Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Everybody,

I am new to the scene and very grateful I stumbled across this forum, the best I have seen.

I am looking to buy a Westfalia and think I may have found the one! Originally I was on the hunt for a late model TD or WBX but unfortunately due to restricted budget have had to revise.

I have found a 1984 pop-top recently imported from Germany, straight diesel (i know i know, but i am in no hurry to get anywhere) and have a few Q's.

Interior is Grey as in later models, I have searched the forums here and elsewhere & can't find a definitive answer. Were they optioned with this colour in 84? - Seeing as I am after a genuine westy want to avoid a backyard conversion!

Where do I find the complience plate showing the westfalia No. and what else should I look for?

It has the usual Westy bits but no waste water tank? Optional?

Just how bad are the diesels really? I can handle taking it easy, but as I intend on some lengthy travel soon will make it through the Alps? What sort of sustained uphill speeds can I expect, fully laden without killing the engine?

Said van appears to be in good well maintained condition throughout with little obvious cancer in the usual places (seams etc, although paintwork has been undertaken recently) and mileage is around the 150k-K/M mark and is up for sale for just under £4000 (top end of my budget). Does this sound like a fair price to pay seeing as I am after something I can just load up & head off without any real work needing to be done.

All I am after is a good honest van and after looking at a few it seems to be very hit & miss, some I have looked at have been full of cancer with worn engines asking top £ is this generally the case (£3500-4000+)?

Any help that can be given is appreciated and sorry for the lengthy post.

Right.................

I have a '90 Westy and its a 1.6TD, yeh she goes but if this one is a straight and you plan on going up the alps............well........., personally I would give it a miss.....also it doesn't have a grill........(current standing joke) If you do buy a westy, I suggest you buy 2 of these...
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop ... r1126.html

The grey interior, as far as I know was only on later models, I could be wrong....... (I'm sure some smarty pants will be quick enough to correct me if I am) Earlier Westys had a brown interior.

Waste water tanks came as standard I think on models from '82 onwards, one to query.

My compliance plate is on the front of the R&R bed just above the Ebber and below the seat cushion, if thats any help.

As recently stated by someone who's never driven a diesel...................."there's nothing wrong with TD diesels" and I was of the same opinion until I drove one that wasn't. cruel, very cruel..

I don't really have any complaints, fuel comsumption is good , about 35 mpg depending on wind direction...........hehe, however fully laden she can be a bit sluggish....... and going up hills is another matter altogether, unless you get a run up your in 2nd or 3rd at best all the way.Personally I would rather have a petrol van and convert it to gas, I'd even sell the Westy in order to do this.....

£4000 seems a bit steep, I paid £5200 for mine 18 mths ago from a guy called Brett, if you want his number PM me and I'll sort you out with it.

My advice is, do your research and then do some more and then don't buy the first van that comes along cos you think your not going to get another chance..oh and buy for bodywork.........but I wouldn't buy a flat diesel with what you're planning on doing....

Hope that helps, there's a few others on here who own Westy's who will be along at some point to give even more valuable advice...


check this out...........
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw/ge ... onies.html


heres the full link to main page..some good info there.

http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw/

Simon had some good info, which was invaluable for me when researching vans but I can't find the link.....sorry, someone else will put it up for you.

Torz

the westy int. we got offa russel was fron an aircold bus, and was fake teak...

later westys are indeed "timeless" grey, which still looks the dogs today, unlike most chintzy conversions aimed at the "grey-haired " pound

84 model year had a beige interior

Everything was an option on Westys, the van could have been retro fitted with grey furniture by a VW dealer

If it has a sink it should have a waste tank

Nothing wrong with TDs, plain diesels are torturous

the only way to check a Westys provenence is to have all the paperwork from new

try and avoid buying a 'recently imported from Germany' van , it will be overpriced check prices on mobile.de (search for T2 and T3)

OK, thanks guy's for your input... I am thinking now about keeping the search going. I did some home translation of the 84 brochure from this web site

http://vwpix.terlinden.com/prospekte/de ... index.html

The interior is listed as beige-matt, so maybe this is not a genuine Westy.

plain diesels are torturous

everybody is saying how woeful the straight diesels are so thinking wide berth is required here.

On a seperate but related matter I have been enquiring about insurance for vans OMG!

I moved over to the UK in 04 from Oz and because I have not been a resident for over 3years the qoutes are coming in at over £1300 per year full comprehensive...

Adrian Flux was over £2000!

try Antipodean or Downunder for insurance,they specialise in visitors from afar wanting cheap vehicle insurance

try Antipodean or Downunder for insurance,they specialise in visitors from afar wanting cheap vehicle insurance

Thanks for the tip will definitely look into it.

Hally had issues with 'downunder insurance' - his van was torched while he was away at dubfreeze last year in a mates van. I can't remember details, but he wasn't very happy with them at the time - something about the small print in the contract, so check it carefully. I've no idea how it turned out, as he returned to Australia and we've not heard from him since.....