Camping Classic: 1977 Volkswagen Westfalia
UPDATE – This bus has sold to a Barn Finds reader! Thanks for all the interest.
FROM 3/26/19 – The seller, Sheri, reached out to us with more info on her Camper Van! So, the $22,000 asking price is in Canadian Dollars, which converts to $16,500 US, and is negotiable. Her mechanic, who specializes in classic trucks and vans recommended this asking price after going over it. She also sent us a photo of the engine and confirmed that it is a replacement. Sheri isn’t entirely sure why the previous owner changed it but believes it might have been to increase the power. That wouldn’t be unsurprising or uncommon, as the original engine used in these was fairly weak. This looks like it could be a really great buy, so be sure to contact Sheri and make her an offer!
It must be time to hit the road and try some camping in the great outdoors. If that sounds like a great idea, then you really need the right vehicle for the job. This 1977 Volkswagen Westfalia looks like a good alternative, and you will find it listed for sale here at Autotrader. The owner has set a price of $22,000 CA for this camping classic.
For me, the color of the Westfalia isn’t particularly inspiring, but I guess that if you want to blend into the surrounding flora, then it’s just the ticket. The vehicle has its fair share of minor dings and marks, but there’s nothing horrendous there. Similarly, the owner provides plenty of photos of the underside of the vehicle, and it looks to be as solid as a rock. This isn’t really a surprise, because apparently, the Westfalia has spent the majority of its life in New Mexico. The camper top is also said to be in good condition.
If the interior is original, then for its age, it has survived remarkably well. It looks like a bit of time spent in there with a dust cloth will make the world of difference to the presentation. It’s hard to tell how healthy the top of the dash is because of the cover that is fitted, but the rest of the dash looks good, as does the upholstery on the seats. The car is fitted with an aftermarket CD player, which I don’t mind, and the door trims look like they just need a good clean.
The owner provides no photos of the engine, but it does appear that it was replaced some years ago. It is said to run and drive well, and the 4-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly. The car has recently had a full check, and apart from the owner having to fit new front brake pads, everything else is said to be spot on. The camper area has also received new vinyl, while the original propane stove also works well. The only thing that will need to be attended to is the fridge. This wasn’t working, and the owner deemed it to be too small for the job, so I’m unsure whether it is still present, or if it has been replaced.
Here’s a picture of the engine. It appears to have been upgraded with dual carbs and a stronger coil. Since it was installed by the previous owner, it’s hard to know what other upgrades may have been done to it. With the right parts, these engines can produce a surprising amount of power. Without knowing for sure what all was done, we would guess power to be in the 80 to 90 horsepower range. It isn’t going to blow the doors off, but getting up those hills might not be so much of a problem after all!
This is a pretty cool vehicle, and the Westfalia is a vehicle that just keeps continuing to increase in value. This is a solid example that only has a few minor cosmetic needs. Once you’ve buffed the paint and touched up the bumpers, it would be a cool and classy way to get out and see the world.
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Comments
Looks like good fun, but not $22k worth of fun! One of the better Westies I’ve seen in that ubiquitous color. Growing up, all I saw were this green and the orange.
Wait…just noticed this autotrader site is in Canada…so maybe 22000 CAN? Couldn’t see where in Canada as the website is designed and written so poorly.
The vehicle is in Kitchener, Ontario which is a one hour drive west of the Toronto airport. Guessing price is in Canadian dollars which converts to approx. $ 16,500 U.S. It was imported from New Mexico about 7 years ago as per the ad and passed an Ontario mandatory inspection in July 2018. Could be a decent price if ad is accurate.
my sister and her husband bought one of these new and they left ontario to drive to vancouver B.C they got into the mountains the other side banff alberta and this gutless wonder couldn’t climb the hills they got stopped by the RCMP. and were told to turn around and go back to calgary and load it on a trailer and get some body to haul it west! they dealt it on a dodge grand caravan to finish their trip! it was that bad! they never heard the end of it from me for buying the heap!
I don’t believe collectors buy vintage cars for everyday use. But, I could be wrong.
For 22K we can get a whole lot more camper than that, and newer too. Tell the “Canuk” to keep it.
Really? Also, why the dislike for Canadians?
Also, for 22 large, I would expect that photo of the rear to show a clean engine access door and no rust on the bumper. How easy would it have been for the seller to take a little minute polish on all that? Respray the rear bumper. Streaking looks like the rear window rubber is failing or the owner just doesn’t care….
Great Van, so long as you were in flat country! Didn’t take hills too well.
Best CD Player Ever
Many years ago my buddy and I put a 10 disc CD changer in his 72 Westy. It had a Sony head, the changer hidden in the back, speakers hidden down low, and tweeters hidden in the air vents!
And the best feature:
We removed the faceplate from his old Sapphire radio, glued on the knobs and buttons, and Velcro’d it to the Sony head unit. So, with the Sony face plate removed, the Bus appeared to have the old radio still.
Beware the Bosch fuel injection on this and all other post 1974 VWs. They ran great when new but later on not so much.
And transplant a Subaru 4 into it, gain 1/3rd more HP, and then you can go go go.
Charlie Subaru cool or even better Corvair. Better add some brakes and change tranny. Not sure what to say about paint color and upholstery. Second thought forget it overall.
I’m the Canuk who owns this vehicle. $22,000 is in Canadian dollars (US $16,500) Serious classic lovers want original everything, including the colour. The previous owner from New Mexico put a new engine in so the camper could get up hills, etc. My mechanic recommended this fair price; however, it is negotiable.
Then they put the wrong engine in. The 77 originally came with a 2.0L Type 4 engine – far more powerful than the Type 1 in there now.
Good day, Shari! Can you post additional photos of the engine bay itself? Also, a scan of the mechanical work done (especially motor rebuild or swap) on here for us Barn Find peeps to peruse?
Bought a bright orange ’77 in ’79. Had a ball with it. Put the dual carb conversion on it and it ran great… and so did the gas bill. Had enough power to pull our 356 Porsche race car and climb the Rockies on a vacation trip that included Pikes Peak. No records set on that climb. As I remember the colors were the green, orange, yellow, and white… all with plaid interiors. Being orange lovers we were happy with our purchase.
BTW…. That fan shroud came off the type 1 engine. The type 4 that should be in this rig was the type 4 1.7 liter with fuel injection. Now folks are building pretty big engines out of even the early Beetle engines but if this one isn’t a base type 4 engine it could be real slow.
I really like this VW camper van, the color, and our neighbors from the great white north ! Good luck to the new owner. ✌
Hard for some of us former owners of a certain ….ummm…age who once owned these busses to pay that kind of money……gonna have to be a generation Z’er.
But certainly looks better than many. The interior looks very nice. Funny to think how when I was a youngun I didnt want anything to do with any post ’67 busses. Never cared for the larger iteration and certainly didn’t care for the even later ones.
Oh well everything changes.
It always surprises me how many people don’t read the posting or even the previous comments before jumping in. The second sentence points out the price is Canadian, or $16,500 US. Hmmmm, and I never understood Why what they think it’s worth should be interesting to other people. The value is what someone is willing to pay so perhaps there is somebody out there willing to pay $16,500 for this.
As I was the first person to comment, just thought I’d let you know that the second sentence in this listing is from an UPDATE added a few days after the members preview. And, I corrected myself in that moment. Seller also added an engine photo based on comments from multiple watchers. As far as worth, this forum provides a diverse group of gearheads an opportunity to comment from the real world, and give a global perspective. $16,500 under current exchange rate with Canada is probably a fair price. I wish the seller much luck. And I still wish to see the back liftgate and engine access door free of black residue.
Unfortunately, I took these pictures prior to clean-up. Trust me, the residue has been removed. :) Others have asked for additional photos; however, I can’t provide any more pictures until the vehicle is moved from indoor storage in mid-April. As the owner of the barn stores several vehicles, he would have to move them all around just to get at the camper. If you click on autoTRADER.ca you can view all the photos I have at the present time. Thanks for understanding.
If my memory serves me correctly, the Westies of this era either green or orange. The green ones were P27 models and the orange ones were P22 models. The P27’s were better equipped such as having a refrigerator versus an icebox in the P22’s.
That bus should have a pancake engine not a upright motor
And at least two liter displacement, pref. 2.3 + liters for hills.