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There is one vehicle I’ve been on the lookout for ever since I started writing for GCFSB. The Porsche B32. Not familiar with this Porsche? Well, that’s because it really isn’t a Porsche. Rather, it’s a Volkswagen T3 Transporter, or Vanagon, as we knew them in the US market, with a Porsche heart. Motivated by a 3.2 liter flat-6 out of a 911 Carrera, this was one quick people mover. Only a handful of these über Vanagons were devised as a chase vehicle for the Porsche Group B 959s competing in the Paris Dakar Rally. The chances of getting your hands on a B32 are highly unlikely, but a few have attempted the Porsche flat-6 conversion themselves. If speed isn’t your concern but you like the aggressive B32 look, this 1990 Vanagon Carat may be the ticket.
In America, DoKas are so rare that even mediocre examples (albeit with a GoWesty engine) can go for almost $40k. In Germany, you can get this amazing VR6’d DoKa for less than $10k. The matte/murdered-out look is a bit past its prime, but if any sleeper deserves a mean rattle-can job, it’s a crew-cab VW van-truck with more than twice its original horsepower. The seats have been nicely recovered, highlighting an interior that is functional if not cohesive. Double bonus points for the home-brew see-through engine cover. Like a Ferrari, but with a window from West Marine! All told, this is a Vanagamino that isn’t clean or perfect, but it’s not trying to be either. It’s made to blow minds and scare children.
While most clean Westfalias come on the market with strong asking prices, today’s is an exciting no-reserve auction. This provides an opportunity to get a nice van for a good price, but it’s also going to attract a lot of attention. Early in the auction there are already well over 50 bids as some VW-friendly adventurers minds start churning. It’s covered a decent amount of miles, but 141k shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent. The rebuilt automatic transmission makes for easier cruising but not as much fun. Swaps and upgrades are always an option with these great vans, but this should be a solid starting point without needing any big-ticket items any time soon.
While the insane VW vans available these days are a fun fantasy, I much prefer finding the undervalued drivers that have significant upsides. This Campmobile model has a few foibles that should be addressed before it’s a really great self-contained adventure machine, but the low price gives plenty of room for some redemptive reconditioning. In brown, it’s nicely average and original, save the well-chosen South African grill and less attractive wheel covers.
Like the spotting of the Ivory-billed woodpecker decades after it was declared extinct, we have a Vanagon Syncro Westfalia today that is in nearly perfect, all-original condition. The 4WD Westies are rare enough, but nearly every example has been well used, with the nicer ones having undergone swaps and restorations (often by the great but pricey GoWesty guys). This example is the only one I’ve seen that spent most of its life in a garage and has never gone camping. Little items such as the sink sticker and vinyl drip tray cover are still intact, as this was apparently just used as occasional transportation by an older lady for 17 years, then parked after a small fender dent.
