Photo: NoCoErik / Bring a Trailer
This 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia was 24 years with the current owner, who tried his best to improve its characteristics. One notable change is hiding in the engine bay as one of the more intriguing engine swaps for a Vanagon.
The Volkswagen Vanagon was a fine van and an even better camper when fitted with the Westfalia equipment. But it had a feeble engine, which never quite cut it for speeding on the highway, let alone uphill. This is why many Vanagon owners chose to install a more powerful engine. The prime choice was a Subaru engine because it was modern, powerful, and still had a flat-four architecture, thus fitting in the engine bay.
As good as the Subaru engines are, some gentlemen believe a Volkswagen should stay a Volkswagen. The owner of this Vanagon we’ve found on Bring a Trailer is one of them. He looked for another solution, and although it was not better, it worked for him. The engine he found was a brand-new Volkswagen Golf powerplant with a 2.0-liter displacement.
It’s an inline-four engine and needed work to fit in the flat engine bay without compromising the ground clearance or the luggage space. Specifically, it was mounted at an angle and fitted with a modified oil pan and pump. With 118 horsepower, it doesn’t look much more potent than the original 2.1-liter engine, which pumped 95 horsepower when new. Nevertheless, it feels more powerful on the road, and that’s what matters.
Other than that, this Vanagon is a regular pop-top camper with standard Westfalia gear in the rear cabin and an ARB Touring awning. It features swiveling seats in front and the usual flat-folding rear bench, which can be used as a bed. The original refrigerator was replaced with a GoWesty fridge removal kit which adds shelves and proper caps for the propane lines. The cabin and utensils are in good condition, and we figure this Westy would serve its new owner well for many years.
As good as the Subaru engines are, some gentlemen believe a Volkswagen should stay a Volkswagen. The owner of this Vanagon we’ve found on Bring a Trailer is one of them. He looked for another solution, and although it was not better, it worked for him. The engine he found was a brand-new Volkswagen Golf powerplant with a 2.0-liter displacement.
It’s an inline-four engine and needed work to fit in the flat engine bay without compromising the ground clearance or the luggage space. Specifically, it was mounted at an angle and fitted with a modified oil pan and pump. With 118 horsepower, it doesn’t look much more potent than the original 2.1-liter engine, which pumped 95 horsepower when new. Nevertheless, it feels more powerful on the road, and that’s what matters.
Other than that, this Vanagon is a regular pop-top camper with standard Westfalia gear in the rear cabin and an ARB Touring awning. It features swiveling seats in front and the usual flat-folding rear bench, which can be used as a bed. The original refrigerator was replaced with a GoWesty fridge removal kit which adds shelves and proper caps for the propane lines. The cabin and utensils are in good condition, and we figure this Westy would serve its new owner well for many years.
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