1976 Volkswagen VW Westfalia Van

1976 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon Description

Up for auction is a 1976 VW Westfalia van. I purchased this van from a small dealer in Los Angeles, California, in May 2004, it was smogged by the dealer and I registered it and used it for a couple of years. Turns out it cannot pass smog in CA - it has a rebuilt type I engine in it (1968-1971 era) that was installed in Illinois in Feb 2004 (Shadow Automotive Creations, I have a letter from the mechanic, Brent Bartlettwho did the work, letter says engine is type I beetle/bus engine #AH210032). It ran great, but couldn't update the registration with no smog (original from dealer must have been a sham), so it sat behind the garage in Ceres, CA, for a few years. We moved out east in 2010 and left the van with a friend who was planning to swap out the engine, or register it out of state, but neither happened and it sat in his parents driveway until a couple of weeks ago. The extended history - the mechanic in Illinois told me that theprevious owner traded the van in to a Honda dealer a few months after installing the rebuilt engine. Supposedly it was used for fishing trips, which may explain the ball hitch on both the front and the back.
It is not running now, turns over but won't start. The rebuilt engine probably has fewer than 2000 miles on it - it was installed in Feb 2004, I bought it May 2004 and put only ~1000 miles on it myself, and it was running great when I used it. I'd be tempted to spend some money to get it running, but many buyers will be replacing the motor anyway (porche or suburu conversion I hear) so it is listed as is.
I am not an expert on these vans so the pictures should be more authoritative than what I can say about it. Obviously it is an old van, and after sitting outside for the last 10 years there is some damage that should be noted. The veneers on some of the interior furniture are damaged (you can see this in the pictures), I suppose from the heat. There is some rust, particularly on the back panels which you can also see in the pictures. The pop top is in pretty good condition, the canvas is good but the screen in the pop top will need to be repaired. The gasket/liner for the pop top is coming off in one section that you can see in the pictures - not sure if it needs to be replaced or just reattached. The rear passenger side window will need to be replaced - it is shattered but didn't fall out. I never attempted to use the range/sink. The sink pump was detached when I bought it, and is in the cabinet under the sink. I may be forgetting something, but will check back to answer questions.
I live in Western New York now, and the sale will be handled by a friend in California. The van is located in Ceres, CA, local pickup only. Cashiers check for payment. Payment via PayPal is okay, but I will add a fee to cover what I pay for that (~3% of sale).