The Vanagon Weekender is a nice alternative to the full-on Westfalia treatment, lacking the fluid, electric, and gas inlets/outlets, but still possessing great campability with a pop-top, table, and folding rear bed. Today’s Weekender has undergone the popular Subaru flat-4 conversion, bringing a little more power and reliability compared the old VW wasserboxer. You could see the Weekender and non-turbo Subaru engine as compromises, or as very capable options that keep costs down. That’s the lens I choose to see this Vanagon through; it’s not a high-powered, fully-optioned and mega-expensive model, but it has the right bits to get the job done.
Author: Nate
It is with a slight bit of envy that I’ve noticed that each Jetta Sportwagen I pass in the Bay Area has the little TDI emblem on the back. It is the mark of the modern young suburban professional family that is environmentally friendly but doesn’t quite have the cash or ostentatiousness to buy a Tesla. When the Sportwagen TDI first came out, there were waitlists here and even today they hold their value remarkably well, with low-mileage examples demanding anywhere from the high teens to the mid-$20ks. To find one for cheaper than that, you’re usually looking at high-mileage commuters or dealing with rebuilt titles, but every once in a while you can find a middle-grounder like today’s 2009 model that won’t break the bank.
With 80k miles, DSG, and a 4-year warranty this silver Sportwagen is a great all-around commuter or roadtripper for a nice price.
Click for details: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sportwagen on eBay
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This 325ix was rebuilt as a present for the seller’s father, but apparently Dad wanted an SUV instead. I’m guessing it was a sort of homespun “Pimp My Ride” judging by the looks of it – take the old E30 and pretty much redo it top to bottom, with some extra flair added for good measure. I already know the flair is going to be polarizing, but there’s enough good stuff in here to keep it out of the “Friday Fail” column for me. Wherever you think it lands on the taste scale, there’s no question that a lot of effort was put into giving this 325ix a new life.
Click for details: 1989 BMW 325ix on eBay
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The Volkswagen Type 2 “Bus” is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, perhaps second only to the Type 1 Beetle. They draw smiles everywhere they go, and are perfectly acceptable as rusty survivors and perfect, climate-controlled-storage classics. The one my brother drove for a while was of the no-muffler beater variety, but today’s examples are gorgeous, show-quality items that will blow minds with both their looks and their prices. Both are modified to take on the look of the desirable “21-window” bus, but the first one has significantly more than that…
Click for details: 1965 Volkswagen Type 2 Limousine on eBay
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Vanagons can be found for cheap or ludicrously expensive, but today’s restored Westfalia seems to be the right van for the right price. From an updated interior (check out those front seats!) to a 2.3 liter GoWesty engine update, it’s a fully-functioning camper that needs nothing (except maybe some new wheels). It’s not a bonkers Syncro mega-worldrover, but it is clean and well-done. $35k isn’t cheap, but it’s a reasonable price in the Westfalia world, especially considering the work done here.