1979 VW Camper - Up for auction in Bristol

[The Dudess]

http://www.johnpye.co.uk/project/online-car-auction-volkswagen-camper/?portfolioID=13969

 

[hilldweller]

I saw that or one like it in convoy with a few others on the M40 today, in the lead was a blue VW Karman Ghia coupe.

 

[movan]

Aww it looks cute.

 

[scotjimland]

 

[Snowbird]

Having twice had the misfortune of owning these clunkers, I can never understand why any sane thinking person would pay money for one. They were of little use as a serious camper when new. Heater almost non existent, brakes that didn't work, lights like candles, no insulation, noisy, fuel guzzlers. Having said that I could never understand why anyone would own a Morris Minor by choice .

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[Bailey58]

Watched the last episode of the last series of Midsomer Murders tonight and what was Barnaby driving off in for his weekend in Torquay?

 

[vwalan]

could say i have had a few . customized and made to work. the last one went to morocco 5 times twice pulling the teardrop. look carefully on one pic you can see it with the tear going down one of the canyon tracks from tafroute to akka . only go down i,m told its impossible to get upwards its that steep in places .
but great vehicles . not the most powerful but good traction and can be very reliable .
one pic is out side the wartburg factory in eisench. thats where the first bmw cars were made . in 1928 austin 7,s built under licence and sold as bmw dixie .

 

[John.]

Always thought I'd buy one of these have spent hours looking at them at shows

 

[DiggerJon]

Having twice had the misfortune of owning these clunkers, I can never understand why any sane thinking person would pay money for one. They were of little use as a serious camper when new. Heater almost non existent, brakes that didn't work, lights like candles, no insulation, noisy, fuel guzzlers. Having said that I could never understand why anyone would own a Morris Minor by choice .

I concur 100%! We had our honeymoon touring California in one borrowed from a friend, but it became a tour of the garages of southern CA it was so unreliable, underpowered, noisy, thirsty, cold, horrible to drive - but we loved the idea of motor homes and bought a "decent" later model which served us well. Would I want another? No, give me my small coach built any day!

 

[StitchesnFluff]

Look cute but not comfy enough!

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[peterc10]

View attachment 105011 Always thought I'd buy one of these have spent hours looking at them at shows

Beautiful, but a good splittie like that will cost you a fortune nowadays.

 

[Allanm]

We had two Bay window campers and had great times in them. Underpowered, yes, crappy heaters, yes, noisy, not really, but great fun and the brakes worked fine in both of them. We toured all around France in both, the second one we had, covered 40,000 miles in 8 years while we were still at work, and it never let us down.
According to DVLA, it recently got an mot and is still driving around, 38 years on.

 

[John.]

Beautiful, but a good splittie like that will cost you a fortune nowadays.

If I remember correctly this one was £35,000 ish

 

[Forestboy]

Bit like the Emperors New Clothes these things if enough people say they're good then the flock will agree and follow. Personally wouldn't give tuppence for one, drove one once had a weekend in North Wales in it. Never again a tent and my motorbike is a hundred times better.

 

[chrisgreen]

spent hours and hours welding these buckets of rust back together for customers with more money than sense.

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[Allanm]

I don't agree with the Emporors new Clothes analogy, but I agree they are a bit Marmitey.
I sold mine in 2000 for £1000 with a full mot and in excellent condition. In my opinion, they are not worth much more than that now, a Splitty in good nick and in original condition may be worth more, but they are awfully underpowered and as Chris says above, are usually owned by people with more money than sense.
Once the surfing community got hold of them, they started to achieve cult status and prices started going up.
I enjoyed the time that we owned ours, but would never buy another, I couldn't afford one.....

 

[scotjimland]

unreliable, underpowered, noisy, thirsty, cold, horrible to drive -

had one in the 80s. .. never again.. it was all of that and more ..

if you love fixing things, ideal hobby van..

museum pieces from a bygone era.. much like Model T Fords

 

[gus-lopez]

"scene tax " It is called. One I looked at in North Devon in the final stages of restoration, bloke said he was in for 59k

 

[vwalan]

to be honest you can get lots of cheap parts for them and if you do it yourself can be very cheap.
i could easily go back to having one . mind i do find them a bit small now .
but brought up my two kids in them and travelled all over in vwt2 and t25,s .
i nearly bought one of the last t2,s with the polo motor in the back but decided not to . i used to fit 1800cc passat engines into them at one time . power ,economy but didnt make more room. have lots happy memories in them.

 

[Snowbird]

One thing I forgot about them was there ability to spontaneously combust. I believe that with the restored ones its so bad they have a built in fire extinguisher in the engine compartment .

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[vwalan]

One thing I forgot about them was there ability to spontaneously combust. I believe that with the restored ones its so bad they have a built in fire extinguisher in the engine compartment .

the problem used to be not using the right fuel hose . plus not having the fuel lines in the correct place . the gates braided hose was the ultimate fuel hose . others made some as well . the worse was that plastic see through with internal zig zagging . it couldnt stand the heat.
i still use gates braided on my motor bikes etc . brilliant hose . works with petrol ,diesel , air pressure etc can take over 150psi if need be .
my last t2 had limited slip dif and was great even in deep sand . they do have incredible ground clearances . better than a land rover .
the later syncro is fantastic in the desert .