1985 VW WESTFALIA VANAGON , FULL RESTORATION, 100K ORIGINAL MILES
1985 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon WESTFALIA
- 1985 VW VANAGONWestfalia 1.9 liter
THERE ARE OVER 130 PICTURES HERE, CLICK ON ANY PICTURE AND YOU WILL SEE ADDITIONAL PICTURES JUST BY SCROLLING WITH THEARROW TAB ON THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN: It is very important that you click on any of the photos in order to see an additional 50 pictures that is not displayed. Close up pictures are to show you how nice the paint job is.
http://www.dropviewer.com/index.php/view-image/?option=com_gallery&id=3431
Hope you enjoyed the pictures above.
Up for your consideration is my beautifully fully restoredWestfalia which took over 15 months to fully restore.
The restoration came out so nice that it could be in a showroom, but it should be appreciated on the road.
I purchased this Westy from the original owner back in July/2016 who is an attorney in Southern California. He purchased it from BenchMark Volkswagen in Westminster Caliornia. The Westy resided in Southern California in its entire life. I ran a Carfax to confirm this information.
1985 Westy are unique because they only came with the tan interior for 2 years model production run. Other year was the 1986 models. Some of the 84 Wolfsburg edition Westies had the same color interior. In 87 they went to grey interiors. This van has the capability of adding an additional 2nd row seating also.
He told me the van has always been garaged, he only used it occasionally for get away trips on the weekends, thus the low miles.
Automatic transmission, Air Conditioning, Power steering, 2017 model Pioneer am/fm/cd/bluetooth/pandora/XM ready/smart phone compatible etc..
The entire under chassis was pressure washed cleaned of all old dirt, grime, grease etc...The van was originally undercoated entirely, thus it is all rust free.
Ithas been meticulously taken apart literally piece by piece andhas gone through acomplete and extensive restorationback to factory new like condition.
I have personally seen and examined many restored Westfaliasas Iconsider myself aWesty aficianadoandwill put my restorationon the same par if not highertothose sellingfor2 -3 times my reserve price.
I will try not to bore you with all the details of my restoration but here goes:
Vehicle startedout as a rust free and accident free California Westy with a clean Carfax and mileage is consistent along with maintenance history.
I have a thick folder of all maintenance, repairs and a list of all partsthat has gone into this full restoration.
Lets start with mechanicals: The van ran flawlessly before the full restoration, but it needed a full restoration to bring it up to par with how it shows today.
The engine was removed at 100,140 miles from the van andcompletely stripped down to the short block for full inspection. Engine has had a full deep clean externally.
All maintenance related parts was replaced, all parts such as intake runners, intake plenum,fuel injector mounting brackets, all engine tins, valve covers,coolant metal lines, engine support bar, was either sandblasted or stripped mechanically to be repainted or power coated to factory new.
Full engine restoration included but not limited to:
Driver side head cylinder is still the original and is in excellent condition, re installed with new seals, head gasket.
Passenger side head cylinder is a brand new AMC cylinder head and purchased from GoWesty . This head has gone through a full machine shop for German valves upgrade for reliability and a 3 angle valve job ( read on it on their website.) Brand new AMC heads sourced from elsewhere will have valve failures, I will not use it.
New Graf water pump and seals.
New Oil pressure switch.
New Coolant Temp gauge sensor
New temperature sensor for fuel injection
Completely cleaned and inspected throttle body and new intake plenum seal.
All engine related parts all have brand new seals and gaskets. New intake manifold gaskets.
New breather tower ( I have seen brand new engines using old breather towers that leads to detrimental engine failures) this part is critical to replace.
Brand newinternal and external fuelinjector seals
Full rebuilt fuel injectors and was tested for flow prior to installation
New German fuel lines from the gas tank all the way back including the entire engine bay fuel lines.
Oetiker clamps used for all fuel lines where appropriate just like the factory used.
Engine has new serpentine belts, Bosch integrated groundcap, Bosch rotor, New Bosch spark plugs, Bosch new plugs wires and new fuel filter.
New Sabo rear main seal, this is the one and only rear main seal that is identical to the OE spec main seal, it will simply not leak.
Fully rebuilt torque converter from GoWesty and flex plate.
Oil just changed.
4 brand new motor mounts.
All nuts, bolts and new washers are all brand new installed where possible with grade 8.8 or higher.
Entire exhaust manifold was sent out for sandblasting and repainted with fuel/heat proof paint.( entire exhaust has new copper nuts)
New Bosch oxygen sensor.
New speedometer cable.
Engine is smooth and quiet and runs and sounds asgreatas it looks! gets up to 80 mph. It cruises 65 mph happily.
It does not leak a single drop of engine oil.
It starts right up and runslike new with no leaking or weird or odd noises, etc.
While the entire engine and transmission was removed, I cleaned out the entire engine bay area of all the years of grime, it is now spotless. A clean engine bay is a happy engine.
New accelerator cable installed asthey tend to wear and snap over time leaving you stranded.
Electrical:
Rebuit alternator, GoWesty alternator bracket fix it kit, there is nothing wrong with the bloc, I purchased the fix it kit for prevention of engine block/cylinder damage. It's cheap insurance....
Automatic transmission was removed from the van and has been fully service, completely taken apart into 2 halves. There is a famous seal between the 2 gear box that fails which causes both transmission fluids to mix, this reason why it was replaced. All new seals, gaskets, o rings, auto filter was replaced. All shift points have been inspected, cleaned,and greased. Does not leak a drop of oil either. New transmission mount and re powder coated transmission bracket.
Brand new GoWesty auto transmission oil cooler, to help with cooling and longevity.
Van shifts smooth through all gears like new without any issues whatsoever.
Cooling system:
The cooling system frequently gets neglected in these westys but not duringmy restoration.
Brand new Behr, factory replacement original radiator, new thermostat and new radiator fan temp switch .
New coolant level sensor.
Radiator housing was completely prepped and repainted to like new along with the 2 supporting brackets.
All 3 newradiator baffles set which directs the air onto the radiator from GoWesty.
VanCafe billet aluminum bleeder valve.
All coolant lines including radiatorrubber coolant lines are all brand new. The Stock plastic coolant lines are in very good condition, the metal ends shows no signs of corrosion and failure. Previous owner took really good care of this van, cooling system was really clean. I only use stock radiator self adjusting spring clamps where possible on my coolant hoses and avoid adjustable metal clamps which has a tendency to be over tighten and leak over time.
Brand new heater hoses, from the front heater core all the way back to the rear heater core.
full coolant flush and refresh with a perfect 50/50 blend of phosphate free extended life anti freeze and distilled water.
Van runs cool with no water leaks. . .anywhere.
Gas tank is also brand new with all new german fuellines, cross overtubes, connectorsand seals. (OLD cracked fuel lines and gas leaks tend to beneglected or overlooked and could pose a dangerous situationforvanagon owners as we all know)
I didn't want to be a statistic hence was super safe and changed it all!
Even the fuel tank 2 support brackets was sandblasted clean and repainted.
Onto the brakes:
Braking system was fully rebuilt! Anything that could not be refurbished was bought new and replaced.
DISC brakes in front have new rotors, new bearings, all new seals, new brake pads, and rebuilt calipers.Front brake shields has also been sandblasted and repainted.
Rear brakes redone withnew shoe, new drums, new rear wheel cylinders, new brake hoses.
Complete rear swing arm was cleaned, prepped and repainted.
All rubber brake lines were replaced front and rear with new Meyle Germanunits, not aftermarket.
Steering tie rods are both brand new, control arm bushings, front strut bar bushings are in great condition, upperball joints and lower ball joints are all brand new.
Both steering shaft coupler disc/steering coupler and flange Assembly was replaced.
Front end complete 4 wheel alignment was done so it drives straight.
Entire power steering system drained and refilled. New power steering filter.
Complete braking system has been completely flushed and refreshed and bled with new DOT 3 brake fluid.
New master cylinder, brake fluid reservoir was completely clean of all the dirt and grime which all these old vans are famous for.
Westydrives solid with no slop or wigglesin front end, steers straight, and stops straight and on a dime!
Westy rideson 4 new front and rear KYB performance shocks.
Both German CV axles were fully rebuilt with all German CV axle boots as these commonly wear out on you at the most unsuspecting time. All retaining axlebolts are brand new with multi point heads and serrated washers, not the cheap Allen head bolts . The brand new Chinese CV axles that most auto parts sellers will leave you stranded, they are junk. Just many testimonies from my local VW repair shop, Broad Street Auto in San Luis Obispo, Ca..
Nothing was left untouched or unattended to during mechanical restoration to ensure safe, smooth, and trouble free operation for years to come!
Now onto the exteriorbody andpaint work.
Paint restoration took over 11 months, it was professional restored at a cost of over $11,500 alone. This does not include removal of all the trim, windows, interior and all the parts off of the van. I did all the removal and installation of all the parts mentioned.
AsI havementioned,westywasa perfect restoration candidate beingan accident free,cleanand dry California vehicle. The van still had it's original paint, Pastel white L90d color code, but it showed its age and had small door dings, scratches which is typical of vehicles of this age. It was a perfect candidate for paint restoration.
Van was totally stripped of all rubber, all glass including the two front door vent windows/frame,all lights, all trim, and even the pop top prior to body and paint work. All the doors, slider door and rearhatch were taken off to properlybe preppedand painted so allthejambs and all the crevices were done properly! Ask other restoration jobs if they do this, I doubt it.
Talk about labor intensive but you only get the best results when everything is stripped off the vehicle. This is how the VW factory would have painted them.
Masking is never perfect when painting a car and being a perfectionalist, I could not stand for any overspray. . .anywhere.
The entire rear cargo as well as rear seat storage area was repainted, as these areas take on a lot of scratches from loading and unloading of materials and being worked on at the auto shops over the years. Even the rear hatch latch was removed, so no overspray .
Minor scratches anddings were repaired on the bare body andwesty now sports a beautiful and shiny2 stage Dupont base clear coat paint job. Front end was completely stripped to bare metal as these vans do take on a lot of small paint chips, and it's the only way to ensure a perfectly smooth and flawless painted front end. Paint was entirelycolor sanded and buffed to perfection! Van is glossy smooth now.
Paint color is the original factory Pastel white color code is L90D.I am surepaint looks better nowthan the vw factorywould haveever imagined. You can onlyfullyappreciate thepaint and bodyfinishin person.
It may look like other Vanagons/Westfalias on the market in pictures, but believe me. IT IS NOT!!
Van waspainfully putback together withallnew GERMANwindow seals.Again, notthe cheap, poor fitting aftermarketrubber found out there.
All glass/windows were tinted before installation with 20% ceramic tint to all rear windows. 35% to driver and passenger as well as the both vent windows. I chose 20% for the rear area to give privacy, to protect the interior and so you can still see out of them at night. The entire windshield is fully ceramic tinted before installation 70% shade to keep the uv off and to keep the interior protected and cool. It really is a big windshield, having this windshield tinted it really helps with the sun glare .
We evenreplaced all the glass seals on bothfront doorswhich is very difficult to do (often neglected and usually cracked and never replaced)
New A pillar drip railings were also installed(genuine VW German moldings of course)
All door handles,front and rearwiper arms,A pillarvent window frames, sliding door windowlatches wasremoved, refinished in satin blackduring restoration andreplaced with newseals where possible.
Windshield wipers refinished and replacedwith newshaft seals and new wiper blades.
Even the windshield washer spray nozzles and seals are also new and adjusted for proper flow.
Even the slider door cover seal is new and slider door rearhinge was refurbished to like new condition.
Fueldoor enclosureis all new (completely removed during gas tank and paint restoration and replaced new)
Windshield is brand ne, fully tinted with 70% ceramic tint ( prior to installation) with integrated tint strip.
Poptop tent is brand new from the Bus Depot, Canvas material sourced from Germany. It's the best one available out there. It fits perfectly and has the 3 window with zip down fly for cross ventilation.
All sunroof parts were replaced new (seals, flex arm bracke, nuts, bolts)withGoWestypartsand new pop top and luggage rack seals were also installed care ofGoWesty parts. Original double pane skylight is in very good condition, they are much better than any aftermarket skylight out there.
Every nut and bolt was removed from luggage rackrestored and replaced new with stainless steel units. Luggage rack tie downs was sandblasted clean and refinished.
Even luggage rack drain hole screens were replacedduring luggage rack restoration. I bet you didn't knowtherewere screens in there to keep junk and leaves from collecting under the luggage rack.
Did you notice the poptop is body color? Both luggage rack and pop top were completely strippted and refinished and repainted to match body color. Even extra coats of clear (4 to be exact) were sprayed on pop top for better UV sun protection so it will be beautifulfor years to come. Every nut was completely removed from the top to be repainted to match, with the exception of the skylight mounting hardware which uses brand new stainless steel bolts now.
Fiberglass bumperswerepainfullyandmeticulously prepped to perfection andpainted to match body color with the same attention to detailas everything else. It gives the westy a nice appearance and clean upgrade .
Headlights are all brand new kit which includes new grill, with both low beam and high beam are South African upgrade . H7 hella low beams lens and have new bright Sylvania ULTRA Silverstarbulbs in them. Properly adjusted.
All the exterior light bulbs are brand new, including front turn signals, rear tail lights, rear side markers as well as the rear license plate .
Front turn signal and rear tail lights has been fully polished out and new stainless screws were used in place of the old screws.
Both rear side marker lights are brand new with new LED bulbs and new stainless steel screws.
Lower grill and the 2 rear side mounted grills was restored and rare new VW Germanfront grill emblem replacedin center.
I replaced the old floppy side mirrors to the newer power side mirrors . These were completely taken apart and had the same attention to detail paint job. They have brand new stainless steel mounting screws. There is no power to them to simplify installation. All you have to do is adjust them once and you are done. Both glass is clean and without any flaws in them.
GoWesty brand new upgraded utility hook ups with quick release water nozzles installed. . .much better and user friendly than the old stock units.
Both rear hatch struts are brand new.
Interior restoration:
Since the vaninterior wascompletelystrippedfor restoration,every nook and corner inside was thoroughly cleaned all all dirt, bugs, grease,dust, etc, etc.
Then Dynamat sound insulation was installed everywhere that was possible. You can read about the benefits of Dynamat online but it is used for professional stereo installations to keep noise isolated and does wonders for keeping road noise out of the cabin.Vanis a lot quieter driving down the highway now then when it was new. All the doors sound solid upon closing now.
The poptop headliner originalflocking has been completely cleaned while the pop top was removed, it has no mold stain whatsoever.
Both front seats as you can see are in perfect shape, there are no tears, shows very little wear in them.
Upper bun, rear seats wascompletely removed from vehicle andall fabricwasthoroughly washed and shampooed clean.
All the curtains was completely removed and hand washed.
Original front windshield and front door curtain was thoroughly washed and rear hatch mosquito net is still in very good condition.
Custom made skylight cover with mosquito net is included. matches with the tan interior.
Van smells fresh and new inside because it essentially is.
The refrigerator works on all 3 modes, 12v, 110v, and propane / both original ice trays are present (see pictures of it in action)
The sink faucet is a brand new Shurflo-faucet kit sourced from GoWesty works perfectly. I like these better since you can control the water flow as compared to the old factory one which was either on or off mode. See picture of it in action
The stove top alsoworks perfectly. See picture
Camper retains both front and rear tables.Both table leg, stove panel, refrigerator bottom vent panel, rear seat storage metal trim, slider door metal trim as well as table mounting bracket were all repowder coated to original brown color to match the interior.
Propane tank and hardwarewas completely removed from vehicle, sand blasted andpower coated grey .
Propane tank wasrebuilt withnew filler, bleeder valves and isfilled withfreshpropane.
Brand new German mud guard installed in factory location to protect the propane tank.
The entire dash was removed for cleaning and restoration. Air box was completely taken apart for cleaning including the blower motor. All air ducts were cleaned out as historically crazy stuff gets into there! newmodern foam gaskets/seals to all flaps inside the fan housing was replaced as the old foam gaskets has a tendency to disintegrate over time. No more breathing in years of collected dust and debris, etc, etc. See pictures
Front and rear dash fans works perfectly in all modes.
And best yet: Factory air conditioning was fully serviced and blows COLD. Van has new A/C compressor, new drier, new seals, new low and high pressure valves. full systemvacuum for over an hourand rechargedwith modern R134 refrigerant.
Itwas temptestedand blows45 degrees Feven atidle, that is cold.
Full cluste, dash and shifter console LED lightupgrade, no more dull dash lights while you are going down the road. Interior courtesy light, map light and rear overhead light has been upgraded to LED lighting also.
Brand new second battery set up kit from GoWesty, I opted for a deep marine Interstatebattery(mounted inside the sinkcabinet)to provide plenty of power for the refrigerator, all interior lights, new 12 voltpower outlet dash mounte, and the stereo. This battery is charged while the van is in running mode.
Starter battery is brand new, Interstate of course.
Everything works on the van down to the windshield washer squirters,wipers,and I mean everything just like the day it left the factory. Nothing needs attention or work.
Stereo has been upgraded to a brand new Pioneer X8800BHS Am/FM/CD with remote, HD Radio, Sirius Xm ready, Bluetooth, iPod, iPhone, Smart phone compatible, Spotif, Pandora, etc, etc.
Pioneer 4" Premier front and rear speakers, TS-D1002, installed in the 4 factory location for that stock look and appearance. Brand new fully retractable Hirshman antenna/made inGermany of course.
Brand new front RubberTite Hexgrey floor mats protects the carpets, the entire floor carpeted areas of the van was removed from the van and have been fully shampooed and cleaned removing all dirt / debris / stains / odors / etc, etc. there are no tears or stains to be found on the factory carpets underneath the floor mats.
Brake pedal rubber pad is brand new, made in Germany of course.
Brand new fire extinguisher ratedfor all A,B, Cfires mounted inside the vanat the originalfactory location.
Westy sits on brand new 16 inch Mercedes Clk forged alloyswith brand new General Altimax RT 215/65/16 tires . I specifically chose these tires because they have the proper load of 1,653 lbs and they don't have the same road noise as the Michelin Defenders which GoWesty likes to sell on their wheel package upgrade. The Mercedes CLK alloys are the ultimate wheel upgrade for this van, because they not only look great on these van, they only weigh in at 12 lbs each vs 24 lbs for the GoWesty alloy wheels, they are super strong because they are forged, and they fit perfectly without any wheel spacers. These CLK alloys are very hard to find in very good condition, I paid $1000 for the set of 4. Also included are brand new Mercedes raised center caps with brand new VW logo emblems.
Front spare tire is a Yokohama 8 ply radial tire, spare tire carrier has been powder coated satin blac, the 2 supporting bar also refinished in black.
All lugs nuts and bolts are brand new. These tires can hold up to the weight of the Westy. Brand new 4 way wheel lug wrench is included.
All original owner manuals are included. 2 brand newcut to code VW genuine German original keys with plastic fob included . Also 2 VW logo key rings.
Westypassed strict CA smog testand is currently registereduntilApril 2018.
I have put on over 180 test miles on this van since full restoration. Since it was literally taken apart, test miles are the utmost important thing to do to make sure everything is in proper working order. I have taken it up and down the grade, highway miles, twisting roads, numerous brake checks, day time and night time driving.
Brakes have been adjusted, all fluid levels checked and topped off, serpentine belts adjusted, lugs properly tightened, radiator properly bled multiple times, windshield wipers and washer tested, all lights checked. Drive train nuts/bolts checked to tightness and re torqued.
It has been garaged stored since full restoration.
Title and insurance is under my name.
Thank you for your interest and for takingthe time to read my ad!
I have restored 10 of these Westfalias in the past 12 years as a hobby. I enjoy and take pride in every single one of them. Most have been sold through Ebay because they provide a wider market.
You could not find possibly have any shop restore at this level for what I am selling my Westy for. The van alone was originally purchased for $10,500. If you did the math, it is a true bargain at my buy it now price.
If you have any questions about my westy or its restoration process,please do not hesitate to ask. I know every square inch of thevehicle and thepainful detailsit took to bringit back to factory if not better standards.
If you have any questions, please send me an email.
I will be happy to assist the winning bidder with arranging any transporting needs.
- Condition: Used
- Make: Volkswagen
- Model: Bus/Vanagon
- SubModel: westfalia
- Type: Camper Van
- Trim: WESTFALIA
- Year: 1985
- Mileage: 100,300
- VIN: WV2ZB0259FH004926
- Color: White
- Engine size: 4CYL
- Number of cylinders: 4
- Power options: Air Conditioning
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Transmission: Manual
- Drive type: Rear Wheel Drive
- Interior color: Tan
- Drive side: Left-hand drive
- Options: Sunroof
- Vehicle Title: Clear Want to buy? Contact seller!