1973 Volkswagen Camper Van Bus - Very Straight Body And Very Little Rust! on 2040-cars

I acquired this van about three months ago but the acquisition of another project is forcing me to sell this one.   There is absolutely nothing “drastically wrong” with this V-dub that made me give up.  I just realized that I’m not that excited about it and would rather work on something else.  So, in the interest of the fullest disclosure possible, here goes.

Here’s the details.  Purchased in April of this year from the estate of an elderly man who passed away.  The vehicle has not been licensed since April 2005 so I’d assume that’s the last time it’s been driven to any extent.  Had a V-6 (older Ford 2.6) that was awfully tired.  After evaluating its condition and running it for a short while (couldn’t really drive it except in my driveway, clutch was pretty weak) I did not see any value in keeping this motor so I yanked it.   It is gone but I still have the adapter plate and flywheel if someone is interested in installing another version of this motor (same basic motor as the 2.9 in older Ford Rangers and Bronco II’s). 

Body:  Undoubtedly this is the best characteristic of the bus.  It’s very straight with only minor dings and rust spots.  The side panels look really, really straight.  The nose and tailgate area are pretty good as well.  Most of the small dings seem to be in the corners and are very shallow.  I would characterize the rust spots that I have found as small and mostly surface.  There are two or three that have a different color of paint over them and may have been bondo-ed over but I am fairly certain they were not rusted through as there is still flex in these areas (from the sheet metal bending a bit but it doesn't feel rusted through at all).   The worst of these are shown and are at the left front around the parking lamp and left rear around the tail light.  I honestly think they look worse in the photo than they really area.  The area inside and below the windshield has peeling paint and minor surface rust but is otherwise solid.  I can’t find anything but a bit of surface rust underneath.  Very good raw material here folks!  There were two body mods done to accommodate the V-6.  The bottom of the nose was cut out for the radiator fan and the rear “apron” (goes across below the engine opening) was modified to be removable due to the extra size of the engine.  I am not a body expert but I really consider these two issues to be way less severe than taking on significant rust.    

Doors and hatches:  All hinges are tight, slider works fine (inside handle is broken), rear gate and engine cover work great.   I cannot find any rust to speak of on any door or hatch other than minor surface rust around paint chips.  All doors & hatches close with a very solid "thunk". 

Brakes:  Seem to work (although I have not tested at high speed), fluid looks good.  Emergency brake cable is broken. 

Glass:  Absolutely great, no cracks or even any chips that I can see.  Everything cranks up/down or open/shut as it should.  Some seals are weathered but appear to be functional.  Vehicle was sitting outside (in Portland where it rains a lot) but there are really no detectable signs of moisture entry.   

Electrical: No obvious signs of shorts or otherwise damaged wiring.  Most things seemed to work (signals, headlights, horn) that I tested when the battery and engine were installed.  Has provisions for two batteries running on an isolator.  Fridge does run on 120 VAC.  I am an expert on DC wiring and would characterize the system as slightly modified but reasonably well done.  I would say you do NOT have to re-do the entire system but may need to modify or improve certain areas depending on what you intend to power it with. 

Propane system:  Everything looks good but I cannot figure out how to turn on the gas solenoid.  I can’t imagine that it’s terribly complicated.  Gas is used only for the stove (fridge is 120 VAC only I’m pretty sure although it might run on DC as well).  The tank appears to be about 2-3 gallons.

Sink & plumbing look okay but I have not tested.

Interior:  Most of the original panels (like on the front door) are good.   The trim along the bottom of the camper shell is pretty bad but looks to be easily replaceable.  Camper area floor is in good condition (some type of sheet vinyl).  Carpet in cab area is bad.  Carpet over engine area is dirty and pretty ugly.  Dash has had 3 gauge installed and a few holes drilled.  There are still two "coolant" heaters; one in the living area and the other in the cab. 

Engine:  yanked!.   I think you basically have 2 options with this rig:  1.  Put in a Subaru flat-4 (this seems to be the most popular conversion) or 2) make it original.  I still have the front radiator that goes in behind the guard currently welded to the front bumper mounts.  It’s quite heavy duty.  Some of the coolant lines were removed from the chassis but those could be easily reinstalled.  I did leave the heaters in the front cab and the camping area. 

Fuel system:  Condition is unknown.  There’s a bit of surface rust in the filler neck.  I put about 2 gallons in which didn’t leak out but the fuel pump on the engine wouldn’t draw so there’s either some kind of restriction or the fuel pump was bad from sitting with fuel in it for years.  Removing the fuel tank for cleaning will be a lot easier with the engine removed.

Drive train:  Transmission goes into all gears (it’s a VW 4-speed with an adapter for the V6) and doesn’t make any bad noise but I haven’t driven it on the street yet.  Rubber boots on transaxle half-shafts need to be replaced as they are split.

Suspension:  There do not seem to be any major defects.  I jacked up the front end and all ball joints seem to be okay (I couldn’t find anything loose).  Steering seems to be reasonably tight and smooth.   Wheel bearing seem good & tight.  Rear suspension seems quite taut. 

Misc:  gas pedal screws to mount to floor have broken off. 

Transporting:  I am willing to move the van a short distance if you need assistance.  A tilt-bed hauler might have difficulty getting down my driveway so I could easily transport it a short distance to accommodate that.  I could also locate temporary storage if that is required.

Thanks for looking and please contact me if you are interested.   You or your representative can inspect this rig at my home just about any time during daylight hours.  Just contact me through this auction and I will send you my phone number.  I’m off Canyon Road between Beaverton and Portland (Oregon).  I would really like to impress that I'd like to be as accommodating as possible.  If you have any special requests, please don't hesitate to ask.