To van or not to van?

June 19, 2007 4:06 PM

I am looking at a 1985 VW Westfalia camper van. Does anybody have experience with this year and model? Pros? Cons? Reliability? It is in great shape, everything works and the price is right. THANKS!
posted by punkfloyd to grab bag (11 comments total)

A VW from around then is probably past due for a rebuild (engine) if it hasn't been done recently. I've lived through 2 vw campers over the years and they have served me well.

Much like the older ones '40s - '70s, you should really stay on top of maintenance and repairs - and give it lots of love too.

It may be a beauty, but as others will mention, make sure you get a mechanic to give it a good once-over. Good luck!
posted by snsranch at 4:38 PM on June 19, 2007

From talking to a friend that's owned a couple over the years, don't just check the mechanicals, give the pop-up a good water test. Nothing spoils a camping trip like learning that your roof leaks in the middle of the night. When he bought his second, he took it to a car wash just to see if there was any leakage before he made the deal.
posted by pupdog at 4:53 PM on June 19, 2007

I've owned a few VW's in my life, and I'll say this.... they run forever, but you have to keep up the maintenance. (snsranch is right.)
They can be pains in the butt at times, although the "personality" usually rules out any permanent hard feelings.... I did, however, find myself occasaionally working on them more than my motorcycle.
posted by bradth27 at 4:54 PM on June 19, 2007

Look out for rust. Expect to spend time or money on maintenance. There is an FAQ for buyers of these on the internets somewhere, almost definitely findable if you look on Samba. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/
They will also be able to talk specifics.
I had an older one for a bit. It was good fun, but ended up being costly to keep for a recreation only vehicle.
If you are going to use it for a daily driver, this doesn't apply.
posted by bystander at 8:59 PM on June 19, 2007

Seconding thesamba.com. They told me how to ge the dead mouse out of the water tank of my Westfalia.
posted by LarryC at 11:04 PM on June 19, 2007

I know next to nothing about older VWs, so this might be a completely different year and/or different model, but this VW Van Crash Test video (on Youtube) is rather frightening.
posted by fogster at 11:22 PM on June 19, 2007

Fogster shoots and scores.
posted by punkfloyd at 3:56 AM on June 20, 2007

Oh. My. Gawd.
posted by Doohickie at 7:12 AM on June 20, 2007

Be aware that video is not an actual crash test of the van, i've seen it other places, and the notes on the video point it out - that was a non-standard old model T3 loaded down with far more weight than you'd ever even try to carry, the intent was to show how sturdy the barrier was, not the van...
posted by pupdog at 9:19 AM on June 20, 2007

I rear-ended an SUV in my '78 Westy [completely unecessary self-link] and not only survived to tell the tale but also reparied the bloody thing and drove it for another 5 years. The crash was at no where near the speed (I am guessing) in that video and while the front end was flat as a pancake I was unscathed. I've driven a '90 as well and was generally pleased with it; that it had some substantial improvements over the '78 was nice.

If I wanted it and the price was right; I would not hesitate to buy it, every other concern be damned. There is no other car/van/truck on the road as versitile with the same panache. (Well, except a pre-Vanagon model. :-) I say VAN!
posted by Dick Paris at 9:52 AM on June 20, 2007

There is no other car/van/truck on the road as versatile with the same panache. Sigh. I really wish there was a modern equivalent, but I agree, there just isn't.

Look for rust underneath the van, under the floor mats, and beneath each window--especially the windshield. Rust is a major problem to deal with--just realize this before you buy any rusty car.

The 1980s water-cooled van engines are not particularly reliable (according to old Consumer Reports magazines in a library), so expect a lot of maintenance and repair, if not a downright rebuild.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you'll have a good project to tinker with and enjoy. If not, find a good local independent mechanic who works on old VWs, and expect to take it in for repairs as needed.
posted by exphysicist345 at 4:18 PM on June 20, 2007