1988 VW Westfalia Camper Van powered by 2002 VW TDI ALH Diesel

1988 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon Description

We are the second owners of this Westy. It is my second Westy. We purchased it in 1996. We have enjoyed it immensely for all those years. Unfortunately it's time to sell it. We are going sailing and two cars to store is one too many. As with most 26 year old vehicles it is not flawless. There is a new dent of unknown origin on the left rear corner below the air scoop and another small dimple dent above the fender. Two small dents on the right sliding door courtesy of being forced into a police car side mirror by a bus in Manhattan. There is a short in the radio circuit that will cause the battery to run down in several days. I disconnect the battery if I anticipate not using it for several days. There is a problem with the radio speaker wiring. I suspect it may be the cause of the short. The conversion to diesel took longer than expected but since debugged to the point of running reliably we have driven approximately 50k miles mostly long mile mountain biking expeditions to the east coast, to North Dakota, Minnesota, Maine, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and back 3 or 4 times. The refrigerator functions in the AC and DC mode. We have never tried to use it on propane. The sink pump doesn't work. Since the air conditioning never worked very well I didn't bother to connect it with the diesel conversion. The diesel conversion has resulted in very improved mileage. Last check was 30 mpg vs 18 with the original engine. The hill climbing power is amazing. I have a new transmission ring and pinion which, if installed, would reduce the RPMs by about 500. We were having too much fun to take the time to have it done. I will include it and the other transmission parts that would normally be replaced with that modification. It was over $1000 to buy and ship from Germany. For the record, I rarely exceed 65 mph. It's amazing how empty the roads are at that speed. There is a very slow brake fluid leak that I have been unable to locate even after replacing the master cylinder and the rear cylinders. It requires topping up the fluid every 3000 miles more or less. My next upgrade was going to be new heavier front brakes. Maybe it would have fixed the problem. The standard front brakes are not the greatest. All this said we use it a lot and it is a joy to drive.

TDI Conversion: The conversion was done by me using a kit purchased from Fast Forward Automotive. Fast Forward also did the modifications to the wiring harness, instruments and ECU.

Questions are encouraged.

Shipping: I am willing to deliver pretty much anywhere for the cost of a return plane ticket.

Offers: Given the reactions of current and former Westy owners to this vehicle I believe it is already under priced. However, I will entertain reasonable offers.

This vehicle includes the following modifications/upgrades:
VW TDI ALH Diesel Engine 2002 approximately 25000 miles when purchasedMercedes-Benz 15" Alloy WheelsGoWesty 1.5" Lift SpringsRocket Chipped Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and a spareNational Truck front seats with arm restsHigh power headlight kitYakima Roof RackWiring to add ECU driven cruise control
The following items have been replaced in the last 12 months more or less:
Tires: Kumho Road Venture LT215/75-15. 2500 miles of use.Rack and Pinion SteeringDiesel Injection PumpTurbocharger100K Mile TDI Service Kit. Includes idler pulley, kevlar timing belt, water pump impellerNew batteryNew tent for pop-upNew side mirrorsNew rear hatch gasketNew speakersNew fuel tank