We just bought this late bay camper van!!

Discussion in 'Show Us Your Ride' started by alez, Jul 3, 2017.

  1. Hi All,

    Greetings for Madrid, Spain on my first post in this community :)

    Well, we're over the moon! It's a '78 import from California, we've bought it in England and driven it to Spain where we live (LHD is good here).

    It's got the Westfalia Berlin interior (3/4 rock & roll bed) with no cooker, a Westfalia top (full size upper bed) and a type 4, 2 litre engine.

    Everything seems in a pretty good condition, specially considering it is 40 years old :)

    I'm specially overwhelmed about the engine. We've been driving long uphills in Spanish roasting hot summer (40 ºC) with no overheating whatsoever. We've used the van to relocate from Lleida around 400 miles away in one go... i.e. we've fitted the entire house contents inside the van (except for a few things that we put in a car) and we've driven it at cruise speeds of 60+ mph, how's that! :eek:

    I'm also surprised that the van seems really light. One day we had a faulty starter motor and we started the engine really easily by pushing the van. I reckon this van must be around 1400 kg at most, which is so light considering its dimensions and the Westfalia stuff in it.

    OK, now I shall provide some proof of the above :D

    The wonderful machine in Bath, Somerset, near the place where we bought it:

    [​IMG]

    A happy owner and some of the Berlin interior:

    [​IMG]

    Van ready to depart with house contents in:

    [​IMG]

    Van and the other happy owner, halfway our relocation trip:

    [​IMG]

    Cheers!
     
    CollyP, Sick Boy, scrooge95 and 23 others like this.
  2. Hi from west Lancashire - great registration plate for a Spanish immigrant - the name Pep should stick with him!!
     
  3. Looks lovely, great colour and conversion ,enjoy :thumbsup:
     
  4. driving up hills in Spain in 40C ambient temperature, with no overheating. tell the folks on here that.
     
    IZZYBAY and earlylatebay like this.
  5. Did 16 hour straight drive through central Spain, no issues, they're fine when they go :thumbsup:
     
  6. done that too, pretty much foot to the floor!
     
    Lord Congi likes this.
  7. nice looking bus btw! keep us updated on your travels!
     
  8. Bonjour :hattip:

    Might be a nightmare to register it in Spain...

    looks sweet as...
     
  9. Dubs

    Dubs Sponsor supporter extraordinaire

    Looks like you got a goodun there! :thumbsup:
     
  10. Hey, big thanks everyone :)

    > Hi from west Lancashire - great registration plate for a Spanish immigrant - the name Pep should stick with him!!

    That's a really nice compliment to my (non mother tongue) English: I'm not a Spanish immigrant, I'm actually Spanish :D I lived a few years in England, years ago. Lovely country, lovely people, full of enthusiasts of different cool things everywhere. UK is where I fell in love with motoring, specially kit cars at the time, such a British phenomenon. It was a very special period in my life.

    It'd be really cool to keep the number plate, but I need to register it here, otherwise I'd be driving illegally as soon as its current MOT expires.

    > Might be a nightmare to register it in Spain...

    I'm in the process of doing so and it seems expensive (around 600 €) but pretty straightforward. The model shown on the V5C is "Transporter" (very generic), which helps a lot. We have historic number plates here much like you do in UK, therefore no road tax etc :D

    > driving up hills in Spain in 40C ambient temperature, with no overheating. tell the folks on here that.

    Ha ha! Well, it seems so unlikely and I couldn't believe it the first time I opened the engine door after a long uphill under the sun, but it's the plain truth, the engine bay was perfectly well :eek:
     
  11. Most people on here who are English don't communicate that well in their mother tongue so hats off to you for that. Even though were in the throws of Brexit (LOL) we can still adopt you as one of ours so stick around!
     
    Sick Boy likes this.
  12. Pudelwagen

    Pudelwagen Supporter

    Nice looking bus! Welcome from Yorkshire!
     
  13. Thanks a lot. I'm honoured.

    In fact, Brexit has worked pretty well for our purchase... The pound used to be around 1.4 € before Brexit, dropped to around 1.15 € as a consequence of it :eek:
     
  14. Thanks, Rob.e.

    I noticed your signature line and, being unfamiliar with the Champagne Edition, clicked on it. Beautiful looking camper, congrats.
     
    rob.e likes this.
  15. Welcome aboard..:thumbsup:

    Nice bus you have there, and getting lots of use out of it...:hattip:
     
  16. The photo with the back of van fully packed made me smile.Hello from Chester and welcome.
     

  17. Great- that's the way to use it...

    For those wishing to
    Recreate the first photo - that's at the top of Bathwick Street at the London Road end. The curfew pub is seen just behind and to the left of the van and on the other side of the road is a kebab house so very handy. Most importantly there is a convenience store just around the London road that used to sell the worlds best samosas - this was 20 years ago so they may have sold out by now.

    Good Luck with your travels!
     
  18. Terrordales

    Terrordales Nightshift

    Hello and Welcome from The Colonial Contingent :hattip:
     

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