A little Eurovan building.

[Xtremjeepn]

Figured I would add a little Eurovan love here in the form of a "build" type thread.

I have been wanting a little camper of some sort for a long time. Unfortunately I live in a neighborhood where I can't just park a camper or any sort of "utility" vehicle.

This means I either need to store a camper offsite or find one that will look like something else when its sitting in the driveway or fit in the garage. I really wanted something that could be used for everything from short trips to the park or long expeditions. So storing something just did not fit the bill. So a stealthy "minivan" style camper would due the trick. It also helped that I'm insanely into motorized vehicles and have a preference for the German style of craziness.

I love the Vanagons but I also need something modern enough that my wife will like driving it and something I can fit a motorcycle in the back of from time to time since I publish a little iOS motorcycle magazine.

Always looking for a deal and don't mind a project, I set out to find a deal on a Eurovan that might need a bit of love......and found two

First I discovered this wrecked 1993 Eurovan Weekender hiding in the mountains near me. Totally unfixable chassis. But I filled it away in my head in case I stumbled upon a deal on a Non-Weekender poptop.

So about a week later I found a 2002 Eurovan GLS in New Jersey that was diagnosed with needing a new set of timing chains. Original owner van. Runs smooth, just won't idel. Offered the guy $1,300 and he took it.

My logic is that ANY van of this generation is due for a timing chain replacement so why pay $8-$15k more for a running one and still have to do the timing chains

I drove out to NJ and towed the Black van home. Took the time to visit some friends on the way.

Then ran home and made a deal on the second van (the white Weekender) for $1,250 Stripped all of the interior and poptop bits off of it and parted out the rest. (made everyone that wanted parts a sweet deal, took any offer made and still pocketed about $1,400 )

Off to the recycler after only owning it for about a week.

[Xtremjeepn]

Put the 2002 GLS under the knife to get a new timing chain in it. I've done a lot of crazy and extensive jobs in the past but this thing is a chore

Since the car came from the east coast it has some typical corrosion on any exposed metal parts. I simply can't leave well enough alone so I have been taking my time to media blast every part I take off that needs it and adding some new shine to them:screwy:

I know nobody will even see some of these parts but I can't help but mod them as I go.

This is what happened last time I took a motor out of my Audi S4 just to give you a taste of the lunacy.

[Xtremjeepn]

From all the research I've done it seems possible to convert this thing to a manual transmission. The parts exist but are a bit of a Unicorn at the moment. So if anyone has a line on an 02G Manual for the VR6 let me know

The goal is to build something similar to this. Maybe in a VR6 manual:screwy , or TDI swap,:laugh: and maybe even with syncro at some point.

[dobryan]

Can't wait to see more.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Sir Sam]

Ah, so it was you posting that stuff on craigslist.

There was a guy selling a eurovan TDI with manual tranny for something like $2500 in Canada, if I were you I would be all over that.
_________________
'91 Carat Westy

87' Syncro + '87 Westy conversion coming soon

[shepherdsond]

Nice to see a Eurovan camper build thread here. I think you will end up with a great vehicle.
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87 Syncro Hightop Camper
3 knobs + solid shaft
2.2 Phase II Subaru
Hi-Top build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=534517

[Xtremjeepn]

Have a link?


I still have a parts ad up as I still have some extra stuff laying around that someone might need. All I've asked for are "fair" offers. Just don't want the stuff to go to waste.


I'm trying to keep all the interior bits until I get my pop top conversion done, then the extras will go up for sale.

I'm not planning on using the jump seats or the driver and passenger seat from the 1993 so those are available. I will eventually install some black/grey leather heated Allroad seats I have on swivels for the front seats.

So right now my basement looks like a Eurovan exploded in it.

[a1fa]

hello fellow adv.. i'm on a hunt for eurovan seats
_________________
Learn to ride. Ride to learn.

[Xtremjeepn]

I've had several people interested in the front EV seats but so far shipping them has been prohibitively expensive.

[Sir Sam]

[Xtremjeepn]

Thanks for the link.

Think I'll work with the VR6 at the moment. Picked up a transcooler to put in it while doing the timing chain kit.

I've had way too much interest in the seats at the moment to let them go for junk yard prices. Eventually someone will want them. It's either that or I've considered dismantling them to use the arm rests as a retrofit onto the Audi seats I have.

[1984urq]

Nice deal on the black one saw that go up on CL here in jersey and thought about it. I have an 01 E/V MV with 150K on the clock. same deal as you wifey refused to drive the 1984 vanagon so I got the E/V also. E/V is great reasonably fast, comfy A/C throws ice cubes at you all the while bombing along at triple digit speeds . fuel mileage suffers some at those speeds but hey.....
Do your self a favor get some bilstien HD'd for it and some eibach for the rear, get it down a bit will be a much happier van. Techtonics sells a nice exhaust for the E/V too sounds great with the smaller muffler option (hard to beat a VR6 for sound IMHO) also K&N makes a drop in inbox me I will get the number off of mine.
If you dont need the rubber band style of an 18" or larger diameter tire you can run a 245/50/17 on the van while lowered. I run Continental DSW in this size on a Borbet type E 5 spoke wheel. Nice combo and the sidewall height still gets decent ride quality and the width gets you some grip also.
Also a mk3 jetta VR6 splitter will attach to your front bumper and almost look like it belongs there. and it may even help fuel mileage a bit, I cant tell since my foot is usually buried in the carpet. After you get done invest in some high end oil to keep those chain guides and sprockets alive I am currently using lubrication engineers monolec 8800 15w40 and is quieter than most honda's @ idle and I flog it regularly and all parts are original to the van.
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT, Get a trans cooler for the van. I have spent alot of time watching my on VAG COM and regularly it would go to 260 deg. before the cooler (the vw fluid life is cut in half each time it goes past 220ish) so if it was originally a 40k life then after about 5-6 times above 220 it is essentially useless. I also am running Lubrication engineers 1150 multi syn trans fluid. I had all kinds of crazy codes in the trans PRE COOLER/ Fluid upgrade. Since then, almost 18 months, NOT ONE.
Also there is a yahoo E/Vgroup and there is a decent bunch on VW VORTEX.
Good luck PM me with any questions I have done a ton of stuff to mine and I work on 4 others pretty regularly

good luck
Colin

[Xtremjeepn]

Thanks.

Already discovered the Yahoo Group, UK T4 forums and been on VWVortex for years.

As mentioned above, already bought a trans cooler for it to install while doing the timing chain.

Not sure if I'm going to lower or raise it. We want to explore lots of mountain roads so a mild lift and slightly bigger tires might be the better route to go. Plus I have a garage full of low slung, big tired, performance German armor

[Farfrumwork]

Sweet

This will be good.

Keep up the good work (sick 2.7t build!)

-Chad (fellow front ranger)
_________________
sold -> '85 Wolfsburg Syncro / 'Built' DOHC EJ25 (a great machine!)
'07 Legacy spec.B, road tuned stgII
'17 4x4 Sprinter, stone grey, SMB pop-top, on 33"s

"Blood stains, speed kills - Fast cars, cheap thrills - Rich girls, fine wine - I've lost my sense, I've lost control, I've lost my mind"

[Sir Sam]

[Xtremjeepn]

[Sir Sam]

[Xtremjeepn]

The problem I see with using a Euro only engine is that EVERY part will be hard and expensive to get. I won't simply be able to go into a VW dealer and order a part and have it in a day or two if they don't have it in stock.

At least using the syncro parts or the transmission those parts don't fail nearly as often from a functional sense. Internal trans parts can be used from other US used transmissions of other platforms and the syncro can simply be disconnected if I really needed to get somewhere.

[AKAvant]

[syncrodoka]

Interesting build.
I love out of the box build threads like this.