Beschreibung
1981 Volkswagen Type 25 [T3] Westfalia Joker.
2000 cc air-cooled CU engine. Left hand drive. 4 speed manual.
Excellent condition with no rust. Great runner.
Has only covered 6400 miles since a high-quality engine rebuild.
Imported from California in 2006
Will be tax and MOT exempt from January 2022, as will then be in the Historic Vehicle class as over 40 years old and manufactured on 20th August 1981 [comes with VW Commercial Vehicles letter of proof].
We are second owners since import to the UK from California. The first owners are good friends of ours who mostly used the van for local trips and into Europe. A well-cared for van with lots of bills showing thousands spent, with regular servicing in their ownership and ours.
The van benefits from lots of recent work to maintain its appearance and condition;
There was rust in the left lower middle sill and side panel [a typical problem in the Westfalia T25/ T3 vans due to condensation from around fridge]. The whole area was cut out, and a new panel was welded in, at the same time the van was professionally painted in VW L30a Tomato Red, as paint was looking faded from the sun. Bodywork is excellent with no dents, scratches or rust. The van looks just as good in the metal as in the pictures.
Underneath the van there were some areas of surface rust, this has all been rubbed down, primed and painted, so this should prevent rust developing there in the future. Some of the brake lines have also been renewed as were showing signs of rust. Mechanics have commented recently how solid the van is underneath.
At the same time as renewing the paint, we thought it would benefit from a refresh in some other areas to match. This included;
New front window scrapers and felts. New front door inner grab handles. New driver side quarter light frame [from VW Heritage] and window winder. New front and rear Westfalia roof decals. New 8-ball gear knob. New wiper blades. New front grill and badge. New rear Volkswagen and Vanagon badges [The US market VW vans of this era were known as the Vanagon] New indicator stalk/ switch. New rear side marker lights. New gutter trims both sides. New interior light. New chrome side mount aerial. Van interior has been relined, including pop top and other ceiling areas, with new professional wheat beige liner to match original interior lining colour. New Dry Robe seat covers for front seats [great quality, 100% recycled materials]. New rear floor wood effect vinyl with new aluminium trim. External light screws replaced with new stainless-steel items. New hand-made Amber Malay [hard wearing sisal, a natural/ sustainable material] three-piece mat set for front floor, with Sand edge trim, good quality items ordered from Madmatz
The engine was fully rebuilt only 6400 miles ago. This was a high quality rebuild by Carl Klinkenberg of Beetlebank, using original VW parts where possible, new cylinder heads and much more [including new engine mounts, alternator etc]. At the same time new heat exchangers were fitted, and the tired fuel injection system was replaced with a new pair of Solex carburettors. Cost was £4322 with bill to prove. This was 10 years ago, and the engine still pulls strongly and should continue to do so for many years when serviced correctly, as is very well put together. It is the CU engine which is known as the strongest of the VW air cooled units [Carl is an expert engine builder and car restorer, and has won first prize for his work in the Volksworld show]. Van has covered a very low average yearly mileage of 650 miles, backed up by previous MOTs.
Being air-cooled this van benefits from not having the failure prone water-cooled system and engine of later VW T25s. From experience, they can suffer from corroded cylinder head bolts and various leakage issues, which cost a lot to fix. The air-cooled unit is much simpler to maintain.
The engine has just been serviced. It has a new exhaust with stainless steel tail pipe. Two new chrome pancake foam air filters. New oil and oil filter. New battery with 3 year guarantee included.
All the gear linkages and bushings have just been replaced and adjusted to factory spec, a top-quality job by T3 specialists Coast VW in South Molton. An expensive job, but worth it for a decent and precise gear change! [ Involved removal of the petrol tank, which was inspected and found to be in excellent condition and not suffering from any of the rust which they can suffer from. While out, all fuel lines to tank were replaced to be on the safe side].
Van has the usual Westfalia features;
- Elevating roof- with double mattress and room for two children.
- Stainless steel sink with onboard fresh water tank [filled through lockable external hatch on side of van] and stainless-steel drainer for washing up.
- Electric water pump for sink tap.
- Two ring gas hob- fed by refillable gas tank hidden under van with safety cut-off. Includes LPG adaptor so can be filled at petrol stations.
- Fridge that runs off the gas tank, and also 12v and the mains hook up.
- Mains 240v electric hook-up for camping [so you can run off mains electricity, not the leisure battery]. The electrics for this were all renewed to UK specification in 2007, so inside van has UK plug sockets. It also benefits from the correct safety systems and upgraded charging.
- Leisure battery and charger.
- Numerous handy cupboards, shelves, drawers and wardrobe for storing all your camping gear.
- 12v lighting and socket
- Dining table in rear – folds to side when not in use with swivel arm.
- Rear seat folds out into a double bed. [Useful storage under seat]
- Swivelling front seats – turn round to face rear seating when eating etc.
- Extra table for front seating, attaches to moveable arm and is stored under rear seat.
- Seatbelts for 4 people- x3 lap and diagonal, 1 x lap.
- Dash storage and fold out map table.
- Sliding side windows with mosquito net on one.
[original jack set all present]
The van also comes with a number of useful extras:
-Fiamma internal ladder for access to pop top sleeping area.
-Fiamma wheel chocks for levelling out the van safely when camping on a slope.
-A complete set of thermal window mats for warmth when camping. [From Just Kampers]
-Go Westy pop top cover- this is a waterproof cover that goes over the pop top when elevated, to give you more protection from the elements when raining.
- A Just Kampers waterproof van cover to keep the rain etc. off when parked/ stored.
- Genuine VW service and repair manual.
- Stainless steel roof bar mounts for elevating roof [brand new and unfitted].
- Extension cord for electric hook-up.
CD/ radio with 4 Kenwood speakers, 2 in doors, 2 above back seats.
A bonus is that it is exempt from LEZ rules that effectively bans many diesel commercial and camper vans from inside the M25.
As mentioned above, the interior has been re-lined so looks fresh, and is a non-smoker van. The seat and mattress material is original Westfalia and in good condition on the rear mattress, top mattress and rear seat. The front seat backs are also original but worn, something the future owner may want to address. Has not been an issue for us, and the Dry Robe seat covers look good and seats are comfortable. The elevating roof operates perfectly, there is one small tear in the canvas, repaired.
Tyres are good condition Continentals all round with loads of tread, spare is unused Continental. Brakes are excellent with discs at front.
Overall, this is a great van. Westfalia are known for building the best quality conversions for this model, due to using the top materials and construction methods. It spent the first 26 years of its life in California, and since arriving in the UK has only had two owners. It has covered 237000 miles, the great majority of these in California. The engine has had the best quality rebuild and is showing a very low 6400 miles with documentation to prove, and is the strong air-cooled CU unit.
It is quite unusual to see an early air-cooled Westfalia T3, and van has the desirable opening quarter light windows that give character and are useful for extra ventilation. It also has the original deluxe chrome bumpers which add to the classic look.
The engine runs great and van drives really well, does not wonder on the road and brakes pull it up well. Insurance for us is very good value on a Classic policy, and running costs will be reduced further from January 2022 when it becomes road tax and MOT exempt. I would feel confident driving anywhere.
If you want a beautiful looking Westfalia that should give many more years of use then this could be for you.
Reluctant sale due to a change in circumstances. I have done my best to give a detailed description, and viewing and test drives are welcome. Van located in North Devon.
Sensible offers considered by people viewing in person.
