1980 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Westfalia Minivan/Van

4 - Cyl.

Manual

25A0141364

Clear

Gasoline

This is an original, California Vanagon that I purchased completely rust-free in 2002. It spent 20 years in CA before being moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where it spent the next two years before I acquired it and had it shipped to my home in New Jersey. It still retains the factory (oversized), CA catalytic converter. I have owned and restored this beautiful Westfalia over the past 8 years and it has been an absolute pleasure; small changes were made to enhance its functionality over the years and upgrade its performance modestly. Exterior: When I acquired the Vanagon in 2002, if had several dents, scrapes and bruises that needed attention; there was no rust whatsoever. It was completely disassembled: doors, lights, lenses, etc. were all removed. Dents were repaired with metal only (no filler whatsoever), the body was sand blasted down to metal and repainted the original burnt orange/beige at Pana Coach Works in Oakland, New Jersey in the Fall of 2003, the paint still looks beautiful. The fiberglass top was also given a fresh coat of marine-grade white paint, the rims were painted silver-grey as they were from the factory. The body then received new front and rear bumpers, new end caps, new front grill, upgraded headlights, new exterior mirrors, new door handles/locks, new hubcaps/trim rings, new wipers/wiper arms, new antenna, new factory Westfalia stickers, etc., etc. A black, front bra keeps the nose bug/rock and chip free during long drives and tinted windows keeps the sun out and the interior cool. Interior: The interior is beautiful, comfortable and functional, and largely original; the original, durable, curtains and seats are in very lovely condition. The original carpet is covered with mats from gowesty.com and it looks great. Other improvements including gauges added to keep an eye on the engine stats. The dash has no cracks and wears a cover to keep it that way. Stove and fridge work as they should as well as the sink, facet and lights. I have a brand new, upgraded three-window, highest quality, canvas from GoWesty.com that was installed in August of 2009 and raised only a few times since to air it out. The new canvas top greatly enhances the ventilation when up and will make sleeping ‘up top’ a dream. A new, never used, rear screen covers the large, rear hatch and keeps the bugs out. Everything is in excellent condition and operational. To keep the occupants entertained I installed a 300 watt, (4) speaker, Pioneer, CD/Stereo system in September, 2009 (CD, iPod and MP3 compatible) that rivals some home systems. Mechanicals: While VW’s engineers redesigned everything about the Vanagon in 1980, after many configuration considerations, they decided to retain the existing, 2.0L air-cooled, 67HP engine from the previous, 1979 model year. As odd as it sounds, it works well and does what it needs to, although the 1980 Vanagon arrived with considerably more mass/weight than the 1979 model year Bus and is 30% roomier inside. This is the original engine and was rebuilt by the previous owner in AZ. It runs strong, has character and still retains the single factory exhaust with heat exchangers (heat works great by the way). At cruising speed it elicits the familiar ‘small but fierce’ sound that may bring you back a few decades. A few slightly modern upgrades that I did include replacing the original hydraulic lifters with solid lifters to alleviate the common lifter-collapse in high temperature, Summer weather. While they make slightly more ‘tapping’ noise, they are stone-simple and are impossible to break. I also added an oil cooler and spin-on oil filter to keep the engine cooler and oil cleaner. The push-tubes were replaced as well as various gaskets to lessen any droplettes of oil after parking that may occur. I use Castrol 20/50 during the three seasons, always changed at 1500 miles. Every year it is driven to a small coastal town in Maine (from New Jersey), round trip is 1500+ miles; it is fully loaded and drives through some of the worst roads (think NYC/Boston traffic in 90 degree heat) to get to some of the finest roads in New England (think narrow, twisting coastal roads through tiny, Maine villages ). I have never had a problem of any sort other than people stopping us to ask questions. It cruises comfortably at 65 MPH and delivers nearly 20 MPG without fail. The mechanical fuel injection unit was swapped out at some point in the 1990’s for a Weber 2bbl set up that works very well and provides more power than the original unit. I always keep slightly more valve clearance than recommended as a ‘loose’ VW engine runs easier/cooler than a ‘tight’ one. This is a very reliable and steady power plant that will continue to purr for many years. The transmission is a long-throw, tall levered, 4 speed, it looks and feels right and the gears are well matched for its weight/size and work as they should. All fluids have recently been changed (transaxle, crankcase, brakes fluid). Other: Both front bearings were replaced, steering coupler and a significant list of parts I have long since forgotten about. The fuel tank was removed, had all new gaskets installed, along with new overflow components, fuel sensor, and new fuel lines in April 2009 by a local shop in town. I installed vintage, Hella fog lights that illuminate the road nicely. Brand new Yokohama, Y356 (reinforced sidewalls), 185/14, Load Range ‘C’, 6ply tires are on all four corners, and deliver a smooth, capable ride and can handle anything you may come across in your travels – these are the recommended tire for the early Vanagon’s and have less than 100 miles on them. Because of its relatively high ground clearance (nearly 8 inches), it goes places most cars would fear to travel, dirt roads or narrow wooded trails are no problem at all and 1st gear can crawl along at 5mph almost silently. Also because of its relatively high stance, at highway speeds it has a tendency to ride on the air passing underneath its solid-platform chassis for a very comfortable ride. Once you become accustomed to its handling dynamics, you will be surprised how nimbly it handles and most importantly, its ability to put a permanent grin on your face and those of your lucky passenger’s. It seats and sleeps 4 comfortably with more leg room than you can imagine and passengers can get up and stretch their legs anytime they wish, or put the rear-bed down and take a nap on its very comfortable, firm, double mattress. The front seats turn inward and the passenger’s seat swivels 180 degrees so they can chat with the rear-seat passengers while traveling, read a book aloud (and be heard), or nap whenever they please. There is ample storage everywhere including under the rear seat, multiple cabinets/drawers (all in their original, 1980, simulated-wood glory), a full linen closet in the rear and a clothes closet mid-cabin, complete with clothes hanger rod and mirror. We typically pull off on scenic roads when we need a break from driving, pop the top (5 seconds to open fully, literally) and have a picnic lunch when we travel. As ‘rustic’ and utilitarian as this van is, it is also very civilized, classy and very German mode of transport. Rolling simplicity. This is a special vehicle and like few that still exist, it’s venerable, rear-mounted, air-cooled engine designed in the 1930’s pushes a engineering marvel of design; the Vanagon was Motor Trend’s ‘Truck of The Year’ in 1980 and a tremendous example of logical engineering that outclasses, outshines and outdoes the modern, oversized, behemoth SUV’s of today. You may be assured of many ‘thumb’s up’ while driving and small crowds gathering whenever you park. Because it is more than 25 years old, it wears ‘Historic’ plates; the insurance is just $165/year. This Vanagon has always been garaged, well loved and well maintained. Many, many thousands of dollars in receipts and countless hours of care invested. A wonderful, soulful, economical and thoroughly satisfying German vehicle for less than the price of something far, far less. Please email with any questions or additional pics. Thank you.