1971 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Van Camper

1600 CC - Upright engine

Manual

221225883

Clear

Gasoline

PICTURES! PICTURES! 74 pictures & receipts, on a separate website: 1971hedwig.simplesite.com PICTURES! PICTURES!(Copy and paste web address into your browser for easiest photo access.) This is my second time listing the van, the first auction was won by someone with zero feedback. DO NOT BID IF YOU DON'T INTEND TO BUY.PLEASE contact me directly if you have any questions, concerns or comments before bidding. Thank you. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It is with a heavy heart that I post this listing today, this magnificent bus, Hedwig - has been my baby for just a hair over 11 years now. It is time to let her go to someone else who will take care of her, enjoy her and make as many memories as I did. Since a "Maintenance Log" never really tells the story of a Volkswagen, I'm going to give you the long version. This is all the information I have on this bus - start to finish (with every detail in between.) There are photos as well, but this is her history. I purchased this bus Sept. 25, 2003 in Daleville, Alabama, while I was attending college at Troy University. The gentleman I purchased it from was a civilian aircraft mechanic at Ft. Rucker and had a large collection of Volkswagens, in all shapes, sizes and stages of repair. As you can imagine, he was quite adept with machines (lucky me!) and I purchased this van in extraordinarily good shape. She has had some semi-major work done over the years, but I really got a solid van from the get-go. Jodey (the seller) had purchased this van out of someone's backyard in Panama City Beach, Florida ten years previous. He towed it home, did an immense amount of work to the bus (the photos he showed me were incredible!), he rebuilt the engine, custom paint job, rims, etc. but the most unique thing he did was take the interior out of a rolled Westfalia van and installed it in this hard-top Transporter. However, life forces you to make decisions and with a wife & baby, he chose to sell his bus - to me. This camper-van is truly unique and one-of-a-kind. You have all the creature comforts of a camper without the hassle of a pop-top; its tendency to leak, pop open mid-trip and mold. Personally, I like the fact no one knows it's a camper from the outside. Especially when the curtains are drawn! The curtains: Jodey's wife sewed custom black curtains for the whole van and made long privacy curtains (for behind the drivers & passenger seat and in-between them, to the back of the van) so you can't see through to the back when the curtains are drawn, these are all still there and in great shape, she even made custom ties that match the material the curtains are made from. The electric that runs through this van is also, 100% custom. In the main cabin of the bus you will find many custom electrical features. There is a white fluorescent light (controlled by a switch on the dash) as well as a black light (also controlled by a switch on the dash), there is also the standard 2 plug outlet located inside the main cabin (next to the single seat, along the wall). Additionally, inside the cabinet (above the ice-box) there is a female cigarette lighter receptacle, where you can charge or power small devices. Jodey wired up an inverter under the passenger dash board to allow all these electrical systems to run on the van battery. When you are camping, you simply move the plug on the inverter to "outside source". Then you connect power to the van directly, through a plug behind the passenger wheel well. For my graduation present (May 2005), my dad installed an alternator conversion kit (55A) and we got rid of the inefficient generator. This bus has enough energy to power itself and all your gadgets while driving down the road or camping. The van also has custom wood paneling on the interior walls, doors and ceiling of the bus. Jodey did mention that the ceiling was a bear to do and should be left alone if I knew what was good for me. He also installed a after-market gas heater (Eberspacher BN4) in the engine compartment. I used it very sporadically in Alabama because it only had an on/off switch (located on the dashboard). This only proved to be problematic while camping because after an hour or so the inside of the van would be uncomfortably hot. My dad and I tried to hook the heater up to a simple thermostat/knob inside the van. (We wired it through the back ashtray opening, as to not create more holes in the paneling.) It worked for a little while, then stopped. Without my dad's help and expertise I am unable to do the necessary repairs to make it work again. Fortunately for you, I do have the instruction manual on it (pictured) which has at least 40 laminated pages of schematics and details about the heating unit in particular. Another semi-odd detail about the bus is starting it. The key must be in the ignition and turned on, but instead of pushing the key forward to get the car to ignite, you press the ignition button (on the base of the driver's seat.) This leads me to the keys. There are 2 ignition keys and two door keys. The door keys will only unlock the driver's door & the rear (window) hatch door. The passenger door and slider door do not lock/unlock with a key, only manually by the lock switch inside. There are also two separate keys for the engine compartment lock. Jodey also chose the color of the van, a bright red/orange color original to Nissan. It's actually the color from a 1986 Nissan 300ZX (Limco Select). If you need touch-up paint or colors, this is what you'd ask for. He also installed the chrome rims, they are still there and in good shape, but could definitely use a detailing & polishing. I graduated college and moved to Seattle. I towed the van on a flat-bed trailer behind my moving truck and instantly we became West Coasters. While in Seattle I had quite a bit of work done to the van, here are the dates & details. I'm only listing the major things, for a more detailed copy of the receipt, please see this receipt (dated) listed in the photos. Autotek Tire & Service - 03-20-06 · Purchased 5 new tires for the van. *The tires currently on the van are these same tires. These tires still look new and have almost no worn tread because it's only been a joy-ride vehicle. Last year I took the van to a private owned tire store and had new valve stems put in all the tires. The valve stems had worn out over time but the tires were still in like-new shape. The big-box corporate tire stores wouldn't put new valve stems in because the tires were more than 5 years old, against their policy. Ovals Motorsport - 5-9-06 · Replace oil pressure switch · Replaced heater tubes to heater box. Reworked rear tin so hoses will fit with header. · Hooked up power brakes to manifold. Replaced booster hose front & rear install. · Rear brake job including replacing collapsed brake hose. · Front brake job. * This brake job changed the handling of the bus completely. It will 100% stop on a dime AND you can use the emergency brake because it too was replaced. Wolfsburg Motorwerks - 9-14-06 · Tune-up · New plug wires, distributor cap, spark plugs · New carburetor. Wolfsburg Motorwerks - 12-05-06 · Electrical repair. *I think this was brake light repair, I can't remember! California Import Parts - 08-22-07 · Purchased and installed retractable seatbelts for driver & passenger seats. Ovals Motorsport - 10-08-07 · New battery · Replace tail-light assembly · Install new electric ignition system · Replace CV boots The Bus Depot 03-18-08 · Spacemaker Add-a-Room ($490.45) *Purchased this little gem for a camping trip to the San Juan Islands and it made camping an absolute dream! The receipt & instruction/schematics for the tent can be found in the photo section. Unfortunately, I've only used the tent twice. However, it is safely stored in bags and ready to go at any moment. Laminated instructions included! California Import Parts - 03-17-08 · Purchased & installed under dash tray kit. I left Seattle in 2010 and moved to Florida and was unable to take the van with me. In lieu of selling it, I shipped the van to Charleston, South Carolina to live with my best friend for a year. Also a VW veteran, my best friend Holly took great care of Hedwig while I was away. She and another VW veteran (now nostalgic after driving my bus) decided to work on her, spend time together and do some maintenance/repairs for me. I paid for the parts, pizza & beer. They did the labor. Parks Auto-Parts 06-04-2010 · New Muffler/tail pipe · New clutch Parks Auto Parts 11-03-10 · New tie-rod/front end German Auto Works 11-03-10 · Check-up / Tune-up I flew into Charleston in November, 2010 to attend my best friend's wedding. I was greeted at the airport with my van and enjoyed driving her all over Charleston. They had done major work to the van, then after her tune-up at German Auto Works she purred like a German kitten. Too soon it was time to leave and return to Clearwater, Florida. We did the trip in two days, camping in St. Augustine along the way, no problems on the drive down except for everyone passing me on the interstate! Since 2010 I really haven't had much work done to the bus. I installed a new battery in 2012 and on Mother's Day this year I installed a new ignition button from NAPA, she got new windshield wipers a few months ago, but other than that she has just been a joy to drive. On 7-30-14 I took the van to Aircooled Autohaus in Holiday, FL. When I brought it in I told them I wanted to get the bus ready to sell by getting a tune-up, oil change and get the headlights working again (they suddenly stopped working 6 mos. previous). Basically I wanted a clean bill of health on the van before I put her up for sale. Aircooled Autohaus - 07-30-14 · Head torque, valves adjusted · Set timing, adjusted carburetor · Change oil · Replace relay/headlight switch *They were very impressed with my van and said it was really solid bus that had been taken really good care of. I also asked for them to make a list of all the things that need attention, they found three things. (See receipt in photos.) Service suggested: repair torn axle boot, replace air-cooler seals & replace gasket at intake. ______________________________________________________________________________ This is ALL the history I have for the van, receipts included, up to today. ______________________________________________________________________________ In the photos section, you will see detailed photos of all the blemishes on the exterior of the bus. I held a dime next to each blemish and took a photo, then described the damage as best as I could on the picture itself. Below you will find 'Additional Information' about the van, these are details and facts about the bus I didn't know how else to list. Additional Information: · I purchased a black carpet set for the van a number of years ago, unfortunately I was unable to finish that project and the carpet is still new in the box. This carpet kit comes with the sale of the van. The carpet in the front of the bus is grey indoor-outdoor carpet that I cut to fit from a template. Then I took the cut-out to a carpet store where they sewed fabric all around the edge so the carpet wouldn't unravel. The carpet in the center cabin of the van is a maroon residential grade carpet, it was installed by Jodey. · One of the first projects I did when I purchased the van was door seals. I had no idea this would be a miserable undertaking and I would never attempt it again. My buddy and I installed new door seals on the driver & passenger doors, as well as new window seals. The windows go up and down a little more rigid than before, but they still work. The small triangular vent windows on the driver & passenger door no longer open and close. They are permanently closed. · I recovered the small single seat in the main cabin area with an interesting upholstery fabric. I did not remove the original fabric underneath, I simply stapled new fabric over the old. This keeps the integrity of the seat. · The fabric on the rear fold-down seat is original, I have simply tucked a blanket in the seat to make it look good. (You can see this in the photos, some with blanket, some without.) · The cushion in the rear hatch is original. It is a yellow vinyl and in good shape, it has no rips, tears, etc. · I recently purchased a custom cup-holder that inserts in the dashboard ashtray opening. This makes it SO much easier to have refreshing beverage while driving a stick-shift. Yes, I still have the ashtray (which has the stick-shift diagram on it). You can see this cup holder in the photo of the dash, listed. · There are some small dings in the front windshield, I repaired them all with the kit from the auto-parts store, so the hole has been filled, but you can still see the dings. There is also an arch shape that has been scraped into the windshield. · The rear bumper on the van is custom made. My dad and I made it back in 12/2003, he built the brackets himself and we routered out lines to give it an interesting look. I remember putting more than 10 coats of varnish on it, in attempt to keep it safe from the elements. Unfortunately, the elements always creep in and its definitely time to sand, strip & re-stain the wooden bumper. · The radio was one of the first things I did to the van when I bought it back in 2003. I still have the receipt from Crutchfield (10/03/2003) if you need to see it. We put a new radio with removable faceplate in the dash and wired up new speakers in the driver & passenger door. There are speaker wires that run to the rear of the bus which plug into a 2 speaker, speaker box with handle. This was an easy solution to "where do we mount speakers"? The speaker box can be easily removed by unplugging speaker wires, allowing you to still hear from the driver & passenger door speakers. The original antenna is plugged into the radio. (You can see speaker box in photos.) · The driver & passenger seats are original to the bus. They are covered with an aftermarket VW seat cover and have served quite well. Original van seats are a rarity, they can be recovered and recushioned. (See seats in photos.) · In the cabin area there are two louvered windows, one of the driver's side, the other on the passenger side, in the sliding door. All windows work and screens are present and in excellent shape. The windows have been tinted and are peeling ever so slightly in some corners. I have never driven down the road with the louvered windows open. · Repair Manuals: Included in the sale are two repair manuals. #1: Volkswagen Service Manual, Type 2, 1968-1979, Robert Bentley. #2: How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot, John Muir. · All dashboard functions work properly. The sped odometer, the gas gauge, warning lights, the turn signal, hazard light switch, etc. The air controls also work, allowing you to let it or close out fresh air. · I have also purchased an aftermarket black felt dashboard cover. This covers the small cracks on the dash board, mainly closer to the passenger side. If you need photos of the dashboard with no cover on it, please email me privately and I will take and add those photos. · The interior of the bus was painted a flat black, with small white specks in it. The white specks are hardly noticeable, until night time, and you turn on the black light. Truly a cool sight to be seen! Shipping & Sales Restrictions: This bus is only for sale domestically. I will assist in the transportation of this bus after monies have changed hands and paperwork has been signed. I will deliver it up to 100 miles from zip code: 33755. I will also assist in getting the vehicle to a transport facility, also up to 100 miles from zip code: 33755. Upon auction end, a non-refundable down payment of $500 is required within 24 hours. Once the $500 has been paid, we can discuss final payment and shipping/delivery. Payment method accepted: Cash, Cashier's Check or PayPal. I will not accept a personal check. Please contact me personally to ask any further questions. I have done my very best to give the most detailed description possible. Happy Bidding! NOTE: I reserve the right to end this auction at any time, seeing as how this vehicle is also listed for sale locally. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PICTURES! PICTURES! 74 pictures & receipts, on a separate website: 1971hedwig.simplesite.com PICTURES! PICTURES! * Copy and paste address in your browser for easiest access! 1971hedwig.simplesite.com On Oct-16-14 at 07:40:49 PDT, seller added the following information: *The van is being sold AS-IS. No warranty implied or included.