brucehatt

[brucehatt]

#Westy like mine

I've had a 1973 VW Westfalia in storage for the past 20 years. I recently set about to get it back on the road. It looks like the one below but meets a good clean up. Probably new canvas, seals, and too many things to think about but I'm just going for it. Its all original and has all the parts like the little stool and storage box. All blue check fabric (there’s a name for that?)

I’ve had a few of these and actually a few Porsche 914s that share the same engine. I still have one that's also been sorted for 20 years on my sister's farm.

Here’s some pictures of the westy. The blue parts were the least rusty so she’s yessow and blue.

Before getting the current project westy aka kombis, I’ve owned a number of others (5 road worthy and another 4 parts vehicles). I’ve also had a number of type 1s, 3s a 4 and a thing as well as 914s.

This was taken obove the transcanada hwy near Wawa Ontario heading east. The bus was a ‘75 camper towing a ‘73 Porsche 914 2.0L from Vancouver. The 1.8L motor died at portage de la prairie Manitoba coincidentally just after storing the 914 30 minutes before.

The toll was too difficulty on the engine and even without the load it dropped a valve. After a tow in -30c weather, the van was stored beside the 914.

‘75 camper bus bought in Vancouver to live in and tow the Porsche on back to Ottawa. Corrine and I left Vancouver in balmy December and all was fine till Kamloops BC when the clutch gave out. We parked on a side street in front of a house waiting for the clutch to arrive. After 3 days or so, all it took was about a day for the roadside repair. If I remember correctly we had few tools no jack. We continued on from Kamaloops up towards Rockies. We were about to encounter a different ball game

This was again heading east in the transcanada hwy at a diner overlooking Lake Superior. I’m sure I’m standing there wondering how long will it take to get through Ontario after days of travelling from Marathon

This is Dave next to the 914 on our way from Ottawa to Seattle then Vancouver. We crossed into Wisconsin from Sault St Marie then hwy 2 to Duluth. I remember there was a huge air base for B-52s. They were everywhere and flew so low the ground trembled.

We continued through to North Decota, the armpit of the mid west. There were state police everywhere and really jerks about speeding.

Next was Montana where I don’t think I saw one cruder. The speed limits went up and we cruised at 120mph who whole way through. Radar detector never made a peep unlike north decoda where it sounded like a track from Devo

This is a picture of us cooking lunch. Look for it.....top right - can of ravioli and to the left by the distributor, a can of beans.

We stopped in butte where the Main Street was blocked just after we parked at the gas station to have beans and ravioli of course. It was blocked for a parade for the local high school football team. They went all out. Everything on wheels drove down the main drag with the team and cheerleaders loaded onto haw wagons. Several trucks drove by us and yelled “Get outta town”. It was humorous.

Progress, towed from storage

Work started