respected mechanic in Longview, WA with over 20 years of experience specializing in VWs. The 1973 engine was replaced with a 1978 engine to improve performance and reduce maintenance. The engine compartment was modified to accept the air intake assembly for the 1978 and a new ECU. The engine itself was completely overhauled, including splitting the case, with every piece being inspected, and replaced as needed. The heads were also replaced with quality set of heads that my mechanic felt lucky to have found available. This (wizard) mechanic also installed a new wiring harness and completed the electrical because we wanted to take advantage of his expertise and ensure compatibility with the new engine.

I removed the factory-installed heater because the fumes are terrible, they brake all the time, and from what I hear they love to cause buses to burn to the ground. There is now extra space for a house-bank battery.

Bodywork:

Eagle Street Automotive in Vancouver, WA completed the body work over many months. This shop regularly does high-end restorations and only does quality work. They prepped the bus for the new engine by altering the engine compartment. After the engine was installed, they stripped the bus down to bare metal. They reinforced the nose section with a steel plate in order to prevent he metal from wrinkling over time. They removed all rust and repaired metal as needed. They painted the bus using the original paint codes for factory Neptune blue color.

We installed a new windshield and replaced all of the seals for it and the other windows with OEM German seals. I think the jalousie windows are the only ones with the original seals.

Interior:

Finally, my wife and I tackled the interior. The dashboard is repainted and a new CD player and speaker is installed. What you don't see in the pictures is that Dynamat was strategically placed throughout the vehicle. I wasn't skimpy with it and you can tap along the walls and hear the difference. This greatly reduces road noise.The walls were insulated with Reflectix insulation. Then, the side and roof paneling was reconstructed using 1/8" Baltic Birch sheets. New carpet is installed and new seat covers were placed on the front seats. These were provided by SewFine out of Texas. A new floor was installed using Marmoleum. All the cabinets were remade using 3/4" Baltic Birch. All of the cushions were remade using new, high quality foam, and new material. New curtains were made. A new tent from Bus Depot has been installed.

We upholstered all the interior door panels with burlap from reclaimed coffee bags, giving this bus a very unique look.

I did not install the factory-installed camping items like the stove and refrigerator on purpose. I feel that modern camping stoves and coolers offer a better and hassle-free alternative and there is now more storage space in the bus.

Items that would need to be completed in order to be in "perfect" condition as a show-quality car:

There are a few small paint dings that need to be touched up. I can get touch-up paint from Eagle Street but they've been really busy the last few weeks.
I couldn't figure out an elegant way to create door seals for the interior cabinets. I've done my best with 1/4"x1/4" weatherstripping and glue, but a more permanent solution is needed.
The passenger side door mechanism needs a little work and currently only opens from the outside.
The interior door pulls are attached using really tight zip-ties (picture included). I couldn't find the appropriate screws and backing to re-insert them. This shouldn't be too difficult for a VW interior specialist.
I'm pretty sure this bus is not currently California legal because I haven't installed the catalytic converter. I have it though and a potential buyer from California is welcome to the part.
Upon installing the tent I had a nervous breakdown. Have you ever tried installing one of those? There are a couple small tears that occurred during installation that are visible. I repaired them with clear tent repair tape. I think that a very small sewing job could also do the trick.
There is a section of the floor trim that needs to be re-glue so that the corner fits tightly together (picture included).

That is the story for this bus. The reserve price doesn't come close to the value of materials that I've put into the bus. This is a unique build and one that I think is very beautifully done. It will be a great addition to anyone looking to hit the road, or for those looking for a 95 percent completed show-quality project.

Thanks for your interest!

Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon for Sale

Auto Services in Oregon

Tom`s Import Service ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Electric Service, Brake Repair

Address: 10240 NW Glencoe Rd, Manning

Phone: (503) 647-5066

Thunder Auto Detailing ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Detailing, Recreational Vehicles & Campers

Address: 2149 Beach Dr, Seaside

Phone: (503) 298-7630

The Brake Shop ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Inspection Stations & Services, Brake Repair

Address: 10313 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Wood-Village

Phone: (360) 524-0089

Texaco Xpress Lube ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Auto Oil & Lube

Address: 3750 Commercial St SE, Scio

Phone: (503) 391-5823

Speed`s Towing ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Towing

Address: Beaver

Phone: (503) 234-5555

Specialty Auto Electric ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Electric Service

Address: 1133 SE 9th St, Sunriver

Phone: (866) 595-6470

Auto blog

Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it

Thu, 28 Mar 2013

For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand's sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of "Mr. Piëch, drop it." According to a report in Ward's Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.
Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn't comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that "There is no substance in the news." If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there's Alfa's recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata - a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.
The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn't own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne's plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.

Europeans get first crack at new Golf Variant wagon

Mon, 04 Mar 2013

Just last week, when we brought you news of a new Volkswagen Golf variant out and testing in Europe, we had no idea we were being so literal with out description. For it seems that VW has every intention of calling its new Golf wagon, making its Geneva debut, the "Golf Variant."
Odd/interesting sobriquets taken as read then, there's a lot to like about this new small wagon from VW. The Variant will shed some 232 pounds in this generation, and will come to market with two efficient TDI engines. Volkswagen isn't giving us displacement figures for either yet, but we're told the diesels will come with outputs of 110 and 150 horsepower. The 110-hp TDI BlueMotion Varient will be good for a whopping 71.3 miles per gallon on the European cycle, when mated to the six-speed manual transmission.
The German automaker has brought along an all-wheel-drive 4Motion version of the Gold Variant to bow in Geneva, as well, and a natural gas-burning TGI BlueMotion is said to be "in the pipeline."

VW Super Bowl teaser with Jimmy Cliff is like a less-mean Tosh.0 Web Redemption

Thu, 24 Jan 2013

Reggae super-duper-star and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Cliff has been using music to send positive vibes out into the universe for decades now, so its no surprise that his message on behalf of Volkswagen is one of redemption.
Dubbed Sunny Side, this web-spot is VW's warmup of sorts for what promises to be another blockbuster year in the world of Super Bowl commercials. Without giving away the game, the euphonious commercial sees Cliff opening his arms and his heart to some YouTube 'celebrities' that might see courser treatment from the likes of Tosh.0, for instance. We can't help but be reminded of Coca-Cola's legendary 1971 Hilltop spot with the "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" lyric, too.
Enjoy the pre-Super Bowl VW spot below, and don't forget to pay it forward... your karma will thank you. For those of you that just can't get enough of commercial-making magic, we've included a "making-of" video, as well.