We’ve had a great variety of Vanagons on GCFSB recently, from some non-Westy deals to some of the 20 year old Westfalias that cost more than brand-new VWs. Today’s Kermitized Westy provides a great happy medium, combining the utility and campability of the pop-top legend with an extraordinarily good price. Even at the Buy-It-Now price, it’s a steal compared to most Vanagons that look like this. The weak, 1982-only naturally-aspirated diesel may be partially to blame for the low price, but with this low of miles I’m thinking this original owner just does not know what other Westies are going for. If you can’t handle the well-earned “Slow Moving Vehicle” sticker, you could do any number of engine swaps and quickly have a van worth 3 times what it’s selling for now.
Tag: Transporter
With Vanagons of all types commanding some very serious prices these days, those looking for economical ways to traverse the continent and sleep in their cars would be wise to consider the lesser-loved Eurovan. Today’s is an early model with a the classic 2.5l inline-5 and a rare 5-speed manual. It’s only had one owner and has covered just over 80k miles in its two decades, making it a great choice for owner #2 who wants to travel in comfort and isn’t too worried about the Vanagon mystique. It’s a comprehensive Eurovan package that combines nice early-model simplicity with world-traveling capability.
Click for details: 1995 Volkswagen Eurovan on eBay
1 CommentI’ve been writing up quite a few Vanagons over the last few months that are more affordable options, meaning they lack the Westfalia or Syncro options. Today’s is one of the great ones that has a very long name and a longer list of upgrades. We’ve seen some of this variety edge towards the better part of $100k, but this diesel-swapped and fully repainted Westy Syncro can be yours for less than $40k. It’s not a modern TDI but a rebuilt Audi 5000 turbodiesel, coming together for an efficient package that can take you anywhere. It’s still a lot of money, but a very cool Vanagon and a deal compared to some out there.
Click for details: 1988 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia Syncro Diesel on eBay
1 CommentI’ve always dug the Carat edition of the Vanagon. This top of the line non-Westy version came stacked with all the options and exudes a classy aura, helped by the great 5-spoke blocky wheels and a cladding/bumper combination that makes a more cohesive look. Today’s example is a Weekender, so while it doesn’t have the pop-top, the rear seats fold flat into a bed. Looking at the pictures of the passenger area, it looks so comfortable I kind of just want to use it as my living room. With 150k miles on the original engine and transmission, it still has some good life left in it, but as is the case with Vanagons, a fun engine swap is always a possibility. The non-Westiness helps keep the price extremely reasonable, especially compared to most nice Vanagons you see on the market.
Click for details: 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon Carat on eBay
2 CommentsAs I head up to Sonoma for a weekend of NASCAR, I get to indulge in another incongruous-but-fun journey, loading M5 up with camping gear and parking it next to trucks, campers, and RVs. It even gets a few nods and smiles among this very different type of car enthusiast, but staying in a tent surrounded by generators leaves a little to be desired. This is a long way of saying yet again that I very much want a campervan to increase the efficiency and comfort of my roadtrips. Today we have an earlier but very nice Vanagon, in the exact color as my brother’s non-Westy van. It’s only adventured 84k miles in its 3+ decades and has had some recent maintenance that indicates it could go as many years and a lot more miles. It has a few needs but the cleanliness in undeniable and with no reserve, it could be a good deal relative to most clean Westies.