Long Distance Travel

[jerdsmi]

I have been researching Westfali's for about a year now to try and educate my self on the vehicle. I plan to start a US tour in April and want to do it in a Westfalia. Can any of you experts on here give me some advice on which van might be the best for this purpose. I love the '79-'73 model Westfalia and the Riveria is my absolute favorite, but I am not sure how reliable such an old vehicle will be with this amount of travel. I also like the '83-'89 Westfalia Weekenders. Any advice and experience you might have would be greatly appreciated. I plan to buy my vehicle in March of '15.

[thomas.]

That date came and went dude unless we've traveled back in time... I don't think the model year matters as much as the amount of maintenance that was kept up over the years, and the current condition. I know , common sense answer.Myself I'm biased toward what I own. a '66 Westy and I have confidence in it's reliability. Anyway at least I got you a bump and someone else may respond. Good luck

[wythac]

I think you will arrive at a useful answer if you start looking for your bus, find a likely candidate, and start asking yourself (as well as a mechanic hired to do an inspection) the question, "Will THIS bus make a long distance trip?"

Having had Type 1 and Type 4 baywindows, and a Vanagon, I'd say if you wanted to go 70mph all day on the interstate buy a Vanagon, if you want to do that on lousy roads find a Type 4, and if you want a easier to maintain version of the T4 to explore back roads in comfort and style (minus an adequate heater) buy a T1 powered bus.

Best advice for extending/preserving one of these vehicles is:

You will find your Great American Road trip turns quickly into a 21st century Trail of Tears if you drive it like a Toyota. Regular and frequent service, with knowledgeable inspections for safety and reliability are not optional.

Lest anyone think I'm impugning the design of these different vehicles, think again...I loved driving them all, they simply had their good and less good qualities.

If you haven't already done so, look up "Kombi Life", its the story of a guy road tripping from Chile to Alaska.

[vdubyah73]

Rude reality check:

If you don't know how to work on cars, can't learn how to work on aircooled VW's, or don't have deep pockets. Get a vintage Dodge or something. A minor problem can be turned into a smoking pile of junk real quick by a modern mechanic trying to sort out an aircooled VW. Cross country should only be attempted in one of these if you are familiar with the upkeep. If in good working order they are reliable, but require more maintenance than a vintage watercooled American van.

Just sayin'

Bill
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73 bounty hunter, sold.
'77 transporter, junked had crotch rot.
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[gt1953]

Plan on the vehicle breaking down. Not owning the vehicle long enough to get to to know it. You may get really lucky and you may not. Kinda wish I had one for you. I would sell it to you with the intent on buying it back, minus the wear and tear.
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Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[static]

Speaking only as an old guy who has owned and driven VW campers since 1976, I would strongly recommend that you buy a Japanese minivan (such as a Previa, Quest, etc.) and use that for cross country travel.

But, like everyone else, you won't listen, so have at it.

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way." - Mark Twain

[c21darrel]

Have you seen the movie "circle your wagons"?
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[jerdsmi]

I really appreciate all of your comments. I am still looking for a vehicle. I know I will need to familiarize myself with our new westy and also be ready to work on it as we drive. Once I have the vehicle picked out I plan to order the maunals and read them front to back to be prepared and also ask on here about the most essential parts to travel with. i.e. What breaks down the most? Thanks again for your help.

[gt1953]

What breaks down the most?
That my friend is a million dollar question. I had a car that ate generator pulleys. Another one CV joints. So honestly could be any system. Just make sure you have tires that are not to old.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[Malokin Martin]

About 8 years ago I bought a 72 westy on site and immediately drove it 5,000 miles zig zagging across the U.S. for nearly 2 months with minimal problems. I knew absolutely nothing about how a car worked.

It can be done, but we were extremely lucky and I wouldn't chance it again. But it was the trip of a lifetime.

The above sentiments are correct: it will break down or require TLC nearly every weekend if it's driven daily.

You're buying a hobby, not just a car. If rolling around on the shop floor caked in grease every other Saturday doesn't sound like fun, then I'd pass. Be real with yourself before you put down the cash.

As mentioned above, I think its a luck kind of deal. I've owned a fist full of aircooled VWs... Some run forever, some are complete headache shitboxes.. Just luck of the draw.

[Abscate]

[Manfred58sc]

Get a Vanagon Diesel with documented recent rebuild and a "weekender" set up. Then don't be in a hurry and enjoy!
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[Aussiebug]

I like the type 1 engines myself.

My Dad had a 65 full camper conversion (almost 2 tonnes) with it's original 1500 53hp engine - we use to say "tread on it and wait" or that it had "1500cc of unobtainable power". Great fun but SLOOWW. It was very reliable, even in the tropical heat of Darwin (Australia). The key to driving them is NOT to lug the engine, since they are fan cooled, you always change down to a lower gear before the engine looses too many revs, so you keep the cooling fan running well.

A Gene Berg dipstick or an oil temp guage is good insurance.

Type1 engines are generally easier to find parts for.

Type1 Kombi-campers are MUCH more common in the UK and Europe than the type4 engine, partly because they were cheaper, and partly because they are a little more economical if driven sensibly.

71 was the last year in the USA for the type1 engine. You can still cruise happily at 60-65mph in a 1600 Kombi camper, but don't expect it to keep up on the hills.

Minimum engine checks before you buy one...

1. Compression check. All 1600+ engines should give at least 130+ psi on a fresh engine. The compression slowly drops as the engine ages, and once any one cylinder gets down to 100psi, it's time to start planning a rebuild. If a seller does not want you to do a compression test - walk away. This test tells you a little about the top end of the engine.

2. Push-pull on the engine pulley. If you can SEE movement in-out of the case, it's too much - the correct end play is only 3-5 thou. This test tells you a little about the bottom end of the engine.

And of course look for rust rust rust. Take a fridge magnet with you and see if it will stick to the lower door panels etc. If there is bondo there - it won't stick. Look at it from a distance from the rear (nice and even on it's suspension) and the sides (not sagging at the rear)?

Try EVERYTHING before you hand over the money - lift the top, try the fridge and cooker, drive the car and try all the lights, horn etc, make sure the brakes are smooth and even, and the gear shift is smooth and not too rubbery.

And one last thing - need anyone with a bit of VW knowledge to keep you company???
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Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
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[jerdsmi]

This is one Westfalia I am looking at. The guys says it has a 1600cc engine and was rebuilt in 2012.

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4775333526.html

Let me know what you guys think about the motor pic. Definitely looks rebuilt or upgrade to me.

Would this 1969 have a heater?

[jerdsmi]

I am also looking at this one, but not sure of the availability of porsche motor parts.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4762987242.html

[wcfvw69]

Your first bus with the 1600 engine in it looks nice. I'll also agree with Aussiebug. As he stated, 1971 was the last year the bus's in the states had 1600's in them. It's a much easier engine to work on and find parts for then the type 4 engines with dual carbs or fuel injection. Most folks can work on a 1600 but when you get into the type four fuel injection, you really have to have lots of experience and expertise with it.

If you get a 1600, don't plan on going more than 60-62 MPH. It's a good bus for back roads but you'll get in everyone's way on the interstates when they're doing 80+ mph.

As far as reliability, as the others have mentioned, they can be VERY reliable but they generally need all the systems gone thru due to their age. I bought my 70' Westphalia and have been going thru it mechanically. Most systems needed repair or parts replacement which is common.

If you buy a nice bus, take it to a good air cooled VW mechanic who can inspect most of the common things that break to help you insure it won't cause you grief on your trip.
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[Aussiebug]

Both vehicles look quite good.

If the 69 has it's original engine it will have an engine number starting with B (1600 single port), but it looks like it has a later 1600 twin port engine (AF or AE perhaps). Either that or the original engine has been converted to a twin port engine (easy enough to do).

I'm not a fan of the 009 style (non vacuum) distributor, they do work (sort of) but usually result in an acceleration flat spot just above idle, so a single vacuum double advance (SVDA) distributor will usually work better and will usually give better fuel economy too. It looks like that engine still has the generator rather than an alternator - nothing wrong with that though, the generators work just fine. Just for info, the correct bus generator is 38 amps versus the bug version at 30 amps.

The 76 looks very nice and the owner knows a thing or two about engines and gearboxes, from the good description he gave. The compression figures he gives are good. But I do wonder at having the engine rebuilt at 60k and again at 80k. I'd be askign questions about that. The 2 litre engine should last a minimum of 100k before it needs attention, because the case is more solid and the cylinder/heads have about 30% more finning than a bug engine, so they cope with the 75 or so hp. They are more pricey to repair than the 1600s (availability of parts), so I'd want a really good one to ensure I get a good run out of it before further repairs.

Just for info, the 1600 engine should last around 80k in a sensibly driven bus. They don't last quite as long as the same engine in a bug, because they are working a little harder in the bus, and also because they are lower geared, so the engine is spinning a little faster for the same speed (so 80k miles in a 1600 bus is roughly the same total revolutions as 100k in a bug). But they are much easier to work on, and there are more people familiar with bug style engines than the type4 1.8-2 litre engines.

the only noticeable difference between a 1600 engine for a bus and for a bug is a couple of extra holes under the oil pump for a cross member support for the bus engine - the bug engine doesn't use any support at the rear of the engine of course.
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Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com

[jerdsmi]

Thanks again for all of the additional knowledge and for reviewing a few that I was interested in. After a travel trip from Texas to Oregon and back to Texas we will be in Wyoming for a year. I am a little worried about the older buses in the cold weather. Let me know what you guys think about this vehicle that has had a motor conversion to a turbo with a chip. This to me seems complicated and complicated in my mind usually means more problems. The van looks like it has been well kept and has all the extras I want. Thanks in advance for those of you that are taking the time in helping me out. I want to join the Westy family and appreciate your help.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1704045