Volkswagen T3 Westfalia
Car-ID: XT0103
Vehicle Description
Until recently, the VW T3 was such a common sight on German roads, many people wouldn’t believe it had already gained classic car status. But when, we ask you, have you last seen a truly well-maintained specimen? This Westfalia camper-van with the original Joker interior is one. The pop-top is tight and devoid of cracks. The well-designed and functional camping equipment is in great shape, its age of 36 years notwithstanding. It features a freshwater tank that can be filled both from the inside or outside, a hook-up inlet socket, and of course a gas stove, sink, and dual-action (12 V / 220 V) fridge, all of which work as they should.
As an early model T3, this camper has the twin-carburettor 2.0 litre air-cooled boxer engine installed, which delivers 51 kW (70 hp) of power. Mechanically, the bus is totally sound according to the consignor. The camper has valid technical approval until 06/2017, German registration documents and historic plates. Owner’s manual and service booklet are available.
Wide-base tyres have been fitted and the suspension lowered – so that an overall height of 1.97 m is achieved, enabling access to all standard-sized garages.
A bicycle rack and tow bar complete the picture of a fully usable, classic Westfalia camper-van.
For many of its followers, this is the ultimate version of the VW Bus: The Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), as it was officially referred to, the third generation of VW’s forever-popular van. It still had the engine where they thought it belonged: in the rear. In fact, early T3 models featured the identical air-cooled engines of the predecessor, even though the new van was much roomier and also a fair bit heavier. 1981 the first Diesel-powered T3 were made available, and as of 1982, a new generation of water-cooled boxer engines became standard. Regular improvements, such as the introduction of fuel injection or catalytic converters kept the T3 up to date. In 1985, the 4 wheel-drive option called Syncro was released.
Regarding body types, the T3 continued to offer a great selection, including transporter, 2-door utility, twin-cab utility, and several trim levels for the van, topped in 1985 by the popular Multivan. Camping fans’ favourite, however, remained the Westfalia variant, a well-equipped camper van with pop-top.
In 1990, the successor model, the front-engined, front-wheel-drive T4 entered the market. However, the T3 remained in production in South Africa for another 13 years, right to the end of the T4 production in Germany!
