My Vanagon, then and now!

[vino de vano]

Hi all. I want to start this Because our buses are an evolution. The way we start with them is just the begining. Over time they become an expression of each owner. Some times the changes are small and sometimes extreme. I would love to see where you started and were you are now. I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours, come on everybody. Heres mine looking forward to seeing yours. Mark

Six long years and almost thirty thousand dollars, Have to say it's hard to see.
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what a long strange trip it's been

[levi]

Great idea!

Early days, (almost 20 yrs ago) watching out for palm trees planted in the street;

Same van more recently, a very rare snow day in Vegas;

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One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[Kombi///M3]

First pic the day I got'r home.

Here she is now.

[jlrftype7]

In the beginning..., which was not quite 2 years ago....
About the only work at this time was new tires and 15" rims, the old 14" tires weren't even that safe to drive around the parking lot at work...

Oh, the battles that lay ahead...
The coolant leaks, the oil leaks, the .....
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[jlrftype7]

A Halloween bit of snow-- wait, VEGAS gets Snow?....

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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[jlrftype7]

A few days before the Snow....

I like this one alot since a Fellow Samba poster, who lives in Chicago as well, took it and posted it.
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[dobryan]

When new to me in 2018.

Now.

Work done to date is in the topic in my sig line.
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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

[mikemtnbike]

First day bought, at a friend's house showing off. Shortly after this, I discovered the leaking valve cover gasket and gas tank vents I bought too.

Fairly recent.

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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[joetiger]

Day 1, 8/28/17, smelly, leaking everywhere, full of mouse poop (and carcasses) and a whole universe of problems I couldn't have even imagined.

Current. The paint's worse and everything else is better:

It's been a great ride.
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present

www.josephtrussell.com

[pnwkayaker]

Love these type of threads, especially how everybody follows their vision on how their vans should be (thanks for starting the thread).

My Syncro as originally bought (circa 2008) - the previous owner was not following basic maintenance, pulling anything that was failing (fridge, cough) instead of fixing it . I got it for a good price, and I thought I knew what I was getting into (I didn't)

My Syncro as it currently stands - a lot of the interior is out this weekend since I'm installing a rear camera (it's a never ending job)

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87 Syncro Westy EJ25 ("Tardis")

Seattle Meetup at Marymoor (link)
A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM) (link)

[vino de vano]

Thanks guys for joining in. your buses are looking transformed. Yes we are here now but always moving forward, these baby's are a never ending story. come on don't just read this thread, POST your pics.
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what a long strange trip it's been

[captmatthew1]

My 1980 was purchased by my father in 1981. It lived its life as a family hauler until the late 90s when it was parked with bad heads. I returned as an adult, and put the old van back on the road in 2014.

2014

Present

[/img]
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Matthew Alig
1980 VW Vanagon Tin-Top Camper Conversion

[Love My Westy]

December 1986 right after we bought it new:

Now, 34 years later (yeah, it's a 1 owner):

[radar5667]

Great post

Day we got him...

Handsome devil

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‘62 Heinkel Tourist, ‘70 Beetle, ‘86 Syncro Tintop, ‘87 Syncro GL Westy, ‘91 964 Coupe manual, ‘96 Lexus LX450

[Syncronoid]

....and so much more you can't see.
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'90 Syncro Westy w/GW2.5L

[vino de vano]

Call me impressed. Wow! Syncronoid I'm with you, some of our most important changes we make are deep inside. You guys rock, keep em coming.
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what a long strange trip it's been

[tjet]

[vino de vano]

Two words. BAD ASS!
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what a long strange trip it's been

[tjet]

[phatveedub]

Here you go!
Before:

After: