1978 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Station Wagn Minivan/Van

4 - Cyl.

Automatic

Clear

Gasoline

Audio Player Copyright 2009 Ver2.04 You are bidding on a beautiful Champaign Edition 1978 Deluxe VW Microbus – an excellent example of a rare, limited production baywindow model from a build year consistently ranked among the most popular of all by VW enthusiasts. It is a good looking, extremely origina,l colorful vintage Microbus that is performs very well and has been driven just over 123,000 original miles from new. It is replete with all of its original interior and exterior trim – the full body disco stripes, the upper-body color wheel rims and eye-catching color-keyed interior, with special colors for dash, steering wheel, door pulls, spare tire cover, as well as the specially made two tone seat covers, interior panels and kick panels, all particular to the 1978 Champaign Edition. It is wearing its original paintwork – and has several highly desirable options – cold air conditioning by Gilmore Enterprises and factory options like the quartz in-dash clock, automatic transmission, and ambulance step, all in good working order that will add to your fun for years to come. Major Advantages: Good exterior condition and appearance – original Champaign Edition paintwork and body striping. Excellent mechanical condition – original drivetrain, recently serviced. Interior is all-original, in excellent condition and super clean. Automatic transmission. Cold A/C – manufactured especially for VW’s by Gilmore Enterprises of Orlando, Florida. Other special items: Champaign Edition Interior, color-rich, complete and in excellent shape. Quartz in-dash clock, factory installed. Original tool kit under passenger seat stand. Original Blaupunkt AM radio. Original cigarette lighter – your cell phone will love it! Original headliner – no rips or tears. Original headrests in front seats. Original sliding side windows. Original seats – front, middle and rear. Original seat stand mats. Original kick panels, front and rear. Original chrome bumpers with rubber trim inserts. 2.0 liter Fuel Injected powerplant. Disc brakes in front. New Hancook radial tires. Spare tire with cover on nose. Original ignition key operates all locks. Original owner’s manual. Historically, I purchased this great original Champaign Edition Microbus from a noted baywindow bus enthusiast in Boulder, Colorado a while back. I flew to Denver and drove it 800 exciting miles to Denton. Eventually, I sold it to another collector/enthusiast here in North Texas who, because of a physical handicap, required automatic transmission. The new owner later commissioned me to obtain and to have installed the famed Gilmore Enterprises Air Conditioning system made specifically for vintage VW’s, which I accomplished through Kelly Huffman in Fort Worth. Because of her handicap, my customer drove the Microbus very few miles and has decided to have me offer it to the public via live auction. Mechanically, you’ll be handling the most advanced drivetrain VW ever manufactured for the vintage Baywindow bus. In 1978, VW optimized the 2.0 liter electronically controlled fuel injected powerplant by introducing self-adjusting hydraulic valves, producing 66hp at 4200rpm. It was the combination of this dynamic drivetrain plus the power of disc brakes that has caused VW enthusiasts to consistently rank the 1978 model high in popularity. It is the peppiest engine VW ever put in a bus, and this one needs absolutely nothing at all – it is very tight and solid, and waiting to take you wherever you’d like to go. It is mated to its original 3 speed automatic transmission which shifts smoothly and flawlessly. Top speed is 75-80 MPH. You can cruise comfortably all day at freeway speeds. The steering and alignment are excellent. Brakes are in good order. It rides great and goes down the road good and straight. Tire tread is 100% - the Microbus rides on new P195x75R14 Hancook radials. Seat belts for two up front, a three point harness for driver and a lap belt for front passenger. Electrical system is in excellent working order – all exterior lighting including headlamps, turn signals, rear side marker, emergency blinker, backup and tag lights function properly. Horn, wipers, dash gauges, indicators and dash lights are all operational, as are the dome lights. Original Blaupunkt AM radio is in good working order. Heater and ventilation levers work well, and all vent window locks are in good order. The original VW ignition key operates all doors and locks. Exterior-wise, this Microbus is exceptionally attractive because it is still wearing its original Champaign Edition paintwork and body decal stripes. The benefit of the original paint is obvious. You seldom see a low mile, original paint vintage bus, practically never the limited edition Champaign model. The chrome bumpers are original with new rubber impact trim. There are a few minor dings in the door and side panels and the passenger side rear corner has experienced a crumple – imperfections you would expect to find after over 30 years of service, but they do not detract in any way from the beauty of this rare Microbus. The wheel rims still display original upper-body paint. Original Deluxe Bus window trim is present, with original window scrapers that still appear as new inside and out. Original rubber seals for rear front, rear and side windows, front door, sliding door, rear hatch and engine door remain intact and in good condition. Interior-wise, you will find the original Fox Red Champaign Edition interior treatment, still amazingly radiant despite the ages, with colorful loop pile carpeting in the front floor, in the walk-thru and passenger cabin areas, and in the rear hatch area. Note the brown colored dash, steering wheel, seat stand mats, all original and appearing in excellent condition with no cracks. There are absolutely no after-market modifications in the kick panels. No chips or cracks in original Sekurit vent and side window glass. Original Champaign front, middle and rear seat upholstery and original door, interior and front and rear kick panels are in very good condition. Sliding door, cargo hatch and engine door are in good order. The original headliner is in excellent condition. International buyers – worldwide shipping is available from the port of Houston, Texas. Please go to www.horizonautoshipping.com for an oceangoing freight quote. You can call me, Ray Hair, at 817-988-5238 (cell) for more information about this great vintage Beetle or contact me by email with questions. Please go to the top of the auction page and click ME, just to the right of my user ID, cars20thcentury, to go to my ebay ABOUT ME page for more information. There, you can click through to my website, cars20thcentury, for details about my exciting, recently concluded ebay auctions and my experience with vintage Volkswagens. Although you can find other decent-looking vintage VW’s at reasonable prices you’ll not find the originality and detail you’ll get with this example. Please review my feedback and bid with confidence. Don’t forget to add me to your list of favorite sellers – be the first to know about my future offerings. This item description, all photos and text are copyright 2010 by Ray Hair, all rights reserved. Use without permission is a violation of applicable laws. The popularity and value of the vintage Deluxe Baywindow Microbus has been increasing. The limited Champaign Edition models from 1978 are seldom available as complete and as original and in such good shape as this example. With proper care, this great Microbus will continue to grow in value. If you’re looking for an attractive, economical, original, unique, reliable, great riding vintage VW Microbus, look no further. This one will provide you and your family with loads of fun. Thank you for your time, Good Luck, and Happy Bidding!