1979 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Minivan, Van

2.0

Manual

2392096399

Clear

Gasoline

1979 Volkswagen Camp Mobile / Westfalia2.0 l Fuel Injected EngineSolar InstallationMany Upgrades / Mechanic Owned Please read the whole description to learn everything about this special bus! We found this bus in early 2010 in a field up on blocks and the engine was inside the bus. The motor had been removed and rebuilt. After over a year of continuous work, in August of 2011 we took the bus on an incredible 13,000 mile journey across the USA and Canada for 3 months. Judging from the incredible performance of the bus (and the engine), we know this baby has many more miles and years to go! We are offering it for sale as we are locked into our jobs and don't foresee any extended trips in the next few years, and we'd rather see it go than sit and rust in our driveway. While the bus is very solid, there's still a short list of work to do, please read the description to find out more. This is an incredibly satisfying project, a restoration investment, and solid turn-key camping machine! Our Restoration All tires on the bus are only a year or so old. The wheels are refurbished and in good condition. The rear tires have high pressure valve stems and we treated all tires with Green Slime to prevent blowouts and bead leakage. We mounted the spare tire on the front and had to use it once on the trip, it performed beautifully and does not lose air.The front end is tight, we installed a new steering box and tie rods. Alignment was recently checked and was good. There is some steering wheel play (see "what needs work" below)All 4 shocks were replaced and are good.The truck has a refurbished gas tank and all fuel lines have been changed and routing modified for safety and no kinking/rubbingAll the body work was done at home, and we decided to try the "Rustoleum" paint job which turned out pretty well. The finish more "matte" than glossy, but we were able to get the color we wanted at the price that made sense! PowerTrainThe engine is a fuel injected 2.0 engine that was rebuilt by the previous owner. While a 1979 engine usually has hydraulic valves (automatically adjusting), this motor was rebuilt (with what we can see) with new heads but with adjustable valves (from the more common 1974 model?). It's important to note that the valves must be adjusted occasionally maintain efficiency of the engine. Our compression readings on all cylinders were within spec, and the bus passed New Jersey curb idle emissions inspection (even without a catalytic converter).The muffler is a free-flowing EMPI model for the 1974/1979 Federal trapezoidal manifold, however, it is virtually impossible (from my research) to source a stock muffler system with a catalytic converter. I do however have the original catalytic converter (included in the parts box with sale). If your state requires a cat for emissions inspection, you may need to have a custom exhaust fabricated.In terms of other work on the engine, all fuel injectors have been replaced with rebuilt ones, the air flow meter is newly rebuilt (BusBoys), new ignition, etc. The engine starts every time and is very strong and smooth on the move. Idle speed can be a little quirky at first start up, or high when hot. I'd like to inspect the aux air system more, but it's really a negligible issue for now.The transmission is solid. I changed the trans oil before our cross country trip. It shifts as designed, and I also have a new linkage bushing in the parts box (but not needed yet!)The axles were changed when we installed the engine because of torn boots.The clutch is new, and the flywheel was also replaced when we installed the engine. Starting/Charging/ElectricalOne of the first things we did was to inspect, rewire, and repair the entire electrical system. I traced every line in the bus to make sure every connection was according to stock design and pinned to the correct fuse or connector. Highly corroded parts were replaced.I replaced the starter and the alternator with rebuilt ones (with lifetime warranties) as a preemptive repair for our trip. This also ensured the charging system would perform without any high resistance impedance. I also rewired some of the troublesome terminal stacks at the starter motor to a more reliable power distribution.The battery was recently replaced under warranty (Bosch)This bus also has a very unique and effective solar installation which can run the fridge, stereo, and other appliances while parked without using a generator or running the engine (see videos below) Kitchen and InteriorMy work this summer was removing the kitchen and cleaning out the old insulation and installing spray foam installation. This will provide superior warmth and prevent mice from living behind the kitchen. The water sink pump switch has been upgraded to a pushbutton/momentary/full on/off switch with a high amp relay which provides maximum voltage to the pump and ease of use when washing dishesThe propane tanks that were originally mounted underneath the car had to be removed for insurance and travel regulations (bridges, tunnels, etc), now we have a very convenient hook up for disposable 1lb propane tanks (available everywhere). The fridge was upgraded to a much more efficient thermo-electric fridge which runs off solar and the aux batteries. It worked very well to keep our perishables cool in the summer heat. It can also be used to keep things from freezing by reversing the polarity of the connection. Pop Top and Center ConsoleThe pop top canvas was replaced during our restoration with a brand new one. It does not leak and the mounting was reinforced (screws and bolts instead of stock staples)A new SunPro tachometer was installed during our restorationThe heater valves work as designed, I recently fabricated brackets for the heater valves (many owners will connect the heat as an "always on" mode and bypass the valves)A new stereo was installed with Pioneer speakers. It does not have a CD player (who uses them anymore?) only aux in and USB/SD direct for your digital musicI wired in for aux power and a subwoofer when I removed the kitchen.There is also a dedicated starter battery line for a ceramic electric heater or other future electrical installations. What Needs Work Like I said before, this is a very solid truck and I am confident in all the work we've done - would I drive it to California tomorrow? Yes. Like any old car, though, you have to keep an eye on everything and have a general understanding of what is next on the to do list. Here's my suggestions:The windshield has a crack on the passenger side going from the lower part of the window up over half way. Also on our trip we were hit with a stone from a truck and another crack started on the pass side by the seal. NJ does not require safety inspections anymore and because it does not impair the drivers view, we haven't changed it, but if your state requires safety inspection, we recommend a new windshield and seal.We replaced the steering box, and the tie rods but it was very difficult before our trip to find the center swivel arm bushing. The only play in the steering wheel is from that bushing which we have and is included in the parts box with sale. I would do this next. Driving is fine currently but the less you have to "herd" the bus down the road the better... to do!The torsion bars are a little saggy, the rear wheels are basically sitting on the bumpers and the front bumpers need to be installed (I have them in the parts box!). But we also drove 13K miles totally loaded like this no problem. Obviously the engineers figured that not everyone would get this done and designed for it, but at least adjusting the rear height I would recommend.The engine seems to run a little rich when cold, this is probably due to needing to source out the correct vacuum line elbows for the aux air valve and perhaps spend some time to figure out the correct cylinder head temperature sensor, as the one I installed may not be the exact one for my model year (but not sure). Engine runs great at cruise and after warm up, we got 18mpg loaded on the highway and up to 23mpg unloaded. Around town I get about 15 mpg.Body is showing a little rust, so another coat of paint might be in order. The rust is generally under control which is great. We don't see any rot or rust that presents a safety hazard or having to scrap the bus.Obviously we can't remember everything to write here or know everything about the bus, but we are confident in it, and drive it regularly! Payment and Logistics$500 deposit due 48 hours after auction end via Paypal. Cashiers, personal check (once cleared), or cash in person within 14 days of auction end. If you'd like me to mail you the title after payment so you could register/insure and drive this bus back to your house, I would be happy to do this for you (and prep the bus for travel).Auction price is agreed price, please bid according to what you see here, and do not expect haggling on location as this is not why I'm listing on ebay. Thanks!I will do my best to include as many extras as possible that we found indispensable for our camping needs, though we reserve the right to not include certain accessory items seen in the auction.I would be happy to offer support for later repairs via email or phone after the sale at my discretion to help you with the knowledge I've learned over the past 2 years. Pics and MoreCheck out my Auto blog to read more about our restoration here: www.GeoRides.comHere's some pics from our tour around the USA: https://picasaweb.google.com/107213151847625222362/USACanadaTour02?authuser=0&feat=directlinkHere is the whole bus pics web album:VBusOn Aug-14-12 at 19:17:27 PDT, seller added the following information: Security and Alarm system I forgot to include this video about this pretty snazzy security system that we installed. We had another car broken into once before and know that it's not easy to relax when all of your stuff is packed in a bus with lots of windows. Basically the system provides an audible alarm if someone opens the doors unauthorized, but even cooler will TEXT MESSAGE YOU if this happens. Sounds state of the art, but it's actually somewhat simple to use, you just need a SIM card from a carrier like AT&T, TMobile, or whatever the GSM carriers are in Canada. You can also text message the bus and it will text message you back with it's GPS coordinates (if someone were to steal the bus). The bus does not use any crude "shake" sensors or other stuff that will drive you crazy. It will only make noise if you arm it, otherwise it's not there. The siren and GPS and GSM antennas are hidden under the front hood cover. Addendum I also decided to go ahead and replace the bump stops so there won't be any surprising metal-metal bottoming out if you have two people up front and hit a big bump. So you can scratch this from the "to be done" list. Never got around to installing these because I haven't been driving with a 5 gallon gas can and a generator on the roof for while... anyway, it's done and took longer to take the front tires off than to install the bumpers! Also I've been getting some requests to post pictures of rust. I added some pics to the album posted in the original description. All the rust that was a serious concern was taken care of when we painted the bus. We stopped a lot of the rot in the sliding door by actually removing it from the bus and taking off the panels. When I did the kitchen restoration this summer I was able to really bondo and overcoat the wheel well rot from the inside which was great. This is not a showroom bus, but for those who aren't afraid to get out a wire wheel and spray some rustoleum, it won't be a problem. We will also include the two used gallons of baby-blue and white rustoleum paint we used to do the exterior. Understand this is an ongoing project but one you can do at your convenience! On Aug-15-12 at 18:54:31 PDT, seller added the following information: Well I'm getting psyched to see some action on the bidding and know that these are my last chances to do some final work on the bus that I have been putting off. Understand this bus is basically a work of art by my wife Ariana and I, and we'd like to see it live on and continue to be a reliable machine. So this evening... I decided I didn't feel comfortable leaving the hole I cut out to make room for the deep cycle batteries, as this poses a risk of carbon monoxide entering the cabin and fire. Since I literally hooked up the solar and battery system while we were driving out to Nevada (finishing it at Burning Man!), the cutting job was a bit crude and I "sealed" the hole with cardboard and duct tape. Not anymore! A little sheet metal later... I taped it with Gorilla tape to prevent accidental grounding while working near the deep cycle batteries. Also had the chance to clean up the batteries and reinforce the tie-downs. I've sealed the other side (the hanging closet) with expanding foam, and will mount a nice piece of sheet metal for the bottom of the closet. Now, no prob hanging those dress shirts! [never-ending work in progress :]On Aug-18-12 at 04:34:53 PDT, seller added the following information: As promised, here are the picks of the nicest VW bus closet you'll see! Also I thought I would include some pics of some literature worth reading :) Thanks for bidding everyone! We'll do our best to make sure you are totally satisfied with this bus!On Aug-19-12 at 06:51:44 PDT, seller added the following information: Good Morning everyone! Thanks for the incredible bidding and interest! Thanks to you who made the trip out yesterday to see the bus in person! As I said before, I am confident in this bus and would absolutely drive it an extended distance as is (Montreal, Tennessee, Buffalo, etc). The motor is very smooth at cruise and everything seems to be in working order. Please understand, though, this auction is "As Is" and I just have to say I don't make any guarantees or warranties, but have a vested interest in seeing you be absolutely satisfied by doing everything I can to make sure the bus is ready to roll. It's the legal reality of an old car :) OK, I wanted to show more pics of the underside of the bus, yesterday with one family who visited at my shop we had the bus up in the air and they were impressed with the lack of rust/rot. Indeed the original owners (whom I've met) lived in Boston and appears that they had the underbody sprayed with undercoat, which is probably why it looks so good. The frame to me looks solid, there is some rust on panels and floorboards, but I can't be worried about it. Again, please click the album link to see the new pics! VBus I also wanted to give a better idea what I am talking about the swivel arm play, which is the same as when we drove the bus across country because the swivel arm bushing was on back order. Now I have it, but never put it in. I think the bus is safe to drive, but it would be recommended before an extended voyage to change it. Thanks!