1971 Westfalia Campmobile Here we have up for auction my cherished 1971 VW Westfalia camper van ‘Tin Top’ Campmobile, i'm looking for £29,995 or sensible offers. This is the ‘prototype bay’ variant recognisable by the front low lights, the half-moon rear air intakes amongst other things, NOT to be confused with the latter crossover or late bay. Front disc brakes fitted as standard from the factory with 1600 twin port engine. I have owned the van since summer 2013 when I purchased it in its original condition from the sunny west coast of America – the dry state of California. I have copies of the American certificate of title, HM customs import paper work and shipping info all for the next owner. Checking the M-Plate decoder confirms that it left the factory as a ‘Westfalia Campmobile’, planned production October 1970 with a 1971 model year specification. I have had the van restored to a very high standard whilst trying to keep and maintain the Westfalia period style. In the winter of 2013 the van was sent to a paint specialist in Leeds where it was stripped and re sprayed in its original colour of chianti red with addition of the candy white upper roof. At this time all the window and door seals were replaced with top quality German replacements including a strip down and new mechanisms for both the jalousie louvered side windows. The underside and chassis were cleaned and then treated with wax oil to preserve and protect. The engine was stripped, serviced, cleaned and all the original ‘tin ware’ was sent away for powder coating along with the original front / rear bumpers, original front VW metal badge and wheels where they were all finished to a high standard. Whilst stripped I then sent the van to a specialist coach builder / upholsterer in Lancashire where the old headlining was replace with a new period correct ‘Baltic birch’ ply, the front seats refurbished and clad in a quality soft supple leather, a new ‘Rock & Roll’ bed mechanism, 8 piece door card set and trims all with new foam inserts finished in a matching vinyl colour combination. This also included a spare wheel cover and spare wheel insert for when the bed is down. ‘Laura Ashley’ fabric custom made new curtains (with black out backing) and rails installed throughout. Modern safety belts fitted, two up front & three in the rear. All the original Westfalia furniture was cleaned, restored and refitted. New marine ply fitted to the floor. Engine wise the only major upgrade I have made to the 1600 twin port is upgrading to a ‘Flame Thrower’ electronic ignition system which was one of the best things I did as it starts and fires up first time every time – no problems along with new HT leads, plugs and regular oil changes I have also upgraded to the ‘Scat’ gear shifter which makes gear selection much easier. The van comes with a retro EMPI sports exhaust (as it came from America) which adds that little extra to the sound note (only very minor – not deafening). There are lots of little upgrades and details etc that I have done over the past few years that really make the difference with this van which need to be seen to be appreciated. The van has always been dry stored in my ownership and only left out in the elements on the numerous camping trips and show visits – there is no sign of any rust or corrosion. There is a modern day ‘Alpine’ head unit up front which is DAB and has a Bluetooth speaker connection for the telephone. I also upgraded the washer bottle system to a modern Electronic windscreen washer for safety and MOT. In the 5 years that I’ve owned the van it has never let me down and anything that it has needed has been done. The van obviously is 47 years old with plenty of charm so please don’t expect modern day driving but drives as good as it can and should. I have a bundle of paper work and receipts for the work that I have carried out on the van but sadly nothing from its previous life in the USA as this was ‘lost’ in the shipping process. All MOT’s and V5 log book present. The speedometer is showing 20,255 miles (I would suggest that this would be 120,255). The van is in storage so viewing is STRICKTLY by appointment only. I can be contacted on 07788408397 for any questions or directly via the ebay messaging system. The Van is located in Doncaster South Yorkshire just 5 minutes off the M18 motorway. It’s also worth noting that I will NOT take any kind of part exchange or swaps so please don’t ask!
