Buying Advice ?

[bay dreamer]

Hi All newbie here,well i've been lurking for a few months trying to pick up as much info as i can I'm currently thinking about buying my first camper and am currently leaning towards an earlybay,possibly a Westfalia pop top.I'm looking for any advice people can offer ? I was originally looking for rhd but having spoke to a few people i've been advised lhd could be the way to go ? What are peoples thoughts ? If you were buying what would you be looking for ? engine size/conversion interior etc ? I will need to accomodate 2 adults and 2 kids (6yrs and 2yrs) so safety during travelling has to be considered.I have little or no knowledge on the subject so all advice is greatly appreciated.Thanks

 

[Graham L]

Theres no issue with LHD and this gives you a generally rust free bus to start with. All earlybays (except Panel Vans) have seat belt anchorages in the front and rear so a bus can be as safe as a modern vehicle with regards to seating and safety belts.

There are some issues with 3 point harnesses on the wardrobe side of a westy but there are ways around this which a few people have done on here.

If you want a chat and look at a few buses and options feel free to give me a call, more than happy for potential buyers to come and have a look at various options regardless of whether they buy from me or not, just happy to ensure people see all the options before they make a decision :mrgreen:

 

[ozziedog]

Where are you anyhow ??? Graham is one of the good guys, if you are near, pop in and talk to him, there are various ways to go about getting a bus, but I reckon you have done the best thing, by asking on here. If you are anywhere near Bristol come and chat with me, I don`t sell busses and stuff, but may be able to point you in the right direction (or not as the case may be). Meet up with a few of the forum members and suss out the pros and cons of various busses and see them in the flesh.
Hope that helps, but don`t be frightened to speak up, and ask,,

Ozziedog,,,,,, Just back from the pub,, :roll: surprise,, surprise,, :?

 

[lard]

Hello!

I'd take some time to work out what sort of bus fits your needs by looking over a few - I personally had 2 (now 3 :shock: ) kids and wanted the westie poptop for the room it gave up top - had to be LHD as I couldn't afford a rust free RHD or afford to restore a rusty one :lol: - also a bonus getting a 1971 as it has the front discs & brake servo for that extra stopping reassurance, though obviously LHD can also have issues so best to buff up on problem areas such as cab floors e.t.c. and know where to look and how to spot repairs - generally speaking a freshly painted bus should be double checked to make sure that it's had a work done correctly rather than filled to hide anything and full detailed resto photo's will help, there is certainly something to be said for old tired paint as it will hopefully show any areas that have been repaired or anything that is likely to need work. This should make for less surprises down the line!

I personally went to Graham on recommendation for my bus - if you know what you are after then the trusted traders on earlybay can help you find one, get it imported and mot'd - I'm soooo glad that I did this via Earlybay as you've got an army of experts waiting to help you avoid the pitfalls 8)

If you fancy looking at a 71 westie (with a full width conversion - MEB also welded in a second seatbelt mount point so I have 2 x 3 point harnesses on the back seat) then drop me a line - you'll need to give me time to get it put back together first though :lol:

 

[Hilly_70]

My advice would be :

Find who you live near on here .. check out their bus and have a chat .. and drag them off to have a look at whatever you fancy buying ..

You already made the best decision ... Earlybay ..!

Good luck with it!

Hilly

 

[Araon]

As above, make contact with a local member or VW group, have a wander round there money pit, get some ideas of where you need to be looking and if they can go with you (most will as were all nosey bastards)......

LHD/RHD if theres glass its not a real issue

engine thats a simple ish matter to sort out and would never weigh too heavy on my mind but factor it into the price if you are thinking of engine works ( as a newbie stay away from the T4 engines)

Its all about the steel good steel dont be side tracked by shiney paint it often hides all manner of sins.

 

[bay dreamer]

Thanks for the input guys much appreciated

If you want a chat and look at a few buses and options feel free to give me a call, more than happy for potential buyers to come and have a look at various options regardless of whether they buy from me or not, just happy to ensure people see all the options before they make a decision

Thanks for that Graham,you are a little far away at the moment but i may well give you a call in the future

Where are you anyhow ???

Ozziedog I'm up in the North East

If you fancy looking at a 71 westie (with a full width conversion - MEB also welded in a second seatbelt mount point so I have 2 x 3 point harnesses on the back seat) then drop me a line - you'll need to give me time to get it put back together first though

Lard Where are you based ? A lot a people talk of 71 vans,why is this year so desireable ?

engine thats a simple ish matter to sort out and would never weigh too heavy on my mind but factor it into the price if you are thinking of engine works ( as a newbie stay away from the T4 engines)

Aaron whats so bad about T4 engines ?

 

[Araon]

I'll answer two of those 71 has discs though the early have 6 month only production and the later 71 calipers ran to the end of 72 production..... there are other fairly minor differences as each year has a miriad of minor changes

the T4 motor can be a real pain in the arse to master/find a maintainer to take on/source parts at a good price that said a nice 2ltr as in me old 74 doesnt half shift a bus down the tracks

 

[lard]

If you fancy looking at a 71 westie (with a full width conversion - MEB also welded in a second seatbelt mount point so I have 2 x 3 point harnesses on the back seat) then drop me a line - you'll need to give me time to get it put back together first though

Lard Where are you based ? A lot a people talk of 71 vans,why is this year so desireable ?
[/quote]

hi - I'm in cambridge so maybe a bit of a trek for you if you're in the north-east (though plenty on here are!)

As araon says - 71 have discs and servo and a few other changes that are shared on the later '72 crossover models, though it really does depend on the overall condition unless you are prepared to wait for the right condition van, with the conversion you'd like in the condition you would also want - I did and it took around 4 months for one to come up and luckily it came through

 

[bay dreamer]

the T4 motor can be a real pain in the arse to master/find a maintainer to take on/source parts at a good price that said a nice 2ltr as in me old 74 doesnt half shift a bus down the tracks

Aaron Excuse my lack of knowledge :lol: but the only VW T4 i am familiar with is the Transporter T4,is that the same engine you are talking about ?

hi - I'm in cambridge so maybe a bit of a trek for you if you're in the north-east (though plenty on here are!)

As araon says - 71 have discs and servo and a few other changes that are shared on the later '72 crossover models, though it really does depend on the overall condition unless you are prepared to wait for the right condition van, with the conversion you'd like in the condition you would also want - I did and it took around 4 months for one to come up and luckily it came through

Yeah Cambridge is a little far for me,thanks for the input though.I'm in no rush to buy a bus and i'm still trying to find my feet and see what the options are.I'd rather wait for the right bus to come along and get something i can keep long term rather than rush in and want to change it a little further down the line.

 

[Clem]

The Type 4 engine is 1700, 1800 or 2000 engine fitted from 1972 onwards in some vans, most common in US 72 models is the 1700. It has an engine access panel above it and is usually twin carb'd.
As said before they are bigger, heavier and more powerful than 1600 engines. They are great when they run well, but any spares are about 4 times the price, and second hand parts are hard to find.

1971 van's have the disc brakes up front, as said, and use the later wheels with the smaller stud spacing. The standard wheels are vented by a number of visible holes also. They are also noticeable by having flared rear arches as well. By 1972, the front arches were lipped as well.

Most of these things are the smaller issues to deal with in general, your first priority is to find a van with a good solid body, the second priority is that it is equipped for your needs (camper, pop top etc) or you have a solution to ensure this .... everything else is trivia (sort of).

Good luck.

 

[antoine]

Most of these things are the smaller issues to deal with in general, your first priority is to find a van with a good solid body, the second priority is that it is equipped for your needs (camper, pop top etc) or you have a solution to ensure this .... everything else is trivia (sort of).

Good luck.

the best advice you can get, i didnt do as much research as i should and ended up spending the last 3 years trying to get my van solid again. the help and advice on here has been fantastic,
if you can find a good solid van the interior is second, its easy enough with some imagination and a few tools to put something together yourself. but have a look around and as mentioned before chat to people about their vans and see if someone will come with.

Where abouts north east are you?
Im in York, i know Hilly isnt too far away, and there are a couple of fairly big 'clubs' up here,
http://www.thenortheastvwclub.co.uk/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and
http://www.hdvwclub.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for starters.
and whatever you end up doing, buy a decent socket set and get used to the idea of spending most of your spare time tinkering and joining in the random conversations on here. :lol:

 

[bay dreamer]

Where abouts north east are you?
Im in York, i know Hilly isnt too far away, and there are a couple of fairly big 'clubs' up here,

I'm in Hartlepool,i've been in touch with a few local club members and local specialists i'm just trying to get as much info and advice before buying.I'm not in any rush to buy just looking about at the moment

 

[easy]

Its all about budget really, if i was going to buy a new bus it would be a RHD Westy from South Africa for me, I would expect to pay around £16000 for a decent one with minimal work needed if i was to keep it stock. Trouble is i would probably spend another £3000 on it to get it to where i wanted it! :lol:

LHD is more than fine if you are looking for a cheap rust free model from the states, and Graham on here will sort you out no probs with a quality one. If your going RHD and your budget allows, give Scott Wilson a call at VW classics, as his buses are RHD and in great condition where possible.

Both can help you with all the costs including any upgrades, shipping etc etc :mrgreen: 8)

If your in any doubt or find something you like, let us know and we can advise or help where needed 8)

 

[steve92]

my advice would be, do your homework, know what to look for when buying. and as already mentioned don't be fooled by shiny paint. if it's a restored bus you want photos to show the work carried out. don't worry about lhd, it's fine. If it was my money it would be import all the way. it could save you ££££ in the long run. Lastly get yourself to dubfreeze in a couple weeks. loads and loads of vans, and owners only to willing to chat to you about them, and it will also give you a good glimpse of the scene, but be careful buying a van from a show. prices are often inflated

 

[bay dreamer]

thanks for all the input folks keep it coming

Its all about budget really, if i was going to buy a new bus it would be a RHD Westy from South Africa for me, I would expect to pay around £16000 for a decent one with minimal work needed if i was to keep it stock. Trouble is i would probably spend another £3000 on it to get it to where i wanted it

Budget is the confusing thing,with prices varying so much it hards to know what i need to spend to get a good solid bus.I dont think i'm ready(or able) to spend 16k just yet though,out of curiousity what would you spend the extra 3k on ?

 

[froggy]

thanks for all the input folks keep it coming

Its all about budget really, if i was going to buy a new bus it would be a RHD Westy from South Africa for me, I would expect to pay around £16000 for a decent one with minimal work needed if i was to keep it stock. Trouble is i would probably spend another £3000 on it to get it to where i wanted it

Budget is the confusing thing,with prices varying so much it hards to know what i need to spend to get a good solid bus.I dont think i'm ready(or able) to spend 16k just yet though,out of curiousity what would you spend the extra 3k on ?

More than likely it lowering it, engine upgrades, depending on the year brake upgrades and generally making it your own.

You really need to know what you want before you start looking as this can affect your budget, if its for a family them maybe its a poptop (westfalia, danbury etc), if its a weekend bus then a tintop could be ok. What interior do you want? Again a full camping interior (westy, devon, danbury) or a people carrier (microbus maybe with Z hinges for a bed). Tax free (exempt) then its a splitscreen or an Earlybay, not to bothered about paying tax then a latebay, a T25, a T4 or a T5

The best bet would be get along to either a few shows and have a look around the buses for sale and speak to the people selling them, look at the interiors, crawl underneath them. And then when youve decided it narrows down your search and you can budget accordingly

 

[Clem]

A nice starting point here -

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29504" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[cooky73]

Steve told me he has taken a deposit on this.

 

[ianscooby]

It's dubfreeze next weekend which may be a good starting point for you to starting looking I would imagine there will be a few on here going that would be more than willing to show off their vans to you,