Tom's 1974 Westfalia
Home away from home with a German flair
History
Well here's the German mansion on wheels. This VW Bus, a Westfalia camper was purchased in 1974 by a couple who lived up the street from where I grew up. After using it, they sold it to a 
family friend, who later sold it to my uncle. After years of use as his driver, my uncle parked it, after getting frustrated with no air conditioning and having to fix things. That's when my brother stepped in.
My uncle told him that if he could get it home, the Bus could be his. Well, obviously he got it home (very ingenious way he got it home too) and the rest is history.
Right now
I got it from my brother with a dead engine. I suspect that the stock engine, a 1.8 Type 4, broke the cam gear. It needs to be gone through and updated. Until resources become available, it sits at a friends' house, awaiting t
he time that I can get it running again.
Overall the Westy is in great shape. The interior is very nice, with the accomodations for sleeping four adults and one child under 60 lbs. It has a sink, stove, refrigerator (not an ice box, but a full fledged refrigerator), and tons of closet space. It's a blast to take camping, as you have everything you will ever need right there.
Future
Once I get the Westy running and registered again, I'd like to do some cosmetic work, like repainting the nose. The paint there has been chipped severely from rocks, etc. I'd also like to eventually build a stronger Type 4 for it, as I'd like to be able to head to the local mountains and not have to struggle to get up the mountains fully loaded.
Photos
Here are some photos I've taken of the car:
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All content and images are copyright © 1999 - 2008 Tom Slider. Any use without permission is strictly forbidden. |
