Type 2 or modern camper?

[Watchman]

Vladimir said:

Watchman said:

The 2nd hand one worked out at 65.

I love the design but I absolutely cannot see where 65 large went into a caravan.

Jesus H shi**ing christ!!

Think I'd get a Merc G Wagon and a roof tent!

Pretty much the same reaction I had. In fact, I thought for the 40K you guessed, I could probably commission a custom caravan for that.

I need to go and find the advert to prove it to myself now.

[Watchman]

Yeah, here it is. It's not 2nd hand as I thought though. Looks like it's new but marketed through a dealer. At least that's what I think:

http://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/new/spinifex...

Expedia says AUS$96,450 = £62,335.

Just WOW..!!

[richie barry]

haha i love camper vans i am currently a trainee at luccombe garage in bristol and on my first week on the job we were playing about with the carb of an old rotted out bay window it seemed to be running a bit rich so someone was in the cab testing out the throttle response while my boss was teaching me about idle screws and the like the guy in the cab gave the van the mother of all burst's from the throttle and the van shot a 2ft flame up my sleeve

[Fast Bug]

St John Smythe said:

Does anyone remember the Jamie Oliver series when he had his old camper van rebuilt with a Porsche engine? Even after a rebuild it was constantly breaking down.

It never had a Porsche engine in!

Vladimir said:

A fair number have had 911 engines fitted. Some work well, most don't. Dad's mate did a couple - the most petrol headed petrol head I know, Nick Butler

911 engines simply don't fit as they're too long, it works out cheaper to build a hot flat 4 motor meaning there are very few 911 engined buses out there. I have a friend in Germany that will fit one for you, it's silly money due to the amount of work involved.

[Fast Bug]

doogz said:

What did it have? A quick google shows people saying a 993 3.6 flat 6, and a 2.4 914 engine. Although, I didn't think the 914 ever got an engine as large as that? I thought they used the VW Type 4?

It was a turbo'd type 4 engine. It's never had a flat 6 in it

[Fast Bug]

doogz said:

A 2.0L?

Not sure from memory, I'd have to dig the magazine out of the loft that it was featured in

[Vladimir]

Today, with the kids, 25 mins from home.

[Vladimir]

Old thread now I know but I thought this pic seemed appropriate - our mates T2 and our California!

[AyBee]

a11y_m said:

Mutual van appreciation! Mental money for the Cali's but I do admit they're nice. The beauty of small vans like this is that they CAN be used as an everyday vehicle: ours is used a few times a week for getting to MTBing rides, but equally it's small enough for Tesco runs. It even fits in multi-storey carparks if you're brave (underground carpark at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart was easy).

Started off like this (Sept 2008):


I sorted out the interior with ply-lining, vinyl flooring and £50 IKEA futon:


Used it like that for 2 years, then in June 2010 sorted the exterior (front splitter, bumpers painted, sidebars, bigger steel wheels). Finally in Sept 2010 had the side windows fitted and Jerba Campervans in North Berwick had it for 5 weeks for the roof/interior conversion.

If you're interested, I've got a series of photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/a11y_m/sets/721576217...

Obligatory 'Ring sticker

That is gorgeous Spent quite a while browsing your camper photos last night and then trundled off to the classifieds Would it be rude of me to ask what the conversion cost please (PM if you prefer)?

[a11y_m]

AyBee said:

a11y_m said:

Mutual van appreciation! Mental money for the Cali's but I do admit they're nice. The beauty of small vans like this is that they CAN be used as an everyday vehicle: ours is used a few times a week for getting to MTBing rides, but equally it's small enough for Tesco runs. It even fits in multi-storey carparks if you're brave (underground carpark at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart was easy).

Started off like this (Sept 2008):


I sorted out the interior with ply-lining, vinyl flooring and £50 IKEA futon:


Used it like that for 2 years, then in June 2010 sorted the exterior (front splitter, bumpers painted, sidebars, bigger steel wheels). Finally in Sept 2010 had the side windows fitted and Jerba Campervans in North Berwick had it for 5 weeks for the roof/interior conversion.

If you're interested, I've got a series of photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/a11y_m/sets/721576217...

Obligatory 'Ring sticker

That is gorgeous Spent quite a while browsing your camper photos last night and then trundled off to the classifieds Would it be rude of me to ask what the conversion cost please (PM if you prefer)?

Not at all - I'll e-mail you a breakdown of the costs, but basically:
Basic van = £8,000
Conversion = £19,000
Pimped bits (wheels, bumpers painted, etc) = ~£1,000

Remind me not to do that calculation again

I know some folk will think I'm crazy spending £28k on a small campervan, but for mine and my wife's lifestyles it's the best thing we could've done. I could easily have instead spent the same money on a nice car and understand many folk do, but that's not me - each to their own.

[Marlin45]

My GF's mother has a 1973 Type 2 in the garage which they have had from new. Has around 40k on the odo and is mint. GF's father died a couple of years back and it was left to her brother who despite being a mechanic seems to have to intentiona to do anything with it. It's a real pity but if I stick my head above the parapet and suggest that I will get it moved and overhauled I will get my head blown off

It sickens me to think it has been sitting in the same spot for all this time and has never been started or the battery charged

Even has the pop up roof conversion!

[AyBee]

Fast Bug said:

doogz said:

What did it have? A quick google shows people saying a 993 3.6 flat 6, and a 2.4 914 engine. Although, I didn't think the 914 ever got an engine as large as that? I thought they used the VW Type 4?

It was a turbo'd type 4 engine. It's never had a flat 6 in it

Are you sure about this? It was on top gear and I'm sure they said it had a Porsche engine...I will have a look on youtube for the clip when not at work but stand to be corrected!

[AyBee]

a11y_m said:

Not at all - I'll e-mail you a breakdown of the costs, but basically:
Basic van = £8,000
Conversion = £19,000
Pimped bits (wheels, bumpers painted, etc) = ~£1,000

Remind me not to do that calculation again

I know some folk will think I'm crazy spending £28k on a small campervan, but for mine and my wife's lifestyles it's the best thing we could've done. I could easily have instead spent the same money on a nice car and understand many folk do, but that's not me - each to their own.

Thanks very much Ally, much appreciated. It's definitely a lot but I don't suppose you'd end up losing much come sell time if the conversion was done well (which it looks like it was) given how much they seem to keep their value. Can't afford one at the moment, but as an all-round vehicle, I'm not sure much would come close!

[anonymous-user]

doogz said:

AyBee said:

Are you sure about this? It was on top gear and I'm sure they said it had a Porsche engine...I will have a look on youtube for the clip when not at work but stand to be corrected!

It was an engine out of a Porsche. It wasn't a Porsche engine.

I think that's the general consensus.

Also, don't believe everything Jeremy tells you.

It was the engine out of a 2.0 Porsche 914, tuned up slightly.

I'm not sure wether it was the flat 6 or flat 4 version though, the tiny 914 was supplied in 2 litre form with either a 4 or 6. The 6 cylinder models were very late ones.