1988VW VANAGONWestfalia2.1 liter
THERE ARE OVER 100 PICTURES HERE, LICK ON ANY PICTURE AND YOU WILL SEE ADDITIONAL PICTURES JUST BY SCROLLING WITH THEARROW TAB ON THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lt2zkfs9cz71tzg/AABcVMuRfSO1DQtp2W0eqgrSa?dl=0
Hope you enjoyed the pictures above.
Up for your consideration is my beautifully fully restoredWestfalia which took over a year to fully restore.
The entire under chassis was pressure washed cleaned of all old dirt, rime, rease etc...
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. I purchased it from the 2nd owner who owned it since 2007.
I have 2 folders of previoud maintenance, epairs and a list of all partsthat has gone into this full restoration.
Lets start with mechanicals:
My westyhas approximately 54k mileson afully rebuilt 2.1Lengine at the cost of just over $5,000 that was done by Mike Tuttle,Tuttle's Parts Exchange, n Baldwin Park, a.who has a high reputation with many shops locally and all over the US.
The engine was recentlyremoved from the van andcompletely stripped down to the long block for full inspection. Engine has had a full deep clean externally.
All maintenance related parts was replaced, ll parts such as intake runners, ntake plenum,fuel injector mounting brackets, ll engine tins, alve covers,coolant metal lines, ngine support bar, as either sandblasted or stripped mechanically to be repainted to factory new.
Full engine restoration included but not limited to:
New Graf water pump and seals.
GoWesty full rebuilt throttle body and intake plenum seal.
Brand new seals and gaskets.
Brand newinternal and external fuelinjector seals
New German fuel lines from the gas tank all the way back including the entire engine bay fuel lines.
Engine has new serpentine belts, osch integrated groundcap, osch rotor, osch new plugs wires and new fuel filter.
Oil just changed
4 brand new motor mounts.
New transmission mount.
Complete stainless steel exhaust kit, tainless steel catalytic converter, uffler, uffler saddleswith brand new exhaust gaskets, nd new nut and bolt kit care of GoWesty.
New Bosch oxygen sensor.
Engine is smooth and quiet and runs and sounds asgreatas it looks! cruises 70-75 mph easily.
LikeI mentioned, tonly has approximately 54,000 miles on it since full rebuild. 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, tc.
New accelerator cable installed asthey tend to wear and snap over time leaving you stranded.
Manual transmissionhasbeen fully serviced with REDLINE full synthetic oil. New shifter fix kit along will brand new shifter shaft bushings, ll sourced from GoWesty.All shift points have been inspected, leaned,and greased. Does not leak a drop of oil either.
Van shifts smooth through all gears like new with no grinding orany issues whatsoever.
NewGerman clutchdisc, ew throw out bearing, ew needle bearing,new pressure plate, abo German rear main sealas well as a resurfacedflywheelwere replacedwith the recent fullengine removal.
Cooling system:
The cooling system frequently gets neglected in these westys but not duringmy restoration.
Brand new Behr, actory replacement original radiator, ew thermostat radiator switch.
All 3 newradiator baffles which directs the air onto the radiator from GoWesty.
All coolant lines including radiatorrubber coolant lines are all brand new. Brand new stainless steel coolant pipes from Van Café which are made in Germany, 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, rom 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 anti freeze and distilled water.
Van runs cool with no water leaks. . .anywhere.
Gas tank is also brand new with all new german fuellines, ross overtubes, onnectorsand 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, ew bearings, ll new seals, ew brake pads, nd rebuilt calipers.Front brake shields has also been sandblasted and power coated for a lifetime of use. Brake caliper support bracket was also sandblasted and repainted.
Rear brakes redone withnew shoe, ew drums, ew rear wheel cylindersand all new brake hardware.
Complete rear swing arm was cleaned, repped and repainted.
All rubber brake lines were replaced front and rear with new Meyle Germanunits, ot aftermarket.
Steering tie rods are both brand new, ew control arm bushings, ront strut bar bushings, pperball joints replaced new, ower ball joints were inspected and in good condition.
Front control arm was also refinished before new bushings were installed.
Front end complete alignment was done so it drives straight.
Complete braking system has been completely flushed and refreshed and bled with new DOT 3 brake fluid.
Westydrives solid with no slop or wigglesin front end, teers straight, nd stops straight and on a dime!
Westy rideson 4 new front and rear KYB performance shocks.
Both CV axles were replacedas these commonly wear out on you at the most unsuspecting time. All retaining axlebolts are brand new with multi point heads and serrated washers, ot the cheap Allen head bolts .
Nothing was left untouched or unattended to during mechanical restoration to ensure safe, mooth, nd troublefree operation for years to come!
Now onto the exteriorbody andpaint work.
AsI havementioned,westywasa perfect restoration candidate beingan accident free,cleanand dry California vehicle.
Van was totally stripped of all rubber, ll glass including the two front door vent windows/frame,all lights, ll trim, nd even the pop top prior to body and paint work. All the doors, lider 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, 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, could not stand for any overspray. . .anywhere.
The entire rear cargo area was repainted, s 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, o 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, nd 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 factoryWolfram grey metallic color code LH7V.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, ut believe me. IT IS NOT!!
Van waspainfully putback together withallnew GERMANwindow seals.Again, otthe cheap, oor fitting aftermarketrubber found out there.
We evenreplacedthe 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, liding door windowlatches wasremoved, efinished in satin blackduring restoration andreplaced with newseals where possible.
Rear marker lights are all new.
Windshield wipers refinished and replacedwith newshaft seals and new wiper blades.
Even the windshield and rear hatch washer spray nozzles and seals are also new.
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 new with integrated tint strip.
Poptop tentfrom GoWesty 3 windows allows perfect ventilation. Material they use is supper durable and screens are easily replaced if you ever need to replace them.
All sunroof parts were replaced new (seals, kylight, rakets, uts, olts)withGoWestypartsand new pop top and luggage rack seals were also installed care ofGoWesty parts.
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, ith 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.
Headlights were fully cleaned, olished, nd restored inside and out and have new bright Sylvania ULTRA Silverstarbulbs in them.That is why they look new in the pictures.
Upper, ower and the 2 rear side mounted grills was restored and rare new VW Germanfront grill emblem replacedin center.Rear hatch also has a brand new German VW emblem.
Power rear view mirrors was completely taken apart and had the same attention to detail paint job. Power mirrors both work perfectly as they should, as brand new stainless steel mounting screws.
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, ugs, rease,dust, tc, tc.
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 whichhadthe originalflockingis famous for collecting moisture and gets moldy. My solution was to completely strip it all off and put a texture spray on it and painted it sky grey to match the grey canvas tent, t looks and feels like the factory should of have done it. All you have to do now is wipe it down clean and no more moldy headliner. This was an extensive amount of labor just to do it right.
Both front seats as you can see are in perfect shape, here are no tears, o wear in them. Driver side seat bottom cushion was completely removed and new foam was added for extra comfort.
Upper bun, ear seats wascompletely removed from vehicle andall fabricwasthoroughly washed and shampooed clean.
All the curtains was completely removed and hand washed.
Van smells fresh and new inside because it essentially is.
The refrigerator works on all 3 modes, 2v, 10v, nd propane / both original ice trays are present (see pictures of it in action)
The sink faucet works perfectly.
The stove top alsoworks perfectly.
Camper retains both front and rear tables.Both table leg, op top latches, tove panel, efrigerator bottom vent panel, ear seat storage metal trim, lider door metal trim as well as mounting bracket were all repowder coatedgrey to match the interior.
Propane tank and hardwarewas completely removed from vehicle, and blasted andpower coatedmetallic grey to match the Westyto perfection.
Propane tank wasrebuilt withnew filler, leeder valves and new propane valve and isfilled withfreshpropane.
The entire dash was removed for cleaning and restoration. 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, tc, tc.
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, ew drier, ew seals, ew low and high pressure valves. full systemvacuum for over an hourand rechargedwith modern R134 refrigerant.
Itwas temptestedand blows45 degrees Feven atidle, hat is cold. See picture of the thermometer.
Full cluster LED lightupgrade, o more dull dash lights while you are going down the road.
Van has factory power door locks, added a remote keyless entry to the van from GoWesty. All doors now locks and unlocks with a push of a button, uper convenient. LED light indicator mounted on the instrument cluster.
Brand new second battery set up kit from GoWesty, opted for a deep marine Interstatebattery(mounted inside the sinkcabinet)to provide plenty of power for the refrigerator, ll interior lights, ew 12 voltpower outlet dash mounte, nd the stereo. This battery is charged while the van is in running mode.
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 Kenwood KDC-X996Am/FM/CD with remote, nbsp;Sirius Xm ready, luetooth, Pod, Phone, andora, tc, tc.
Kenwood front and rear speakers, rand new fully retractable Hirshman antenna/made inGermany of course.
Brand new front RubberTite Hexgrey floor mats protects the carpets, he 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, tc. there are no tears or stains to be found on the factory carpets underneath the floor mats.
Brand new fire extinguisher ratedfor all A,B, fires mounted inside the vanat the originalfactory location.
Westy sits on brand new 16 inchGoWesty alloyswith brand new Michelin Defender 215/65/16 tires .
Michelin Defender tires are some of the best all season tires you can buy for the Westy and has high tread wearover 800. All lugs nuts and bolts are brand new. These tires can hold up to the weight of the Westy.
All original owner manuals are included. 2 brand newcut to code German original keys with plastic fob included .
Westypassed strict CA smog testand is currently registereduntilAugust 2016.
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 add!
If you have any questions about my westy or its restoration process,please do no hesitate to ask. I know every square inch of thevehicle and thepainful detailsit took to bringit back to factory if not better standards.