My daughter ErinD had her eye on this VW Westfalia camper van…
I think it all started last summer, when we went to see the Silver Streak (CC here if you missed it) that well traveled 1926 Model T Ford. Erin looked at all the photos of young ladies on epic road trips and a seed was planted in her mind.
I’ve known about that particular van for a few years, it belongs to the next door neighbor of some friends of ours and it’s been sitting in their driveway unused for some time. I noticed its disappearance, then saw it later in front of a repair shop in town.
Nothing seemed to be happening for several months, so when my daughter said “What I really need is a VW camper van” like a good father I could say “Well, I know where one is, you should go check it out.”
We went over on a Sunday morning for a looksee and she was smitten. I could see that although the van has good bones it’s still a pretty big project. I’m guessing it’s a 1975 year model, originally from British Columbia, so although it does have quite a bit of rust it’s nowhere near the rot that an Ontario VW would have.
The Westfalia interior is well worn but all there.
One item that I am not smitten with is the automatic gearbox which makes the slowest vehicle on the road even slower. Erin figured she could take 3 or 4 friends with her and go camping, or even road trip it out to California for a surfing expedition.
My own thoughts were more along the lines of how many hours it would take to replace the rear quarter panels.
I had theorized that perhaps the lack of action on this project was due to a budget busting repair estimate. Having mostly restored our 1963 VW Beetle myself I well know how costs escalate when you are paying someone else to do the work.
Erin asked our friends to inquire about the status of the bus, and it turns out that the lady owner bought it as a young woman herself. It has been off the road for ten years, and she is having it fixed up so she can enjoy adventures with it once more. Work is scheduled to start shortly.
So this Curbside Classic is still very much someone’s dream, and that dream is not for sale. I told my daughter that this part is arguably the most fun anyway, the idea and the dreaming. It’s inarguably the least expensive part 🙂 so we will keep an eye on this project and maybe ask for a ride once it’s running.
ErinD is only 15, she has lots of time for more CC scheming and dreaming…
Oooh, the possibilities! I think the next wave of travel for the cool ironic hipster will be old conversion vans. An older US-built conversion van is dirt cheap to buy and about as cheap to run as anything out there, even including gas. There are lots of nice ones bought and lovingly maintained by someone’s grandparents and driven annually back and forth from winters in Arizona.
Think about it – an old conversion van is no more un-cool than a Model T was in the 1930s. And they all have comfy seats and nice stereos already there. They are probably also set up for a TV for video games or watching YouTube videos. If Mr. Shafer can’t be convinced to part with his (because his professed hatred must be an act seeing as how he won’t sell it and all) I can start searching. The Midwestern US is still lousy with these.
I predict that once you get past the inevitable eye rolls of a 15 year old the wheels in her brain will start turning and she will be on the leading edge of a new trend.
Yeah as Mr. Shafer noted you can get near 20 MPG out of a modern full size conversion van. Can’t imagine that you’d do that much better in the old VW with the automatic.
Plus you have something more than your shins for a crash zone, disc brakes and if you get a new enough one Air Bags, ABS, traction and stability control for a massive jump in all around safety. The other huge advantage is that every parts store will have a huge number of items in-stock, as the cargo versions are still out there earning their keep and racking up a significant number of miles.
Not sure about conversion vans. Perhaps boogie vans – those 70’s panel vans with fender flares, candy paint, side dump exhaust, slotted mags and other period mods.
I could see that and also mini trucks of that era – hilux, 620s, etc.
You are onto something about old conversion vans. Actually, I’m sensing a change a heart about ours. It occurred to me one day that it would, like you say, be dirt cheap to use for travel. So I’m thinking I may hang onto it – it’s not like 18 year old vans have any real value.
Plus, right now it won’t start. Been sitting since early January. It’ll crank all day, the Schrader valve squirts fuel, but nothing. Haven’t had time to check it further.
And, Scoutdude is quite correct. It’s got all the panache of the older ones and mine has airbags, fuel injection, four three-point belts, traction control, and the wonderful oomph of a true-blue V8 with decent (for what it is) fuel economy. I must be suffering from early dementia.
Great for sitting in the desert, studying applied electronics. Don’t go sticking wires with the test light pointy-thing; it may set off the bombs.
Nope. Conversion vans will always have the same level of cool factor as New Balance tennis shoes.
+1
Keep looking… but don’t wait too long, VW van prices keep going up! Later models are your best bet there…
Well, since it was the Silver Streak story that inspired her, perhaps she’ll accept a vehicle that is less house and more car…and still quite suitable for adventures hauling pals and gear.
I just put my 17 year old into mid-70s Volvo wagon. I suppose that next to vans, this car has nearly as much hipster-cred, and it’s a heck of a lot safer than a VW bus (I could go on about that, but you know…). The Volvo is dead simply to work on (not unlike the bus), cheap to insure, and has a dedicated community to support pretty much anything from getting/keeping one of these things as a daily driver all the way up to creating a highly modified track car. The possibilities are, I’m finding, nearly endless.
But back to the kid-focused factors, the car is safe, it’s a manual (so he has had to learn how to master that, unlike 99% of his peers), and at least in its stock guise is not so fast that he is tempted to get himself into easy trouble. The best part was that we got to go on a 2/3 way across the country road trip to pick up a rust-free, well-running, version and are now engaged in the kind of constant tinkering befitting making/keeping a 40 year old car as a daily driver (even if he’s now just mostly motoring a few times a week to school). I should note that like your daughter, this whole thing was the kid’s idea…something that I am actively encouraging for a 17 year old who would otherwise keep his head buried in computers versus getting some grease under his nails.
Anyhow, there are certainly a lot of CC out there that should provide fun, adventure, and coolness for your daughter. Good luck with the journey!
Oh I know alright. My Grandparents had to stay with us for a few months in the early 80s to recuperate after they were nearly killed in a VW bus crash. So I have mixed feelings about this…
As I tell anyone with kids, if they find something, anything in the physical world that interests them support it 100% because anything that keeps their noses out of their phones is a good thing. 🙂
My son has exactly the same dream. He turns 16 in June and all he wants is to save enough money to get a VW bus. He checks Kijiji every day for listings.
Keep dreaming and keep looking, these vans are worth restoring if you intend on keeping them for many years.
There are still a few on the road in the Edmonton area and I’ve seen some rough examples from time to time on Kijiji. Parts are still available too.
Oh to be 15 again.
You might have her read my COAL about my ’77 Westy to preview the “joys” of ownership.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/cars-of-a-lifetime-1977-vw-type-2-westfalia/
They are really stupid vehicles. Dangerously slow. Unsafe, your knees are the front crash barrier. In any sort of side wind they are unmanageable. Did I mention slow? Cramped. No heat. Piss poor ergonomics. Oh and slow.
Of course I’d buy another in a heartbeat. And if my kid wanted one I’d give in, even knowing they are basically like riding a motorcycle as far as safety goes.
Agreed. As a 17-year-old, I owned and ditched one of these after an accident, recently recounted here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1973-volkswagen-type-2-camper/
As much as I’d love for my daughter to own and drive one of these, they’re really not safe on modern U.S. roads.
I like your daughter’s spirit! I know that the bus fantasy really appeals to millennials like myself who can of age during the recession. The bus is seen by many of us as a symbol of adventurous rebellion against a society that has urged its young to tow a straight line from high school to college to career to marriage. It’s also a symbol of a safety cushion as a place to live once the ax falls at work, which is another casualty of coming of age when we did. It may mean something totally different for young Erin.
If I was the father of a young VW smitten teenager, I’d be saving telling her to save up lots of $ and to consider a Eurovan (T4). I’m a little biased here since I own one, but the dubious safety of an old VW Bus and lack of a crumple zone would terrify me if my kid was getting her first car. Add in an ancient German balky automatic transmission (automatic in a bus?? Heresy!) and that just doubles the paranoia. For the Eurovans, buy in is quite a bit cheaper, as the collector value is not there yet. A Westy is a Westy, though, and they cost top dollar.
Hope you guys can find something cool for her!
Your daughter has a wonderful dream; hope she gets to do it. The van trip must be A Thing for today’s hip youth, since a friend’s daughter has the exact same plan. She’s not set on a VW – any minivan would do – but she has the road trip with friends all worked out. Nerve-wracking for the parents, I can imagine, but it’s great to see kids interested in checking out the world.
Lots of safety and handling improvements in the Vanagon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pityxv0DW7M
Go for an early air cooled example, much less complex and easier to work on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQeR5h6C_bs
This young lady really enjoys her Westy!
This brings back lots of memories from when I was 15 and took my father all over to look at all sorts of older cars that I dreamed of buying.
It was fun (mostly), and even 30 years later I still remember my fond dream of buying a BMW 2002 that was for sale at a shop in our town. It was a light blue ’75 model, and right at the top end of my price range (which consisted of savings from mowing lawns, etc.). To me it looked perfect, and I dreamed almost nonstop about buying it. Then one Sunday, dad and I stopped to look at it, and it was unlocked… as soon as dad looked it over, the bad news started flowing: accident repair, bad-looking wiring, rust, etc. etc. It was enough to get me to reconsider.
Fortunately, dad understood my desire for a fun and unique car — eventually I bought an Audi Coupe and it served me well for several years. But thinking about it now, I really dragged him all over the place and looked at everything from a Hudson to a Fiat. And I can’t wait to do the same thing with my own kids.
When I was that age my parents never would have let me drive something as unsafe as a VW van. They made me drive a Buick! Can you believe it, a 16 year old being forced to drive such an uncool car?
Actually even though there was no way I would have picked it myself I was happy to have it just because it was, you know, a car.
A Van? For your young daughter? Why not just get her a Nash and ruin her reputation? All the boys will be after her and her rolling palace of ill repute!
All sarcasm aside, kudos for having such a daughter who embraces a dream and wants to do something different. My best wishes on her search for the perfect car for her.
I want the kind of daughter who asks for her own VW camper van!
If I had a daughter (or any kids for that matter) there’s no way in Hell I’d EVER let one of them own ANY VW bus, at least until they were older and out of MY house! Those things are death traps! Nothing like a vehicle that uses one’s legs for a crumple zone!
Too bad this didn’t work out, instead of California she could have taken it back to Vancouver Island and done her surfing at Tofino!
Christensen Motors in Nanaimo was the Mazda dealer if I recall from my days on the rock, I think they got swallowed up by a dealer group about 10 years ago. That van is a long way from home.
I’ve never driven a VW van with an automatic, but I suspect it would be outright dangerous in today’s traffic.
I hope this one gets back on the road.
I’ve driven an air cooled VW van back in the day on a road trip with friends (Hey! It was the 70’s, okay?) and it was fun in a Conestoga wagon/ sailing ship kind of way. My chief memory of any driving excitement was literally being blown out of my lane onto the berm by a passing Semi. Oh, and it was slow, glacially slow, even with the manual. I can understand the appeal, but like so many things in life, the dream and the memory are better than the reality.
I’ve never driven a VW van with an Automatic but I did own a manumatic 73 Super Beetle for a few years in the 80’s when I was young and hungry. My most memorable driving moment in that was being beaten pulling away from a stop light by a yellow school bus full of jeering kids.
Still, if I were in your situation and I could source a decent Westy for her, I would absolutely do it. Just the hunt alone will be fun for the two of you, and there’s a great life-education to be had from working on old cars…..said the owner of an old Alfa Romeo.
Doug, I’m glad you got the formatting figured out!
To go along with JP, you might consider a conversion van. In my unrelenting effort to help, here’s something quite close to home for you. It’ll be infinitely better for your baby girl than an old clapped out VW with a slush box. Unlike the VW, this baby will do highway speeds without problem and any sort of maintenance routine is merely an idle suggestion. Having driven a few similar G-vans, foot room is likely comparable to (or worse than) the VW.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-rv-motorhome/gta-greater-toronto-area/1995-g20-conversion-van-no-rust/579543537?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Could I interest Erin in a ’77 Dodge Chinook? It needs to go, now. She could fly out and drive it back.
I showed it to her, she was interested but not smitten. Must be something about the VW-ness that causes young ladies to fall in love.
Also didn’t help that your CC article showed photos of you fixing it in the street, and having it loaded onto a flatbed.
At any rate she’s 15, so the driving home part might not go well and there would be interesting questions at the border 🙂 If the situation becomes critical and you’ve still got the Chinook we’ll give you a call.
I was just kidding. It’s not for her.
She knows what she wants, and she’s not going to be happy with any poor substitutes. There’s nothing like a VW bus, and its appeal is spanning multiple generations. I totally get it; now she has to…get it.
I know you were kidding.
Who knows where this will end up, if anywhere. A 10 year old Mustang convertible might be a better choice, and a more literal interpretation of the Silver Streak.
Not like our kids are getting their own cars from me before they have “serious” jobs anyway. Insurance is too expensive.
That VW Microbus I took pictures of last June is still around & running in my area b/c I’ve occasionally seen it parked near a Dollar General on the same road (it isn’t ALWAYS there). Still have no idea who owns it b/c I’m always driving when I see it & don’t have time to stop. After playing with my phone a bit I actually managed to get full-blown versions of the pictures I took of it & my Aerostar together. I’m SURE glad I took those pictures when I did—this is the sort of thing that makes Curbside Classic so great! Yep, I had lots of daydreams for what I wanted to do with my van too (getting a date wasn’t out of the question given the stereotypical lifestyle of the classic/custom van owner), but after thinking about them now I’m glad they didn’t happen with the issues that kept popping up every time I drove it any considerable distance including going to college or work (oil level had to be checked frequently after the engine had to be taken apart to replace a valve seat cover in the 5th cylinder so it wouldn’t get too low). I can always dream about what I could have done in past or what I could do in the future, but I’ve got to live in the reality of the present day.
I did the front, now for the rear:
My first Bus was identical, except it was a ‘74. Same color, same blue and green plaid interior (74-75 only btw) and was even an automatic. It was quick off the line to about 30mph, then glacially slow. My next Bus was a ‘67, with a type 1 1600 engine and it would have run circles around that ‘74.
I know they are unsafe tin can death traps but I love them. I have a ‘63 now. I accept the risks because no other vehicle brings a smile to my face like a VW Bus.
We Bus guys know and understand all that’s wrong with and about them but love them anyway. I can’t explain it.
If I was in high school and a girl had pulled up in a Bus I think I would have proposed on the spot ?