1971 VW Westfalia Camper Van Bus

Pablo LJ

New member
****SOLD****
1971 VW Type 2 Westfalia; the most sought after year. I have owned this sweet ride for over 15 years; purchased Thanksgiving Week, 1995. According to the previous owner, I am the 3rd owner (no way to prove this). “Gus”, as we know “him” in our family, always performed well for us and we had many amazing camping and day trips in him. Unfortunately, I need to sell Gus due to his low usage and my proximity to the Pacific Ocean's constant salt mist slowly causing rust to reappear. I refused to buy a minivan when my kids were born and opted for a classic VW Westfalia instead. Well, my kids have since grown up and Gus can no longer accommodate 4 adults from a sleeping standpoint. Also, I rarely drive him any longer; it's time to get him in the hands of another loving owner. A very sad day indeed .

I have all of the maintenance and repair records for Gus since taking ownership of it (plus a few from the previous owner). I also have many spare tools and small parts for Gus; Oil Cooler Lines, Oil Change Kits, Gas Caps, a bunch of little knick-knacks, etc. Additionally, I have 3 different repair manuals.

Asking price is $7500 OBO, willing to trade for a Subaru Outback or Forester. I would say that Gus' condition is at an 9 level (1-10 scale). He's an old dude that has been loved and cared for as if he was a living family member. Here are some of the features and issues with Gus.

FEATURES:
• Stock 1600cc Dual Port.
• 1st year of Front Disc Brakes.
• Converted from Generator to an Alternator.
• Replaced all Rubber Seals (West Coast Metric) and sprayed 2 coats primer, 3 coats paint in January, 1996.
• Repainted ~5 years ago. I have 3 small cans of touch-up paint from this round of painting.
• 3 in-line Oil Coolers welded in/under the Frame. This keeps the oil temp at least 20 degrees cooler than would without them.
• Rebuilt Engine almost immediately after purchase; December, 1995. Since then, I have put ~40k miles on this engine. It runs very well! I make it up fairly steep grades in 3rd gear with no valve knock or ping.
• Added a Sony Detachable Face Cassette Player with a 10-Disc CD Player mounted under Rear-Facing Seat.
• Added VDO Oil Pressure and Oil Temperature Gauges.
• Added a VDO Tachometer (mounted in Dash).
• Added a 12v Cigarette Lighter style power outlet.
• Brand new tires; 185R14C Load Range D tires (very hard to find, the best tire for this vehicle).
• Stock interior with all original Tables, Seats, Sink, Ice Box, Closet, & Cabinets.
• All interior upholstery in very good shape.
• Front Seats have Sheepskin Seat Covers.
• Added a Yakima Rack on Pop Top. Currently setup as a Surf Rack.
• Replaced the Pop Top Canvas almost immediately after purchase.
• Custom curtains covering ALL windows. Amazingly comfortable sleeping quarters; totally private!


ISSUES:
• Some rust on both Front and Rear Bumpers.
• Small rust area at bottom of Passenger Door step area.
• A little bit of rust where Windshield meets seal.
• A couple of areas where there is some rust bubbling under the paint; 1 under Gas Filler and 1 on bottom of Slider Door.
• 1 small area of chipped paint on the Pop Top.
• 1 tear on Pop Top Hammock canvas (easily sown).
• 1 tear on Front Hammock canvas (easily sown).
• A small vertical crack on the Dashboard under the Tachometer. Dashboard crack in the area of the handle on the Passenger Side.
* Front mounted spare tire area shows an area of chipped paint where the tire made contact with the front cap.
* Passenger Door is heavily rusted on the bottom where the Door mates with the Chassis.
• Turn Signals don't work consistently.
• Sink Pump doesn't work (very typical for the older models).
 

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Last edited:

Terrainist

Explorer
Gus the bus. He's a handsome fella. I imagine he will sell.. you certainly have him priced to sell. A bus like that would go for $12k-$13k, or a few k more, in the Phoenix area I'm thinking. That bus is top tier, fantastic color.
 
What a great Bus.

When I was little, we had a (much) earlier CamperBus.

I got to camp all over California with my parents...until those pesky siblings arrived...

Some has short people and needs to buy this to take them into the outdoors!

If I were closer, it would be sold. Say, you don't want a 2008 GTi in it's place do you :)

Best of luck, and happy travels.

KAA in Iowa
 

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