Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 09:39:16 -0500
Reply-To: wilden1@JUNO.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Cream Puff 81 Westfalia Found (long)
Content-Type: text/plain
I recently purchased an 81 Air Cooled Westfalia with a verifiable mileage
of 81625. (CarFax and state inspection printout) It even passed the last
four emissions test under Texas requirements. (its exempt now at 20 years
old)
Once I looked at the rotting OEM vacuum lines, the dry cracked injector
lines and the factory sealer on the sheet metal I was really hooked.
This Westfalia was part of a required estate liquidation after the
husband (owner) died and left a fair amount of debt for his surviving
family members.
The storage compartment had two quarts of Mobil One Synthetic oil in it
along an extra filter, filter screen kit, three oil plug washers, the
rear bug screen and both the front and side privacy curtains.
The transmission shifts slick as butter but I had to install a new clutch
kit (had the OEM clutch that slipped at about 3500 RPM in any gear) if
you ran it fairly hard.
I wasn't all that impressed with the 80 PSI average compression but it
seems to have plenty of power and accelerates better than my 83 Air
Cooled with a newly rebuilt engine.
The heads had a little bit of oil burn on them on #1 and #3 cylinders but
it was so slight it was still transparent.
As with most old air cooled Westfalias the thermostat was there but not
functioning.
I'm in the precess of replacing all of the fuel lines, filters, brake
fluid and tranny lube.
I'm not interested in driving a vehicle that has ben stored in a garage
for the last three years without replacing the necessary brake parts to
give me some confidence in its safety.
I've got a case of buyers remorse that is getting worse every time I go
on line and place orders for a clutch kit, valve cover gaskets, rear
brake cylinders, master cylinder, steering rack bellows seals, front
grill and Yada, Yada, Yada.. you know how it goes when you have a case of
paranoid maintenance syndrome.
Since I'm waiting for parts at this very moment I've got time to give it
a really good wax job and take a few pictures. I like to color; I'd call
it coral with a tan velour interior (kinda nasty seats need to be
cleaned).
All of the camping equipment works nicely, even the refrigerator lights
on LP OK. The water pump has more pressure than I've ever seen out of my
83 faucet.
The rear mounted AC unit blows kinda cool but needs to be recharged to
peak down to the recommended 62-67 degrees at the center outlet.
I'm going to drive this Westfalia for a while and decide which Westy has
to go, the 83 with an honest 256190 miles and a new engine or this 81K
cream puff that I was desperately looking for when I bought my 83 seven
years ago.
There aren't very many Vanagon Air Cooled purist in Texas so I'm going to
have to sell either vehicle on the East or West coast to get the real
value out of the one I decide to sell.
Well that is all there is to tell, I got what I wanted after waiting six
years and I'll shortly be forced to decide which one stays and which one
goes.
Stan Wilder
83 Air Cooled Westfalia, 256K
81 Air Cooled Westfalia, 81 K
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