1986 VW Vanagon Westfalia Weekender w/ Subaru Engine & Extras! – $25k in Humboldt, CA
Wow, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. Sorry I’ve been absent from posting here, however it seems people are still stoked as we just cleared 1k Facebook fans last week, thanks everyone! I’ve been waiting for the right Westy to spark my attention again, and I found it today, so here we go… This van is a 1986 VW Vanagon Westfalia Weekender with 177k miles on the clock, 57k miles on a 2.2L Subaru conversion (CA Legal) and a freshly rebuilt manual transmission. While some might balk at the $25k asking price, I’ve seen this beautiful rig around town and drool a little every time. I definitely think it could be worth at lest $20k, if not the full $25k. If I didn’t have a Westy and I had to that to spend, I would highly consider this van. I’d love to just drive it around the block a few times.
The engine conversion, interior and exterior all show considerable well. I can’t quite tell if those are 14″ or 15″ alloy wheels, but they’re definitely an upgrade from stock. The Van Cafe front and rear bumpers with the metal plate are awesome. While it’s not a full camper, it’s got 6 seat belts vs. the standard 4 with a camper. The listing states it also had a full front end rebuild (likely all the bushings and pieces that commonly wear out), along with Bilstien shocks, the van’s overall stance in the photos looks solid. As far as the engine conversion, it is said that Seth Hatfield did the work, and it appears he works for Mastercraft Motors in Santa Barbara, which has a 4 star rating on Yelp and Google. The seller did provide the VIN ( WV2XB025XGH061077 ) so you can check up on the scoop with a title report from somewhere like CarFax.
Some things I would ask about. Why was it painted in the first place? This aussan brown color wasn’t offered in ’86. Were the rust issues? Have any records of the paint job or before/after pictures? Definitely check the VIN to see if the mileage is accurate, since the seller did state they replaced the speedometer. Check near the rack mounts on the pop top for cracks or stress, these appear to be the smaller mounts which cover less surface area and therefore a bit more prone to damaging the top. Always hard to tell from photos. Otherwise this van looks spot on to me.
What do you think it’s worth? Are you going to check it out? Drive it? Let us know how it turns out, or if you swoop up on it. Got any words of wisdom? Share them in the comments below, or head on over the individual posts about this van on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google+ and share you thoughts there!
Is the 2.2L Subaru more powerful than the original/regular van engine? Is it also a gasoline or Diesel engine? Does the vehicle now use the same amount of fuel than the regular VW? Was the regular transmission maintained?
Thanks.
how do i get hold od the van owner, tried sending email and got a undeliverable type comment, who is the owner, anyone help??
Hey Bill, his phone number is on The Samba ad linked in the post above.
I know this van and inspected it up close two weeks ago. I also know the current Westy market really well. IMHO, this Weekender would be a good buy and fair to both the buyer and seller at $20-22K. Best of luck to the seller. The new owner will enjoy this van. BTW… yes, those are Van Cafe 15″ Rhein wheels.
I’ve emailed with the owner on this, and some other tid bits he added were “The upholstery was redone in vinyl or naugahyde or something in LA in 2000 or 2001. One small tear in seam on driver’s seat…otherwise all very good. Motor burns no oil, never overheats. ”
I’ll tell ya, when I see this thing around town, the interior is sweet, it’s that upgraded upholstery and overall cleanliness that does it for me.