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I typically steer clear of salvage titles for obvious reasons, but this Westy seems deserving of an understanding eye. For starters, I’m guessing that you could sneeze on a 1980 Vanagon and the insurance company would total it. A little engine fire in one of these oldies would certainly do the trick. Some kind soul saw fit to save it, however, and the world is a little better for it. The restoration is a mix of subtle and style, with the classic brown exterior looking stock and the plaid-plaid-plaid upholstery making you think this thing’s top speed is a few orders of magnitude higher than it actually is. The new interior, pop top, and exterior plugs all turn this Westy into a faux time capsule instead of a basket case. It may be aircooled, but this thing looks brand new!
This is an extremely clean diesel Westy from the only year when VW actually offered an oil-burner straight from the factory. As opposed to the anemic original 1.6 liter, last year this received a heart update via a brand-new 1.9-liter diesel unit straight from Volkswagen. Despite being pretty early in the Vanagon life cycle, the chassis has just 84k miles, putting together a very tidy package with a complete, fully functioning interior and nearly flawless exterior. All of this comes together for a van that appears ready for several more decades of fun.
Here’s a nice, mostly-stock Westy that comes with a funny little bonus trailer on the back. I’m not sure how the “solar panel toolbox” works (is the battery inside?), but I like it already and dig the Westfalia badging. It seems a little excessive to just haul bikes on it – that’s what bike racks are for! – but there are plenty of uses for a good trailer. Dirtbike? Scooter? All the stuff you can’t fit inside? Anyway, it may not be the most minimalist, self-contained setup, but who cares when there’s no reserve on it? It looks clean in and out with the main detraction being rather high mileage.
Few things say “summer love” like a ragtop VW Bus, elevating the free-love van to the next level by opening up the whole roof like the tin can that it is and creating huge apertures allowing for the sun to flow in and your favorite herbal vapors to flow out. This bus has been beautifully restored with a level of modification that helps it look exceptional without going over the top. The exterior looks perfect in tan and black over Porsche Empi wheels and is backed up by a 2.0-liter Porsche motor. The interior nicely flips the color scheme for black leather and tan piping on a limo-style dual couch setup in the back, creating a very inviting space to chill. The tasteful and detail-oriented restoration means the seller is probably looking for a hefty price, but in return for the value of several bricks of contraband you’ll get one of the nicest T2 Buses we’ve seen.
We’ve seen some great diesel Westies here, but today’s brings the added benefits of a biodiesel conversion. Built by a reputable Bay Area VW mechanic for himself, it’s clean through and through and has a nearly-new TDI swap. Now you can get over 30 mpg in your camper AND have the delicious smell of french fries follow you wherever you go! A solar roof adds to the green credentials, and some other nicely refreshed parts like a new tent make it a pretty great package. Bidders are going a bit wild, with a huge amount of bids pushing this up into top non-Syncro territory.
