1974 Westfalia Automatic

Notes on condition

• VIN: 2342072984.
• This bus has spent most of its life in New Mexico, and in a sunshaded area, to boot. The bus, inside and out, is therefore in exceptional condition for its age.
• The odometer reads just over 92,000 miles.
• This Westfalia camper has an automatic transaxle, making it ideal for those who cannot or prefer not to use a manual shifter.
• The body is in remarkably good condition, and has no signs of ever having been wrecked. Imperfections are that the front bumper is pressed in just a bit in front of the driver, the rear bumper has a couple of dings, and the forward sections of the rockers on each side are rusted out (see photos in the zip file). The rest of the body is in great shape.
• The paint: The previous owner thought that it could use some paint to make it spiffy. Had it been me, I would have left it in its original paint. But what is done is done, and the bus sports a bright white paint job (brighter than the original Pastel White L90D). It actually looks pretty good except for the bits of overspray on the undercarriage -- but there is no real harm in that. It certainly is a head-turner and gets lots of compliments.
• All doors and the ignition work with the original key, with the key code stamped on it. I've had new keys cut to code, and have serviced the door locks so that they all work smoothly.
• The Westfalia Camper gear is all there and original, and is in great shape except the canvas, which is getting brittle with age as is to be expected. The curtains have been replaced. All the camper upholstery is in full original color, as is carpet and the original stool. The front seats are repadded with Sewfine padding, preserving the original upholstery. This camper does not have the stove (which is a good thing in my opinion). The laminate is starting to delaminate near the edges, but this is on my list to fix.
• The 1800-cc AW engine has just undergone a fabulous overhaul by Sanchez VW in Santa Fe. This includes new AMC heads, pistons, and cylinders. It starts and runs perfectly. Pablo Sanchez did a great job. Alas, the original dual carburetor setup is gone. The fan shroud is freshly blasted, all the tin is repainted, and the heat exchangers are cleaned inside and out. It does not leak a drop of oil.
• Automatic transmission works perfectly.
• It has brand new Hankook RA08 tires! New tires just make you feel good.
• The heating system works great, too.
• All glass is original and in good shape, save for one "star" nick in the windshield.
• As a bonus for the collector-minded out there, I am providing a beautiful 1974 Iowa license plate that is of the vintage that would have been used for the bus' first registration. The original Des Moines, Iowa dealer plate is still on the rear hatch. I have also registered the bus in New Mexico with a vintage plate (yes, they still used the "72" embossed plates in 1974. Seems they did in Iowa, too.

Photos

last updated 3 June 2013