You are bidding on a restored, 1973, Bay Window, Westfalia VW Camper bus. Life circumstances require a lifestyle adjustment and it's time we said goodbye to the VW bus we called Nikita. We thought we would own this bus for a long time and invested a lot of time and money into it. This restoration is in excellent condition and includes a complete engine rebuild, bodywork/paint, and an interior cabinet rebuild. We designed the bus so that it could be used for what it does best for another 20 years, while minimizing maintenance. That means this bus is ready to roll in current condition. If you are interested in a show-vehicle restored to completely original condition, then Nikita could do that too, but you would need a couple extra projects completed. In general, we spared no expense and used quality craftsmen for the engine and bodywork, while my wife and I handled the interior upgrades. This bus would be ideal for someone wanting to take it on the road, wanting a custom show vehicle, or someone looking for a solid base to create an original restoration. Nikita's next adventure is up to you!

Engine:

The engine has under 1000 miles on it and the rebuild was completed in 2011 by a very respected mechanic in Longview, WA with over 20 years of experience specializing in VWs. The 1973 engine was replaced with a 1978 engine to improve performance and reduce maintenance. The engine compartment was modified to accept the air intake assembly for the 1978 and a new ECU. The engine itself was completely overhauled, including splitting the case, with every piece being inspected, and replaced as needed. The heads were also replaced with quality set of heads that my mechanic felt lucky to have found available. This (wizard) mechanic also installed a new wiring harness and completed the electrical because we wanted to take advantage of his expertise and ensure compatibility with the new engine.

I removed the factory-installed heater because the fumes are terrible, they brake all the time, and from what I hear they love to cause buses to burn to the ground. There is now extra space for a house-bank battery.

Bodywork:

Eagle Street Automotive in Vancouver, WA completed the body work over many months. This shop regularly does high-end restorations and only does quality work. They prepped the bus for the new engine by altering the engine compartment. After the engine was installed, they stripped the bus down to bare metal. They reinforced the nose section with a steel plate in order to prevent he metal from wrinkling over time. They removed all rust and repaired metal as needed. They painted the bus using the original paint codes for factory Neptune blue color.

We installed a new windshield and replaced all of the seals for it and the other windows with OEM German seals. I think the jalousie windows are the only ones with the original seals.

Interior:

Finally, my wife and I tackled the interior. The dashboard is repainted and a new CD player and speaker is installed. What you don't see in the pictures is that Dynamat was strategically placed throughout the vehicle. I wasn't skimpy with it and you can tap along the walls and hear the difference. This greatly reduces road noise.The walls were insulated with Reflectix insulation. Then, the side and roof paneling was reconstructed using 1/8" Baltic Birch sheets. New carpet is installed and new seat covers were placed on the front seats. These were provided by SewFine out of Texas. A new floor was installed using Marmoleum. All the cabinets were remade using 3/4" Baltic Birch. All of the cushions were remade using new, high quality foam, and new material. New curtains were made. A new tent from Bus Depot has been installed.

We upholstered all the interior door panels with burlap from reclaimed coffee bags, giving this bus a very unique look.

I did not install the factory-installed camping items like the stove and refrigerator on purpose. I feel that modern camping stoves and coolers offer a better and hassle-free alternative and there is now more storage space in the bus.

Items that would need to be completed in order to be in "perfect" condition as a show-quality car:

There are a few small paint dings that need to be touched up. I can get touch-up paint from Eagle Street but they've been really busy the last few weeks.
I couldn't figure out an elegant way to create door seals for the interior cabinets. I've done my best with 1/4"x1/4" weatherstripping and glue, but a more permanent solution is needed.
The passenger side door mechanism needs a little work and currently only opens from the outside.
The interior door pulls are attached using really tight zip-ties (picture included). I couldn't find the appropriate screws and backing to re-insert them. This shouldn't be too difficult for a VW interior specialist.
I'm pretty sure this bus is not currently California legal because I haven't installed the catalytic converter. I have it though and a potential buyer from California is welcome to the part.
Upon installing the tent I had a nervous breakdown. Have you ever tried installing one of those? There are a couple small tears that occurred during installation that are visible. I repaired them with clear tent repair tape. I think that a very small sewing job could also do the trick.
There is a section of the floor trim that needs to be re-glue so that the corner fits tightly together (picture included).

That is the story for this bus. The reserve price doesn't come close to the value of materials that I've put into the bus. This is a unique build and one that I think is very beautifully done. It will be a great addition to anyone looking to hit the road, or for those looking for a 95 percent completed show-quality project.

Thanks for your interest!

Auto Services in Oregon

Vic Alfonso Cadillac ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting

Address: 633 NE 12th Ave, Oak-Grove

Phone: (503) 233-6451

T. B`s Oak Park Automotive ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Auto Body Parts

Address: 4335 Silverton Rd NE, Amity

Phone: (503) 585-6445

Sun Automotive ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automotive Tune Up Service

Address: 391 Rustic Pl, Cheshire

Phone: (541) 344-2219

Seaport Auto Wholesale Inc ★★★★★

Used Car Dealers

Address: 17225 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Troutdale

Phone: (503) 653-7400

Schuck`s Auto Supply ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Accessories, Automobile Parts, Supplies & Accessories-Wholesale & Manufacturers

Address: 3340 NE 3rd Ave, Happy-Valley

Phone: (360) 335-1512

Save On Tires ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Tire Dealers, Wheels

Address: 14529 SW 72nd Ave, Tualatin

Phone: (503) 608-7230

Auto blog

Volkswagen shows off performance-ish Passat concept

Mon, 14 Jan 2013

As part of its 2013 Detroit Auto Show debut package, Volkswagen has rolled out a sportier version of the Passat sedan, though it's strictly conceptual for now. A small dose of go-fast visuals have been added to the handsome Volkswagen, including 19-inch wheels, carbon-capped mirrors, an advanced front lighting system, LED taillamps and dual exhaust. Some carbon bits and upgraded leather are found inside the cabin, as well.
But the real performance chops come in the form of a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sends 250 horsepower to the Passat's front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. That's a good boost in power over the 170 hp of the base 2.5-liter inline-five, but not quite as potent as the 3.6-liter VR6. A lowered sport suspension and revised electronic steering are also on hand, making things slightly more involving out on the road... we assume.
It's not quite the performance concept we were hoping for, but a more enthusiastic Passat isn't necessarily a bad thing. Scroll down for the press release.

UK auto magazine says this is the best car commercial of all time [w/videos]

Thu, 20 Dec 2012

There have been many great car commercials over the years, but is it possible to define the best? Well, Ad Week recently took a crack at it by rating the top commercials of the year by looking at their view counts on YouTube, but Auto Express took a more democratic approach by putting the decision to a vote. Just after Thanksgiving, Auto Express came up with a list of the 20 popular commercials, and it tasked its readers with choosing the winner for the best car ad of all time. The winner? Honda's 2003 commercial for its then-new European Accord titled "The Cog."
While the ad never aired in the US, most car people have surely seen the impressive Rube Goldberg-style spot. In fact, the only commercial on this list that we saw on US television was the Volkswagen ad "The Force," but many of the others have become viral videos, including transforming and dancing Citroën C4. Of the 19 other commercials that vied for the title of best ad of all time, only the Ford Puma "Steve McQueen" commercial gave Honda a run for its advertising money.
Scroll down to watch Auto Express' top five commercial in order and to check out a press release, then let us know some of your favorite car commercials in Comments.

Porsche-Piech buy 10% stake in VW's holding company

Tue, 18 Jun 2013

In August, 2009, as the scuttled merger of Porsche and Volkswagen had gone bad and Porsche was backed up against the ropes, Porsche Automobil Holding SE (PAHSE) relinquished a ten-percent stake in itself to Qatar Holdings as well as options it held on 17 percent of VW shares. The sale meant that, for the first time since the founding of the company 61 years before, an entity outside the Porsche and Piech families had a say in the running of PAHSE.
Buying that ten-percent stake back returns full ownership to the two families, the holding company's sole possession being ownership of 50.7 percent of VW's common shares. The price paid wasn't disclosed, but at market rates the purchase would be worth close to $1.25 billion. Qatar intends to hold onto the 17-percent stake it has in Volkswagen.

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