1973 Volkswagen Camper Van Bus - Very Straight Body And Very Little Rust! on 2040-cars
Portland, Oregon, United States
I acquired this van about three months ago but the
acquisition of another project is forcing me to sell this one. There
is absolutely nothing “drastically wrong” with this V-dub that made me give
up. I just realized that I’m not that
excited about it and would rather work on something else. So, in the interest of the fullest disclosure
possible, here goes.
Here’s the details. Purchased in April of this year from the estate of an elderly man who passed away. The vehicle has not been licensed since April 2005 so I’d assume that’s the last time it’s been driven to any extent. Had a V-6 (older Ford 2.6) that was awfully tired. After evaluating its condition and running it for a short while (couldn’t really drive it except in my driveway, clutch was pretty weak) I did not see any value in keeping this motor so I yanked it. It is gone but I still have the adapter plate and flywheel if someone is interested in installing another version of this motor (same basic motor as the 2.9 in older Ford Rangers and Bronco II’s). Body: Undoubtedly
this is the best characteristic of the bus.
It’s very straight with only minor dings and rust spots. The side panels look really, really
straight. The nose and tailgate area are
pretty good as well. Most of the small
dings seem to be in the corners and are very shallow. I would characterize the rust spots that I have
found as small and mostly surface. There
are two or three that have a different color of paint over them and may have
been bondo-ed over but I am fairly certain they were not rusted through as
there is still flex in these areas (from the sheet metal bending a bit but it doesn't feel rusted through at all). The worst of these are shown and are at the left front around the parking lamp and left rear around the tail light. I honestly think they look worse in the photo than they really area. The
area inside and below the windshield has peeling paint and minor surface rust
but is otherwise solid. I can’t find
anything but a bit of surface rust underneath.
Very good raw material here folks!
There were two body mods done to accommodate the V-6. The bottom
of the nose was cut out for the radiator fan and the rear “apron” (goes across
below the engine opening) was modified to be removable due to the extra size of
the engine. I am not a body expert but I really consider these two issues to be way less severe than taking on significant rust. Doors and hatches:
All hinges are tight, slider works fine (inside handle is broken), rear
gate and engine cover work great. I cannot find any rust to speak of on any door
or hatch other than minor surface rust around paint chips. All doors & hatches close with a very solid "thunk". Brakes: Seem to work (although I have not tested at high speed), fluid looks good. Emergency brake cable is broken. Glass: Absolutely great, no cracks or even any chips that I can see. Everything cranks up/down or open/shut as it should. Some seals are weathered but appear to be functional. Vehicle was sitting outside (in Portland where it rains a lot) but there are really no detectable signs of moisture entry. Electrical: No obvious signs of shorts or otherwise damaged wiring. Most things seemed to work (signals, headlights, horn) that I tested when the battery and engine were installed. Has provisions for two batteries running on an isolator. Fridge does run on 120 VAC. I am an expert on DC wiring and would characterize the system as slightly modified but reasonably well done. I would say you do NOT have to re-do the entire system but may need to modify or improve certain areas depending on what you intend to power it with. Propane system: Everything looks good but I cannot figure out how to turn on the gas solenoid. I can’t imagine that it’s terribly complicated. Gas is used only for the stove (fridge is 120 VAC only I’m pretty sure although it might run on DC as well). The tank appears to be about 2-3 gallons. Sink & plumbing look okay but I have not tested. Interior: Most of the
original panels (like on the front door) are good. The trim along the bottom of the camper
shell is pretty bad but looks to be easily replaceable. Camper area floor is in good condition (some
type of sheet vinyl). Carpet in cab area
is bad. Carpet over engine area is dirty
and pretty ugly. Dash has had 3 gauge installed and a few holes drilled. There are still two "coolant" heaters; one in the living area and the other in the cab. Engine: yanked!. I think you basically have 2 options with this rig: 1. Put in a Subaru flat-4 (this seems to be the most popular conversion) or 2) make it original. I still have the front radiator that goes in behind the guard currently welded to the front bumper mounts. It’s quite heavy duty. Some of the coolant lines were removed from the chassis but those could be easily reinstalled. I did leave the heaters in the front cab and the camping area. Fuel system: Condition is unknown. There’s a bit of surface rust in the filler neck. I put about 2 gallons in which didn’t leak out but the fuel pump on the engine wouldn’t draw so there’s either some kind of restriction or the fuel pump was bad from sitting with fuel in it for years. Removing the fuel tank for cleaning will be a lot easier with the engine removed. Drive train: Transmission goes into all gears (it’s a VW 4-speed with an adapter for the V6) and doesn’t make any bad noise but I haven’t driven it on the street yet. Rubber boots on transaxle half-shafts need to be replaced as they are split. Suspension: There do not seem to be any major defects. I jacked up the front end and all ball joints seem to be okay (I couldn’t find anything loose). Steering seems to be reasonably tight and smooth. Wheel bearing seem good & tight. Rear suspension seems quite taut. Misc: gas pedal
screws to mount to floor have broken off.
Transporting: I am willing to move the van a short distance if you need assistance. A tilt-bed hauler might have difficulty getting down my driveway so I could easily transport it a short distance to accommodate that. I could also locate temporary storage if that is required. Thanks for looking and please contact me if you are interested. You or your representative can inspect this rig at my home just about any time during daylight hours. Just contact me through this auction and I will send you my phone number. I’m off Canyon Road between Beaverton and Portland (Oregon). I would really like to impress that I'd like to be as accommodating as possible. If you have any special requests, please don't hesitate to ask. |
Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon for Sale
1971 vw bus sunroof camper, 1776cc,original paint, sidemount tent, needs nothing
1966 vw bus 13 window delux walk thur **running**
1971 volkswagen bus camper
1985 vw westfalia vanagon gl 98,158 original miles runs smooth ready to roll
1962 volkswagon, double cab with single cab front clip
My baby blue bus
Auto Services in Oregon
Vista Body Shop Inc ★★★★★
Tualatin Auto Body & So - Cal Northwest ★★★★★
Truck Designs Auto Body ★★★★★
Transmission Unlimited ★★★★★
Tom Denchel`s Country ★★★★★
The Ugly Chip ★★★★★
Auto blog
Autoblog Podcast #416
Tue, Feb 3 2015Episode #416 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, seeing the 2016 Nissan Maxima in the company's Super Bowl ad, and GMC's potential plans for a Jeep Wrangler fighter. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #416 Topics 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata first drive 2016 Nissan Maxima previewed in Super Bowl ad GMC mulling Jeep Wrangler fighter In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0L V8 2015 Honda CR-V Long-Term 2015 Volkswagen GTI Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:36:43 Rundown Intro and Garage - 00:00 Maxima – 30:48 Miata – 41:46 GMC/Wrangler – 59:14 Q&A - 01:11:13 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Mazda Nissan Volkswagen vw gti nissan maxima
Dyno run hints VW GTI power might be significantly underrated
Wed, Feb 4 2015Are you one of the lucky owners of the 2015 Volkswagen GTI? If yes, you should be happy, because your 210- or 220-horsepower hot hatchback might actually have more like 260 ponies under its hood. That's according to a dyno test from a vendor on, of all places, a Ford Focus ST enthusiast forum. The company is estimating a 15-percent drivetrain loss with the GTI's best result a whopping 263 horsepower and 314 pound-feet of torque at the crank. That's a tremendous difference from the 210 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque that Volkswagen claims. Of course, this is merely one dyno session on one car. We'll have to wait until more 2015 GTI owners get on the rolling road to see if Volkswagen really was as conservative about its hot hatch's output as FocusST.org claims. Featured Gallery 2015 Volkswagen GTI: First Drive View 32 Photos News Source: FocusST.orgImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL Volkswagen Hatchback Economy Cars Performance vw gti dyno
VW Group recalls 27k Touaregs, Audis and Porsches for fuel leak
Tue, Jan 27 2015The Volkswagen Group is one of the most expansive in the entire industry, and shares parts across more product lines than we could wrap our heads around. So when the German megalith finds a fault in one of its components, it has the capacity to spread like wildfire. The latest set of recall notices from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers vehicles from the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche divisions. The problem revolves around the fuel injection system, which could potentially leak and cause a fire. The recall affects – deep breath now – the 2012 VW Touareg Hybrid, the 2011-12 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid and Panamera S Hybrid, 2011-12 Audi S4, S5 and Q7 and the 2012-13 Audi A7. All told, that amounts to 27,376 units, the owners of which can expect to hear from the manufacturer to have the fuel rails replaced, along with their corresponding seals (having nothing to do with marine mammals writing letters). RECALL Subject : Fuel Injection System Fuel Leak Report Receipt Date: JAN 20, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V019000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 26,008 Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak in the injection system in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 10, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. ### RECALL Subject : Fuel Injection System may Leak Report Receipt Date: JAN 20, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V016000 Component(s): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,368 Manufacturer: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.