Try and help a newbie - VW T2 1971

[unrealnumbers]

Hey guys. I have posted this on some other forums but have come across this forum which seems a lot more specific!

Im new here so hello everyone! As you will see from the post before, I really want to join the ranks of a T2 owner but struggling to get off to a good start!

I hope you can help and I would really appreciate your thoughts!
PS - I have since been told this is a Devon camper, but I'm sure you knew that already!

Hello everyone!

Im new here so please bear with me.

I have always wanted to restore an old camper and have never really had the chance. However there is now a possibility and I was wondering whether you could have a look at some photos i have taken and see what you think.

I believe it is a VW T2 1971 Pop Top - Let me know if I'm wrong!

Apart from that, thats all I know about it. What I would like to know is, if it is possible to give a guesstimate as to how much it would cost to restore? Obviously all you can go on is the photos and its impossible to be exact, but if we assume it would need a new engine and that there is a bit of welding needed, how much cash should I expect to throw at it?

As of now. its not necesarily up for sale, which is why I have blanked the number plates, however if it is suitable I could put in an offer and see if they are interested. I have absolutely no idea what it is worth in this state, any idea what you would usually pay?

If you can shed any light I would be extremely grateful!

Thanks! - Pictures below.

 

[froggy]

Definately looks like a 71 (my old van was also a J reg Sept 70 so a '71 model / year)
If it needs an engine you are looking at close to £2k to buy a turn key (fit and go) but the engines are easy enough to rebuild if your confident enough with some spanners.
As for the body work / welding think of a number then double it, then add 100 then double it again and finally multiply by 5.
Without crawling underneath it / round it / through it there is no way of knowing what it needs.
Are you planning of doing the work yourself?
Is the bus an absolute steal of a price?
Take all of this into account, work out what sort of budget you have and then look in the for sale section to see what you could get for your total budget

 

[unrealnumbers]

Definately looks like a 71 (my old van was also a J reg Sept 70 so a '71 model / year)
If it needs an engine you are looking at close to £2k to buy a turn key (fit and go) but the engines are easy enough to rebuild if your confident enough with some spanners.
As for the body work / welding think of a number then double it, then add 100 then double it again and finally multiply by 5.
Without crawling underneath it / round it / through it there is no way of knowing what it needs.
Are you planning of doing the work yourself?
Is the bus an absolute steal of a price?
Take all of this into account, work out what sort of budget you have and then look in the for sale section to see what you could get for your total budget

Hey! Thanks for your reply

I thought it may be an impossible number to guess I would like to do as much work as i could, but would mean learning how to do everything as I have no experience. I've always wanted to get one but never really had the chance. This van however has come up as its been brought to my attention the owner may be needing to get rid of it and may be a bargain and is also very close by.

I'll try get a look at the engine when I can and hopefully at the weekend I'll pop down and get some photos of the underside for some more opinions

Thanks again!

 

[froggy]

If you post up where you are someone might be able to go along with you and have a look.

 

[ozziedog]

let`s start off with a big HELLO and welcome :mrgreen: I wouldn`t want to slate your choice of bus, however this one doesn't have a lot going for it at all. If I start at the top, the pop top is leaking, the roof has a fair old bit of rust in it as well and that has more than likely got into the framework below it The window has been bodged already, the doors are a bit beyond repair, the posts have got gout and it goes on. If the topside is in this condition, I would lay money that the chassis / out riggers / jacking points etc aren`t faring too well either. This bus I`m afraid is only going to be good as a donor from my humble point of view . I think it`s just too far gone. This would be one hell of a project for an experienced restorer and I think most would turn it away unless you wanted to be paying for it for the rest of your days. I would have this bus ,,only,, if it was less than £100 and only if I needed some of the mechanicals for something else.
I am really sorry to be so harsh, but I wish I had done what you are doing and posted it on this forum first, instead of doing what I did, I bought something similar but in much better shape and have worked on it non stop for just over two years and spent a small fortune on it, and I`m a fairly practical man. After two years I have a rolling shell that is no where near the shell being finished including the bodywork, virtually no interior, but I now have a radio and I`m driving it for the rest of the summer and I`ll crack on with it this winter. I actually talk to my bus more than my Mrs :lol: . I also get a much nicer response from my bus You may get a difference of opinion on here but that`s what I reckon. :roll: As for getting an early bay you have got the right idea !! I wouldn`t change mine for the world (rose coloured glasses) and I have met some really great peeps on here. So my advise is keep looking, that one needs a mortgage to sort.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Really sorry about being so negative, but been there,,,,,,,,,

 

[unrealnumbers]

let`s start off with a big HELLO and welcome :mrgreen: I wouldn`t want to slate your choice of bus, however this one doesn't have a lot going for it at all. If I start at the top, the pop top is leaking, the roof has a fair old bit of rust in it as well and that has more than likely got into the framework below it The window has been bodged already, the doors are a bit beyond repair, the posts have got gout and it goes on. If the topside is in this condition, I would lay money that the chassis / out riggers / jacking points etc aren`t faring too well either. This bus I`m afraid is only going to be good as a donor from my humble point of view . I think it`s just too far gone. This would be one hell of a project for an experienced restorer and I think most would turn it away unless you wanted to be paying for it for the rest of your days. I would have this bus ,,only,, if it was less than £100 and only if I needed some of the mechanicals for something else.
I am really sorry to be so harsh, but I wish I had done what you are doing and posted it on this forum first, instead of doing what I did, I bought something similar but in much better shape and have worked on it non stop for just over two years and spent a small fortune on it, and I`m a fairly practical man. After two years I have a rolling shell that is no where near the shell being finished including the bodywork, virtually no interior, but I now have a radio and I`m driving it for the rest of the summer and I`ll crack on with it this winter. I actually talk to my bus more than my Mrs :lol: . I also get a much nicer response from my bus You may get a difference of opinion on here but that`s what I reckon. :roll: As for getting an early bay you have got the right idea !! I wouldn`t change mine for the world (rose coloured glasses) and I have met some really great peeps on here. So my advise is keep looking, that one needs a mortgage to sort.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Really sorry about being so negative, but been there,,,,,,,,,

Hello

Thanks for your in depth response. The sort of thing I need!

Yeah I see what you mean, may cost a bit more than I am prepared for! One thing I don't understand mind you is that I would assume that this van would not pass an MOT. Yet its tax disc only ran out december 2009, and you must have MOT to get road tax right!?

Thanks again for your response. I'll got have another look, get some more photos and see what they want for it.

 

[froggy]

An MOT is the easy part, fix the chassis / sills, adjust the brakes, NO EMISSION test so just get the engine running and driving it there is enough, all electrics working job done, doesn't make it safe though!
But dont let ozzy put you off (he has issues with Stella :lol: ) go and have a good luck, some people have started off with vans in the exact same condition (if not worse) just take your time and ask the questions
Personally it would have to be as cheap as chips to be considered but anything is possible

 

[ozziedog]

Yeah,, good idea, get some more photos and then we can all have a real good look. Criticism is great,, :shock: as long as it`s constructive. The bus I bought ,,, theoretically had only done 150 to 200 miles since it`s last mot, 3 or 4 months prior to me getting it. The seatbelts were in a cupboard, the steering was off a clowns car, the horn wasn`t wired up, the washers hadn`t worked for years, the brakes were,,,,, let`s just say dismal, bodywork had rust , exposed sharp edges everywhere, etc etc etc :shock: :evil: . Just don`t get those rose coloured goggles on and think it`s just a bit here and a bit there. Have you got some sort of a budget ??????????? I could see 10K plus disappearing into that bus and it still wouldn`t be finished, if you had to pay someone else to do it. The other thing I noticed,, it looks like someone has been pirateing parts off of it here and there,

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,, :mrgreen:

 

[ozziedog]

Hey you guys,,,,,,,,,,, I`m just off to get some issues sorted :lol:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Ozziedogs are go !!!!!!!!!! :shock: :lol:

 

[froggy]

Hey you guys,,,,,,,,,,, I`m just off to get some issues sorted :lol:

I'm having a few issues of my own :lol:

 

[unrealnumbers]

Hey you guys,,,,,,,,,,, I`m just off to get some issues sorted :lol:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Ozziedogs are go !!!!!!!!!! :shock: :lol:

Thanks for all your help! I have a lot to think about....

 

[Hilly_70]

.. as an optimist .. ( which you have to be to restore one of these! )

.. If its cheap enough, i'd get it ..

.. take it home ..

..strip it down and see what ya got ..

.. worse case scenario, it will split for parts and make you some money towards a different bus project ..

Take a look at the parts prices for these on ebay .. it can soon add up ..

Best bet is stick a price up around what ya thinking and we can give you an opinion if its worth it ..

.. oh and get some closer pictures .. chassis rails, engine bay, interior, cab floor, rear floor, gutters and rear roof corners and stick em up here ..

Let us know how ya get on with it ..

Hilly

 

[Hilly_70]

.. where ya based mate?

 

[OLIVE-BAY]

my first bay was way way worse than that :shock: and I learnt, how to weld, how to paint, how to be patient and dress wounds :lol: if you've got the space, time and energy it can be done I paid £150 for mine also on a J plate. did everything myself for about £2500 ish took 4 years though, but I loved it and it was a great project and learning curve. drove it for 5 years everyday, sold it when i got my 68 westy as i cant cut my hands up anymore.....oh and i work 50+ hours a week

 

[Araon]

Money pit and its unlikely to be ready for the road for a good while....

It all depends on your expectations and the depth of your pockets and the spare time you have

 

[geenjay]

i agree with all of the above, the cost of the restoration is soley dependant on youre skill and knowledge, theres always someone on here who will help if they can, but the more of the work you have to farm out the deeper you go into the pockets. panels and parts can be sourced cheap enough, but you will need somewhere dry to keep it. otherwise all you good work can be riuned by one of our english winters. welding alone can be as little as £30 per hour upto £80 per hour ,some even more. an average respray will be between £3000/4000, and if when done you can only get £8000 {because at the end of the day she is only worth what someone is willing to pay}and an £8000 westy will outsell an £8000 devon..you will have spent most of that if not a little more on getting her done properly. im not going to say dont touch it, but do aproach it wth an open mind, and youre best logical head in place ..leave the heart at home it will get in the way ,if you cant do this take someone along who can, and dont fall for the ..its a very rare van ,it will be worth £15000 when its restored {but he /she aint paying for the resto} and when you agree a price think. if i need to sell this next week is someone who knows there vw,s are they going to give me what ive paid for it. looking at the pictures i would want to pay about £300 for it max but theyl probaly want about £1500 maybe more if there really greedy. but the choice is youres welcome to the mad house and good luck with the van, i hope this has helped a little in youre dilema :mrgreen: ...

 

[Araon]

As already mentioned if its silly cheap part the bus out of all the good bits and plough the money back into another bus....

 

[pk1was]

Is it me or are the rear lights square surface mounted hybrids

Needs a lot of work, big job

 

[Guest]

its definitely a 71, looks as though someone has hacked the round lights out at the back. As said before your looking at a money pit. Looks like its been lying for a while so there will be rust issues, poptop on devons is a particularly hard to do cheaply. The Interior will be expensive to sort back to stock as well. Its definitely cheaper to buy a rust free import and respray if you like it shiny. It it a RHD so its got that going for it.

 

[gninnam]

Nothing to add that hasn't already been said really (so why did I post this then......???????)