Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
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.
Our last visit into VW Bus-land was with a couple of extreme restomods much more focused on looks than function. Today’s is just as gorgeous but a bit more original. Inside and out it appears like-new, but the dark green and white combo keeps it from looking too much like an overdone toy. It also comes with the EZ Camper package, making it the perfect machine for roadtrips or, as the seller aptly cites, concerts. It may not have quite the usability of the T3 Westies I so often feature here, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a huge amount of fun. 60s Buses are going for crazy money these days so you’ll have to decide if the classic VW Van is worth that much to you. If it is, this is the one I’d go for.
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.
The Volkswagen B3/4 Passat has always been a rather anonymous sedan, not as sporty as the Jetta that it stood above nor sharp compared to the other blocky European sedans of the day. Anonymity is valued by many, however, and in the world of commuter cars, it can pay to fly under the radar. This black on tan 1996 Passat just does that, and has the 1.9-liter diesel to make it a great commuter choice. Bland looks and personality aside, this is one of the cleanest B4s I’ve ever seen, looking nearly showroom-fresh inside and out. Roughly 130k miles on a TDI is similarly “good as new,” making this a unique chance at a model that would otherwise be completely unremarkable.
At the beginning of the month, we took a look at a restored 1969 Volkswagen Beetle that almost seemed a bit over restored, given this car’s original intention as basic transportation for the people. Now comes along another restored Beetle of similar vintage, this time a 1968 example in Sahara Beige. If the aforementioned Diamond Blue Beetle was a bit over the top for your tastes and OEM is your thing, you’ll want to scope out this Bug.