RHD Westy?

[easy]

How many people own one? havent seen many about....................

Could you post up some pics of yours please :mrgreen:

 

[Clem]

Quite a rare commodity, direct imports to the UK were only done for a few years, 72-75? ish?

The rest will be Aus or similar imports.

 

[easy]

Yea i thought that, just interested to see how many are on here. Not many im guessing 8)

 

[Clem]

Yea i thought that, just interested to see how many are on here. Not many im guessing 8)

Ive seen a couple of SA imports advertised, but yeah very rare.

RHD Split Westys? Theres only a handful in the country afaik

 

[easy]

Much prefer the early bays of course :wink: I just love the idea of an early RHD westy, but knew they are uber rare, so may have to keep me sneeky eye out for one to see what they are like :mrgreen:

 

[kempy]

I passed on an early RHD SA import westy last August from Scott @ VW Classics.
The downside on most SA westies is that they seem to be bulkhead models rather than walk through models which can be a pain with two small kids.

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

Quite a rare commodity, direct imports to the UK were only done for a few years, 72-75? ish?
The rest will be Aus or similar imports.

Westys are rare out in Oz too. Mainly because the majority of VWs there were shipped out in kit form and assembled by Volkswagen Australia using a number of parts made in Oz where as any westys out there would have been personally imported by someone.

The boss managed to find a 73 out there which is now coming to the end of its restoration for its new owners. Bit of an oddball though as its a RHD van with a LHD side loader (sliding door on the drivers side)

 

[scott wilson]

all the earlybay sa rhd westys are bulkhead( correct me if i`m wrong fig). I personally believe they are a much more sociable affair especially when its raining and your sitting in your bus with your mates, as two get to sit opposite two. The sa lowlights are pretty hard to get hold of and normally the owner knows what he`s got and what they are worth in the uk so they are not cheap. The bus kempy passed on was a beautiful example and i`m gutted i sold it now!!

 

[PetrolHead]

Hmmm interesting, didn't realise they were quite so rare.

Allways considered my van to be "just another old VW"

I have a Low-light, cross-over, European RHD Westy, Walk-through model, Mint interior, rock solid underneath (All original, no welding to sills or chassis), 4 owners in 2 families from new (1972). Started life in Germany, ordered RHD by original owner (English Medic working in Germany), but strangley has sliding door on drivers side. 1700 Type 4 engine, twin carbs. Returned to UK later in the 70's.

Have allways said I wouldn't sell it, as I've never had one so solid underneath, and have had enough of welding up old VW's.

However, much to my club mates disgust, I have begun "de-westying" it :shock: :shock: :shock:
The cramped westy interior dosen't suit me (lots of kids).

I chopped up the cooker unit, and sink unit, and turned them into rear facing seats (see my wanted Blue plaid material advert).

Next stage (probably next month) is to take the pop-up roof off and fit a ragtop sunroof.

So there will be one less, and they will be a little bit rarer.

I don't have any online pics, but it is the same colour/model as the orange westy with the black bra in Simons ad

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8365

except mine has full width westy R+R bed (No side wardrobe)
J

 

[kempy]

I chopped up the cooker unit, and sink unit, and turned them into rear facing seats (see my wanted Blue plaid material advert).

You chopped up a lot of money there.

 

[PetrolHead]

I chopped up the cooker unit, and sink unit, and turned them into rear facing seats (see my wanted Blue plaid material advert).

You chopped up a lot of money there.

Nah, It's all relative.

The comfort and happiness of my kids is worth more to me than a few over-valued bits of wood.

Without a doubt the Westy interior construction is the best quality/most solid camper interior I have seen or owned. (Veneered 15-18mm ply, built to last).

But the (Helsinki?) layout is terrible. The cooker and sink unit just get in the way, and make the interior dark and cramped.

I can sit 6 in the back of my westy now, 3 forward, 2 rear facing.

The rear facing seats look factory to anyone but a Westy-buffer, as they are constructed from the Cooker/sink unit original veneered plywood, retaining the side opening small table/spice rack at the sliding door. (Just need to located a bit more of the "Blue only" plaid material for the finishing touch.)

The end result being much more usable/practicle for me.

I'll take/post some pics up when I get time.

J

 

[Clem]

Good honest response and rings true for many Im sure

Im crying deep down though ..... :wink:

 

[easy]

Good honest response and rings true for many Im sure

Im crying deep down though ..... :wink:

I have a small tear, but you have to do what you have to do :mrgreen: :shock:

 

[PetrolHead]

Good honest response and rings true for many Im sure

Im crying deep down though ..... :wink:

I have a small tear, but you have to do what you have to do :mrgreen: :shock:

I often curse the van for being too solid underneath, and too mint inside (It has lead a sheltered and charmed life). I wanted to fit some stereo speakers up front, but can't bring my self to cut the door cards, they look too good. Similarly the stereo is confined to the glove box, as the dash is untouched and uncut, just as it left the factory, it's like a bloody curse.

In the past I've had a late ('79 Devon) camper which spent probably 4 years out of 5 off the road, with me underneath welding it up.
I've considered selling the Westy, to save it from my evil mind, but I can't face then having to buy a rusty old UK van (been there, done that before).

Plus it has the 1700 type 4 engine, which runs really well, and pulls like a train, especially compared to my previous wheezy 1600 engines.

I've had the westy for about 5 years now, and each year it has flown through the MOT, the tester always comments on how clean it is under there.

The only items I have had to attend too, are 4 new front (main) balljoints, (I replaced steering track-arms and front shocks at same time), and a complete brake line (hard and soft) replacement and front brake caliper overhaul. Not bad for a 36 year old van, and all easy stuff for me.

If I could find a UK RHD Solid microbus (preferable with sunroof), for swap or same money as the westy is worth I might be tempted to swap/sell it, as we never camp in it, I just use it to haul the family around. But the fact that so many vans are being imported from dry climates speaks volumes about the poor quality / high price of UK RHD vans.

Sometimes I think I should just sell it, and buy a poxy old Renault Espace.
But I enjoy tinkering with/tuning old cars too much (that dosen't include laying underneath and welding up rusty heaps) and it's our only vehicle in the family.

J

 

[PetrolHead]

Amazing, you wait ages for a bus, then two come along together.

I was sitting on the No 49 bus on the way home from work tonight,
and sod me I spotted another RHD cross-over Westy.

It had been resprayed a dark metalically green colour.

So thats another one for you.

J.

 

[easy]

I want to know about any early early westys if you see them :wink: particularly 1970 below if there is such a thing :mrgreen:

 

[fig]

all the earlybay sa rhd westys are bulkhead( correct me if i`m wrong fig). I personally believe they are a much more sociable affair especially when its raining and your sitting in your bus with your mates, as two get to sit opposite two. The sa lowlights are pretty hard to get hold of and normally the owner knows what he`s got and what they are worth in the uk so they are not cheap. The bus kempy passed on was a beautiful example and i`m gutted i sold it now!!

I have a 1969 SO67R westy. Although it is in South Africa, it is not a SA westy; it was a tourist delivery bus with some interesting options.
Some pics here:
http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3170

Scott's correct, all the SA westies are bulkhead models to make space for the spare wheel under the front seats, as the RHD rear cabinet layout covers the place where the spare wheel well usually is. From late 1969, for the 1970 model year, until 1973, RHD westies were sold in SA; all are SO67R bulkhead models, with the three-quarter Z-bed and cabinets on the same (LH) side of the bus as ths sliding door. They came with the sink/icebox unit against the bulkhead by the sliding door, and a jump seat to the right of that.

The very early 1970 models were full imports with M-code plates and SF export code, then some time during the 70 model year VWSA started assembling them locally at Uitenhage from CKD kits. The Uitenhage westies have no M-code plate; instead there's a VWSA ID plate under the front passenger seat.

These westies were very expensive in their day and are therefore very rare, though a higher proportion of them than regular buses have survived in original condition.

 

[PetrolHead]

Picture of mine spotted on VZi, was at the recent Sussex VW show, Orange Westy hiding behind the split pickup. J

 

[Rich Oakley]

I've owned three pre-72 RHD SO67 bulkhead model Westys- all originally from South Africa. Info on two of them can be found here...

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6499&p=63117&hilit=Westy#p63117" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[scott wilson]

thanks for the info fig. These busses are really a rare beast and need to be preserved as best as possible. So no rhd uk spec early westys then...only produced in SA ......that comment has just pushed the price up even further...still have`nt found an OSA 71 for you fella you`ll be the first to know. Got a couple of restored ones.....but that`s not what your after :?: :wink: