1974 Volkswagen T2 Bay Window Devon Camper van

Description

• Right hand drive
• Uber cool interior
• Only five owners in 45 years
• 1600cc air cooled engine
• Been used for the last three years to tour
• A reliable, honest VW with a pop up roof

Is there anything cooler than a classic VW T2 Camper Van? Judging by the conversations you’ll have wherever you go, the general interest and thumbs up from other drivers as you pass, no, is the answer.

Everyone, young and old will want to chat, touch, look inside or simply know more. This really is the classic car equivalent of getting a puppy; a massive people magnet.

Background

For sale is ‘Bertie’, a lovely, honest and unmolested 1974 T2 Camper van, ready to be enjoyed as it is or, if you prefer, offering the opportunity to improve cosmetically and to fit-out to your own personal specification.

Owned since March 2019 by a young lady named Sarah who wanted to live the dream.

After travelling around the UK covering around 3000 miles of trouble-free adventure, her life has evolved and it’s now time for some else to live their dream. Here’s your chance.

Outside

The best bit is that there’s no recent respray covering up the original exterior, so you can see what you’re dealing with…..a pretty sound but patinated finish which is perfectly usable or ripe for a professional repair and respray.

With only 5 previous keepers in 45 years, Bertie has clearly been looked after well, because beneath his slightly ‘lived-in’ exterior and his sweet but basic interior, it’s immediately obvious that this is one of the most genuine VW T2 Camper vans currently on the market at this level, either as a turn-key, ready-to-enjoy ‘Summer Lovin’ dream machine OR as a rolling restoration ripe for the lucky new owner to reconfigure interior-wise or treat to a cosmetic refurbishment as desired. The choice is yours, of course….but remember, the price reflects the vehicle’s condition and accurately represents fantastic value at entry level for such a sound, genuine base vehicle of this type.

Mechanical bits

Many of these really popular Bay Window T2s are either rotten or are mechanical unreliable, often proving a nightmare for an unsuspecting owner. Not this one. With an excellent, strong, 1584cc air cooled engine and a sweet gearbox and running gear, this particular T2 can only be described as ‘honest’ and truly ‘ready to go’.

Bertie starts willingly on the first turn of the key every time and he’s shod with four matching tyres with plenty of tread as well as an excellent spare.

Whilst now classed as an historic vehicle and therefore tax duty and MOT exempt, there is no reason whatsoever to think that he wouldn’t fly through a current MOT test, and there are records on file for the work and maintenance carried out, although in truth this has been minimal due to the great condition of the core vehicle.

Mechanically, there’s only been light work required, and this includes:

4 x new brake disc back plates
New front brake pads and retaining pins
New front brake caliper seals and bleed nipples
1 x top ball joint
Engine oil and filter replacement (routine service item)
Gearbox oil change (routine service item)
New fuel pipe (tank to carburettor)
Fuel tank clean out & overhaul

All of the items listed above are typical of ‘light recommissioning’ by the vendor’s qualified father before Sarah began living her three year dream and since then, Bertie has been utterly fantastic.

Inside the VW

The classic VW camper life-style is all about the interior. Take a look at the lovely images of the interior. It is not only terrifically ingenuous, but take a close look at examples such as that table, delightful.

Not strictly inside or outside, but the pop-up extending roofs on the VWs give a huge amount of advantages over non pop-up roofs. The vendor has supplied some helpful images which are in the gallery.

Firstly, there’s a correctly installed leisure battery complete with split charger and gauge.

Secondly, a full-size ‘rock & roll’ double bed occupies the rear which, when not in use, converts back into conventional bench seating and storage.

Overhead is a pop-up roof, with two kids’ hammocks underslung, ready for a perfect family adventure.

New marine-ply door cards complement the furniture and construction in the living area, whilst the front doors retain good, original cards.

There’s a new full set of curtains all round that ensure a cosy night’s sleep for all.

The two front seats had brand new tan covers fitted in 2020 and these are still as new.

A new DAB / USB equipped radio with speakers to the rear was fitted last year.

There’s also a bamboo cab/parcel shelf fitted, which adds to the funkiness of the interior.

The interior is fitted out with cleverly imagined and constructed recycled wooden pallet cupboards with quirky door knobs. A fold-out Aztec wooden table cum chopping board hinges across between base units…and there’s clothes storage as well as a clever gas fired camping stove and a mini-fridge that plugs into the leisure battery power supply.

Overhead is also a custom-built top locker with in-built speakers.

Additional information

From our inspection of the images we can see a few points that the vendor has honestly highlighted. As is usual for a 1970s classic there is the odd surface rusty brown scab, along with crusty corners of the external body panel. The underside images provided by the vendor, reveal a camper that is essentially sound, but with age comes the inevitable patch repair

From where we are it doesn’t look at all terminal but if you are at all concerned we’d urge to visit and inspect the camper, to satisfy yourselves, or, at the very least contact us and we’ll see if there are further images for you.

The odometer reads 3,750 miles and it’s believed therefore, that the true and correct mileage is 103,750 since the analogue readout is not a six digit affair. Whilst the actual mileage is not guaranteed, all the evidence points to the assumption being correct.

Bertie is now only being offered for sale because another classic, this time a 1960’s American Ford Pick-Up truck, has found its way into Sarah’s life.

Our vendor puts it better than we can “So…grab yourself a truly excellent and great value Bay Window T2 and start living your own dream because, as we’ve all come to learn, life can be very short!“

Our View

What a cracking camper! VW Campers, like that puppy, are a lifestyle choice. A good one.

These vehicles are like life stripped right back. There is no nonsense, just an honest attempt to chunter people around with luggage, feed everyone and then house them overnight. At a much less hectic pace of life.

The additional two needing to be children really as the extra sleeping spaces involve hammocks or relatively thin flooring that make use of the elevated roof space.

For two adults that same space can be used for the luggage previously stored in the boot and forced to move in order to make way for the bed, an arrangement that works perfectly well.

We’d challenge anyone to find a more fun, relaxing way to spend a weekend than tootling around in a T2 stopping only when you want to, doing what you like, then watch the sun go down whilst enjoying that chilled bottle of beer.

Prices of classic VW Campers are consistent. Consistently all over the place.

For under five grand you get one that probably needs twenty grand spent on it. Twenty grand plus gets you one you just need to change in the oil in every six months.

Everything else is in the middle of these two numbers.

Our best advice is start with a genuine one like this. Then spend a little bit of money on to make it your own. We estimate the value of this charming change of life-style is between £9,000 – £11,000

As our vendor says, “life can be very short”

 

Vehicle Location: Warwickshire CV47– it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor

Have a question about this vehicle? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

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