(Updated November 10, 2002
The Potts family got their first VW with a 1971 Westfalia camper that was bought in 1980 as my Mom's car. It was purchased in Germany by the Previous Owner and brought back to Canada after their vacation. Mom drove it for a couple of years, and that set the VW hook. We toured and camped with it some, but mostly it was just an extra station wagon.
In 1986, Greg's second car was a 1972 Westfalia. It had a 1700 cc engine that siezed up after about 6 months, which lead to its replacement with an expensive Porsche 914 engine. Brush-painted black with Tremclad, we drove it for another year before destroying that motor too. After one more cold winter and another engine failure we gave up on the VW so Greg could commute to college in a nice safe Volvo 240 wagon.
Fast forward to 1996. On the way home from Scugog Island Marina, Dad spies out a 1973 Westy at roadside for $600. It needed brakes and some engine tweaking, but Mom & Dad enjoyed owning a camper for a year before they spotted a mint condition 1981 Vanagon Westfalia. When they bought the vanagon the 73 fell into Greg's hands. He did some bondo work on it and slapped on a coat of maroon tremclad and the van held together until the spring of 2000.
By the fall of 1999 we knew the 73 camper was nearing the end of its useful life. Luckily, there was a 1979 7-passenger bus in New Hampshire just needed an engine, transmission and interior. Free to a good home. Seeing as how those were the good points of the 73, we were all set.
Greg's current "Westfakia" is powered
by a 1800cc, dual carb 4cylinder air-cooled engine, and features a 1974 pop-top
roof. It doesn't go places in a hurry, but it always gets there. It sleeps
five, seats six, and includes a fold down bed in the back and a dinette for
four. For more info on the 1973/74/79 camper, visit our Westfakia page.
The coolest part about owning
VW buses is the great people you meet while driving them. We travel in our
buses as much as possible, and take them to bus events like EveryBus, BusFusion, Buses By
the Falls, The
European Interest Car Show, and we host Buses Of
the Corn in August. There are also some great bus resources on the internet,
including type2.com and
a local S. Ontario group called "The_Bug_Pack".
How's this for Cool? Our Westfakia is pictured in the February 2002 VW Trends Magazine!! On Page 60 there's an article about the Kitchener-Waterloo Bug-Out, and the writer said that our Bus was his "Pick of the Show"! Needless to say, I'm thrilled.
Cover
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At Home and On the Road with the Vanagon and the 1973 camper.
Interior & Pop-top
Winter Driving in 1999/2000 with the 1973 Westy
