1988 VW Westfalia w/ 2.1 L Subaru Conversion – Breakup Opportunity

1988 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon Westfalia Additional Info:

1988 VW Westfalia w/ 2.1 L Subaru Conversion – Breakup Opportunity

Hello there.Please read the whole listing and pay careful attention to the Terms of Sale.Thank you!

For sale is my 1988VW Vanagon Westfalia.I purchased it on eBay in 2015 and had Rocky Mountain Westy in Ft. Collins do a Subaru conversion along with many, many other improvements.It has larger wheels with a Go Westy street suspension bundle, 1,100 inverter and Pro Sport 20 dual bank charger and spare battery, new lights interior and exterior, and on and on.The canvas is in good shape with no tears.We have installed 4 new CV joints within the past year.Every part in the linkage has been replaced. The van has never been crashed.Check out all of the invoices.It is embarrassing the amount of money I have put into this van and I am well aware I will get nowhere near what I have put into it.You will notice that there is an invoice for a brand new factory Subaru 2.1 L engine installed byCalifornia Westys on 6-16-18.Yep.The engine was replaced last Summer because of user error.So the engine that is in the van now is a new factory Subaru engine with about 6,000 miles on it.It purrs like a kitten. The A/C works.It is fast.

BTW the center console is a hack from a Honda CRV.It folds down to allow passage between the front seats.The ipad mount is a hack held in place by C-Clamps.If you don't like the look they unclamp very easily.We have the ashtray and it pops back into place.The windshield is brand new as of two weeks ago.The jump seat behind the front passenger seat is a rare find.The 84’ Wolfsburg edition had an extra seat but as far as I know the 84’ Wolfsburg was the only other Westy to have the 5thseat and seatbelt.I have owned maybe 8 or 9 Westfalias since 1994 and this is by far the nicest.

Pics of all the invoices will be posted to redmellon dotcom slash vw by 5:00 p.m. on Monday 7-22-19

Known Defects and Issues

-The mileage is not correct.When I bought the van the mileage was slightly less than 198,000 which may or may not have been the correct miles at the time because the odometer stopped working soon thereafter.I bought a new odometer right after the rebuild and had it installed and they set it at zero.Why?I don’t know.So the odometer now says23,463 but the van now has at least 198,000 + 23,463 = 221,463.I have put about 8,891 miles on the van since thenew Subaru engine that went in last Summer.

-The refrigerator doesn't work.

-It has been popping out of 2ndquite a bit lately. And sometimes first.So I just hold my hand on the stick until I shift to third. Problem solved.

-The tachometer works about 95% of the time.There is a loose connection behind the dash so the next time they have to get behind the dash for some reason they can tighten the connection or put in a new one.Just don't freak out if you are driving and the tach stops working.Give it a minute and it will work again.

-There are a couple of small rust bubbles that have been scraped, primed, and touched up.They are in the pics.The car is not a rust bucket by any means. (See pics).It is just these small couple of exterior spots.When I bought the van I had the van painted and the spray job was only decent.The little rust stains started to come through (Again see pics) and I touched them up and I did a meh job.

-Sometimes at the end of a long day of driving the shifting is less smooth than in the morning.Not harder to find the gear; just less smooth. It takes more effort to physically move the shifter back and forth and right and left. It’s just not smooth and buttery.This makes no sense because every piece of the linkage has been replaced and there is no reason the shifting should be less smooth at the end of a long day of driving but it is.

Included:

-Yakima roof rack WITH luggage pod and TWO Yakima bike racks. There is a third bike rack on the rear ladder and that is the easiest one to use.So the van comes with THREE bike racks. The Yakima luggage pod and two Yakima bike racks are all keyed alike.(The lock to the pod is kind of janky and you have to jiggle it to get the latch open but it works.)

-Ladder

-jerry can.(Note: If you really want to travel with an extra can of gas (which we have done when we are travelling highways in the middle of the night) I would recommend storing the full can in the gear thing over the cab.If you put the full can on the ladder in back then it puts too much weight on one side of the rear hatch and the hatch won't stay open because it is too heavy for the pneumatic lifts.Also, the uneven weight causes the hatch too torque slightly and after time you won't get a good seal when the rear hatch shuts.Live and learn.)

-Spare CV joint/axel assembly.

-The original front privacy curtain.

I have tried to describe everything accurately but it is a 31 year old German import and the sale is “As Is Where Is.”

FAQ:

Q: I noticed the blah, blah, blah thing is not original.Is that not the blah blah blah and do you mind taking a picture of the blah blah blah.

A: Maybe.I don't know.And yes.I don't work on them.I put the key in the ignition and I start it up and I drive it until it breaks down and then I pay someone to fix it.Come look at it.Send someone to look at it.I understand that I would get $200 more if I just showed you the picture of the whatever-it-is but it is not that important to me.I am trying to put the least amount of time possible into selling this van.

Q:What is this “user error” you referred to.

A: I forgot to shift to 4th and I blew the engine.I am 47 years old.I have driven stick shifts my entire life.I know that one SHOULD shift into 4th.I didn’t. The windows were down and there was a lot of road noise and I was by myself and rocking out and singing to the radio like I was in concert.It seemed like the speed wasn't great but I wasn’t paying much attention and then as I was hitting the chorus of “I Saw the Sign” by Ace of Base there was a loud clunk and the idiot light came on and that was it.I was the idiot.That was a very, very expensive mistake.It wasn’t a “previous owner.”It wasn’t one of my children.It was me.I do not intend to talk about it.It is too painful.If you want to know, “How far will a Westy go at high speed in third gear before it throws a rod,”The answer is, “About 16 miles.”

Q: Why are you selling it?For a few reasons.The first is my, “fun car” habit has gotten a little out of control and the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Another is over the past year we have taken on another child and now the van doesn’t have enough seat belts or spots for all of us to sleep.We drive the van back and forth from Louisiana to Oregon at the beginning and end of the Summer. This Summer my wife had to fly out to OR with one of our children because there are not enough seatbelts in the Westy.That just doesn't make sense. I love this van.But it is no longer practical for us.Actually that is incorrect because that implies it was once practical.It was never practical.Which leads to the third reason I am selling this van.

These vans are emotionally draining.Is it your first one?Get ready.They are so cool.SO. FREAKING.COOL.And well designed.And the problem of being underpowered has been solved by the Subaru conversion.Fully loaded down we FLY uphill.It is so fast.We pass cars.(My first Westy wouldn't do 80 off a cliff).But they have issues.It is just part of owning one.We paid to replace just about everything except the fridge but it is a 31 year old German import!

If I did most of my travelling and camping within 300 miles of my home it would be less of an issue. But our trips are cross-country.And I am not handy.So if we have a mechanical issue then it means finding a strange shop. When you have a Subaru conversion the German import shops say, “Hey that’s a Subaru… we don't work on those.” And the Japanese import shops say, “Hey, that’s a VW. We don’t work on those.”And there are now 6 of us waiting for them to replace the whatever-it-is so it is just more of a hassle.Sprinter conversions aren’t nearly as cool but they just don’t have those issues.There are lots of Sprinter conversions on eBay and maybe you should go find one.I promise you it will cause you less heartache.You can be the person to try and make #sprinterlife a thing.I love this van.I lorve it.I lerve it.But my wife says it is time for me to break up with my van because it takes up too much emotional energy.I agree.We have had a good run.But it is time.

Q: Will you remove the pink polka dots from the pod?

A: No.

Q:What is the reserve.

A: Respectfully, I decline to say.

Q: Will you end the auction early.

A: Maybe.Offer me lots and lots of money and we’ll see.You make ME the offer.Please don't ask me, “What I would take for it now.”Like pornography, I’ll know it when I see it.

Q: “I made you an offer, why haven’t you made me a counter offer?”

A: “Because you are attempting to anchor at an extremely low number.”

Q: “Do you expect me to just keep besting my own offer?”

A: “Yes.Or just bid on it.Or don’t.There are thousands of more sensible ways for you to spend your money.You really don't need this van.”

Terms of Sale:

Please read carefully.All of these terms are designed to make it easier for me.I totally get that I could make it a lot easier for potential buyers and I would get more money but I value my time more than I value the marginal increase in sales price.I don't live in Portland.I live in Louisiana.But it doesn't make sense for us to drive it all the way back to Louisiana and sell it so I am driving in from Brookings (where we spend most of our Summer) and selling it in Portland.

You are welcome to come check it out in Brookings any time between now and Sunday July 28st.On Monday July 29thwe are driving up to Portland.

A $2,000 non-refundable deposit is due within 24 hours of the end of the auction via Paypal.

The deposit is non-refundable.The purpose of the deposit is to ensure you complete the transaction.It is not a fee for an “Option to Purchase” or to reserve the van so you can check it out.It is a non-refundable deposit toward the full purchase price.If you win the auction you have entered into a contract to purchase the van under the terms described in this listing.The van is being sold “As Is. Where is” with no warranty.If you pay the deposit on time but you don't pay for the van by the deadline described below then you have failed to meet the terms of the sale and I will keep your deposit and throw a party for my friends with the money*.So please don't bid unless you can follow through as per these Terms of Sale.

I have clear title in hand.You must pay the balance due by wire transfer within 72 hoursof the end of the auction.

This means we meet on Tuesday the 30thor Wednesday the 31stand I hand you (or your representative) the keys keys. At that point you have physical possession of the van.Then you wire the money into my account.I will only accept a wire transfer.When you win the auction I will email you the wiring instructions.When the money hits my account I sign over the title to you and execute a Bill of Sale.See how that works?We are each taking incremental risk until the transaction is complete.The funds have to be in my account within 72 hours of the end of the auction because I am flying out of town late Wednesday the 31stand like Ben Affleck I am Gone Baby Gone.The reason I do not take a bank check is several years ago my brother-in-law accepted a bank check for an airboat he was selling and I would have bet my house it was a real bank check.It was so good.It had the watermark and everything.I would have bet my pinky it was real.It was not real. Good thing I didn’t bet my pinky.And once my brother-in-law’s bank realized it was fake they took the money out his account.So no bank checks.Sorry.

Q: What if I don't live in Portland and I need to have the van shipped?

A: As long as I receive the wired funds in my account within 72 hours of the end of the auctionyou own the van and you can have it shipped to Djibouti for all I care.I will FedEx you the signed and notarized Bill of Sale, the signed title, and the keys.Our friends in Portland have agreed to let us park the van at their place of business for up to one ten days from the close of the auction and you can have it picked up there.That means you have to have someone pick it up by Wednesday August 7th.

Q: Will they meet the tow truck driver and help get it on the flatbed?

A: No. Use TaskRabbit or Craigslist or something.

Q: You know you would increase your market and have a lot more potential sales if you made it easier for an out-of-state purchase to get the van shipped.

A: That is not a question and yeah I know but I have decided not to do it that way.If it doesn't sell for the reserve price or it sells and then the Purchaser flakes out and the back-up Purchaser flakes out too then I am just going to let my friends drive it for a year and I will sell it next Summer.Or maybe I’ll keep it.I am selling it because it is time for it to go but if I had to keep that dreamy van I could totally live with that.

Q: It has been 45 minutes (or whatever).Why haven't you answered my question?

A: Probably because I have some other things going on and I may need up to 12 hours or so to answer your question.OR MORE LIKELY YOU HAVE ASKED A QUESTION I HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED IN THIS LISTING OR IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER QUESTION.And yes I used all caps because I am yelling.

Q: Who the hell are you, man?

A: My name is Neal Morris.I am a real estate developer.My favorite color is blue.My favorite amendment is the First. I have sold several cars on ebay over the years and generally it has gone well.I really love this van.And I hope it is a great van for you.And once it is yours it is YOURS baby.Good luck!!!

*By “throw a party for my friends with the money” I actually mean, “Keep the money and NOT throw a party for my friends.”