Vanagon Rare! Automatic! Sunroof! (1981)
Sale price: US $7,500.00 Make an Offer
| Condition: | Used |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Make: | Volkswagen |
| Model: | Bus/Vanagon |
| Transmission: | Automatic |
| Drive Type: | RWD |
| Engine: | Rebuilt |
| Vehicle Title: | Clean |
| Mileage: | 65000 |
| Fuel Type: | Gasoline |
Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Vehicle description
1981 Vanagon. Runs and drives well. I was planning on taking it cross country this winter but I"ve decided to take a hybrid instead on account of the rising gas prices.
It"s an awesome van. Like all Vanagons, it"s a lot of fun and gets plenty of attention everywhere it goes. It"s great for camping, and includes a wooden base in the back to hold a bed with the seats folded down (up to full-size, but there"d be gap in the corner by the side door, you could probably use a set of plastic drawers to remedy that.
Driving
The good - It runs and drives well, I"ve been using it for everyday driving around town and haven"t experienced any significant issues. The van was actually taken on a long tour of the Southern United States just last year, driven from NJ down to Florida through the south to Texas and back without any major problems. The engine was rebuilt a couple of years ago and appears to be in great shape. The gas mileage is decent for a vehicle it"s age (around 20 MPG give or take a few). There"s a little rust on the body but the undercarriage is pretty much rust-free. Also - it"s automatic, which is not so common for a Vanagon. Great for if you want to take on the Vanagon lifestyle without driving a stick.
The bad - drive axles need replacement. It"s not a big job, and you can do it for around $200 yourself. The parts are available on busdepot.com. Obviously it would cost more to get it done professionally. Also, it takes a little time to get started the first time you drive it every day. Not long, but it take a few extra seconds to get started and then a few more to hold a charge. The whole process isn"t long, probably less than a minute, but it may be hard to get used to if you"re used to driving a newer car that starts instantly. Also has a minor oil leak, which has not affected functioning, I just top off the oil every couple weeks.
Sunroof
The good - It"s an old school manual sunroof, lots of fun to stick your head through when driving around with friends and great for stargazing. Also great for ventilation when camping in warmer areas. Most importantly, it doesn"t leak! You"ll notice the tape that"s been cut on that side. It was leaking so I taped it up because I thought the leak was coming from the crack. Turns out, I just needed to brush the leaves off of the drains and it"s been dry ever since.
The bad - A small crack on the passenger side. It doesn"t leak, but you"ve gotta be careful to clean the drains so that it continues to not leak :) Aesthetically, the tape doesn"t look great. You could get it off with a paint scraper and goo-gone, but I haven"t cared to do that because nobody sees the top :)
Solar!
The good - It has solar panels! Already installed on top and wired through to a battery that"s stored under the driver"s seat. The panels and battery work well, and the van includes a fully functioning light already installed. Very very convenient for camping, long trips, and charging phones/laptops or using a fan on the road.
The bad - the inverter (red and black to the right of the battery in the picture) isn"t working. I"m not sure if it needs replacement or just rewiring (either way, cheap replacements available from Amazon or Walmart), it hasn"t worked since I got it and I"m really not great with these things so I haven"t tried.
Overall, it"s an amazing car and can be a dream come true for the right person. It"s a piece of history and virtually made for a great time. That said, it"s an old car and is being sold as is. If you"re willing to put some work into it, this is a steal. With a car this age, there are always things that"ll come up.
Extra Goodies: A wooden base in the back that is the same height as the seats, used for putting a bed. A two bicycle rack that hitches onto the back. A brand new, never used, full-sized 4 inch memory foam mattress and two inch memory foam gel mattress topper.
If the sale price is above $8,500, I will also include a Jackery 240 mini generator, new-in-box, great for back up on long trips, it can easily charge a car or wall outlet (https:/ www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D29QNMJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
Depending on location I may be able to deliver for a reasonable rate - feel free to be in touch before bidding if you"d like to discuss that option.
Also - please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! I don"t know everything but I"m happy to share what I do!
It"s an awesome van. Like all Vanagons, it"s a lot of fun and gets plenty of attention everywhere it goes. It"s great for camping, and includes a wooden base in the back to hold a bed with the seats folded down (up to full-size, but there"d be gap in the corner by the side door, you could probably use a set of plastic drawers to remedy that.
Driving
The good - It runs and drives well, I"ve been using it for everyday driving around town and haven"t experienced any significant issues. The van was actually taken on a long tour of the Southern United States just last year, driven from NJ down to Florida through the south to Texas and back without any major problems. The engine was rebuilt a couple of years ago and appears to be in great shape. The gas mileage is decent for a vehicle it"s age (around 20 MPG give or take a few). There"s a little rust on the body but the undercarriage is pretty much rust-free. Also - it"s automatic, which is not so common for a Vanagon. Great for if you want to take on the Vanagon lifestyle without driving a stick.
The bad - drive axles need replacement. It"s not a big job, and you can do it for around $200 yourself. The parts are available on busdepot.com. Obviously it would cost more to get it done professionally. Also, it takes a little time to get started the first time you drive it every day. Not long, but it take a few extra seconds to get started and then a few more to hold a charge. The whole process isn"t long, probably less than a minute, but it may be hard to get used to if you"re used to driving a newer car that starts instantly. Also has a minor oil leak, which has not affected functioning, I just top off the oil every couple weeks.
Sunroof
The good - It"s an old school manual sunroof, lots of fun to stick your head through when driving around with friends and great for stargazing. Also great for ventilation when camping in warmer areas. Most importantly, it doesn"t leak! You"ll notice the tape that"s been cut on that side. It was leaking so I taped it up because I thought the leak was coming from the crack. Turns out, I just needed to brush the leaves off of the drains and it"s been dry ever since.
The bad - A small crack on the passenger side. It doesn"t leak, but you"ve gotta be careful to clean the drains so that it continues to not leak :) Aesthetically, the tape doesn"t look great. You could get it off with a paint scraper and goo-gone, but I haven"t cared to do that because nobody sees the top :)
Solar!
The good - It has solar panels! Already installed on top and wired through to a battery that"s stored under the driver"s seat. The panels and battery work well, and the van includes a fully functioning light already installed. Very very convenient for camping, long trips, and charging phones/laptops or using a fan on the road.
The bad - the inverter (red and black to the right of the battery in the picture) isn"t working. I"m not sure if it needs replacement or just rewiring (either way, cheap replacements available from Amazon or Walmart), it hasn"t worked since I got it and I"m really not great with these things so I haven"t tried.
Overall, it"s an amazing car and can be a dream come true for the right person. It"s a piece of history and virtually made for a great time. That said, it"s an old car and is being sold as is. If you"re willing to put some work into it, this is a steal. With a car this age, there are always things that"ll come up.
Extra Goodies: A wooden base in the back that is the same height as the seats, used for putting a bed. A two bicycle rack that hitches onto the back. A brand new, never used, full-sized 4 inch memory foam mattress and two inch memory foam gel mattress topper.
If the sale price is above $8,500, I will also include a Jackery 240 mini generator, new-in-box, great for back up on long trips, it can easily charge a car or wall outlet (https:/ www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D29QNMJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
Depending on location I may be able to deliver for a reasonable rate - feel free to be in touch before bidding if you"d like to discuss that option.
Also - please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! I don"t know everything but I"m happy to share what I do!