1990 VW Westfalia is fully restored inside and out
Vehicle Description
1990 VW Vanagon Westfalia GL, 140040 original miles, 4 speed manual transmission, power mirrors, power steering, power brakes, factory air conditioning.
Clean California title, clean CARFAX, has lived in California in its entire life, zero rust.
This MEG, big budget restoration has resulted in a beautiful example what a totally professionally restored van can be, it should be in a Volkswagen showroom, but it is meant to be enjoyed by a very happy new owner.
Copy and paste here for a thorough YouTube video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCv51rDg3Lw&t=11s
Photo album of my westy::https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0wfl632ix30rtfxuenkxf/AGQWMfUxHrkwhbrZDDDZn2Y?rlkey=9ff7kpw2a4nmula3x4pzrnk4j&st=7rexi9dk&dl=0
Please excuse my long description but I feel that it is necessary to explain this long process.
I purchased this Westy back in December/2023 from the 3rd owner from Los Oso, California with 139xxx miles on it. It went straight into restoration . It's titled under my name with a clean California title. It passed strict California smog with super clean results on 04/09/202, registration expires 07/2025 and is fully insured.
This has always been titled in California in its entire life.
I have done many full VW Westfalia restorations since 2001, I am very familiar with them . They are all my personal vehicles . This Westy has gone through a full restoration with all the best parts as all my vans have been put through. I have always restored all my vans this way.
Below is a list of things that have been done to it and total restoration was just completed April of 2025.
Original purchase price for the Westy back in December of 2023 was $18,500 from a local owne, it's getting harder if impossible to find a late model VW Vanagon Westfalia with relatively low mileag, clean CarFa, rust free clean bod, clean nice interior for restoration for under $20,000 now and go through what I do to them. Although the original engine ran just fine, and safe for camping like most Westies you see out there, but they are all projects in the making and in need of repairs down the road.
I spared no expenses when it comes to all my restorations.
Total parts costs and other labor costs( window tinting, etc) have exceeded $24,000 . I have a folder with all receipts, this does not include cost of paint restoration.
Total spent on paint restoration was $24,200 with receipt(see picture).
I spent 12 months working on this Westy, I personally have over 380 hours of my own time working on it. Meticulously going through the entire van. The going labor shop rate in my area is $160/hour that equates to over $60,800.
I have spent over $66,000 on this total restoration this includes the price I paid for the van. All my time that has been invested is basically not included. Trust me it's a lot of work and not many have the patience or talents as I have to do this level of restoration.
You would easily spend close to $100k to get the same results, if you can find the right shop to give it all the attention to details as I have..
If you have ever owned one or have been tirelessly looking for a super nice Westy or so called restored one. You know my Buy it Now price is very reasonable .
Before the restoration proces, the entire van chassis was pressure washed thoroughly, hand scrubbed to get rid of all dirt, grime, grease etc. I prefer to work on clean vehicles.
The paint was all origina, Pastel White which was a bit faded, few dents from door dings, scratches, wear and tear from use and whatnot around the body, all remedied by the auto body shop that I have trusted for 21 plus years now.
This is one of my favorite colors out of all the Westies that I have restore, it's a nice factory original colo, Pastel White and it came out much nicer than it ever did when it was new.
Entire front end / nose including all parts of the A pillar, B pillar, access areas around both front doors, rear slider, rear cargo areas of the van as well as the high wear impact areas are all taken down to bare metal because any rock chips, wear and tear from getting in and out over the years. areas with previous paint chips will have spots of rust on the metal itself I only know this because I have seen it and if not done right, the rust will come back within a year's time. The rest of the van was stripped down to its original primer/sealer coat to check for any signs of rust, re-primere, blocked for any imperfections and sealer and repainted. Most shops will scuff your paint and repaint and will charge you 10, you'll see a bunch of sandpaper marks, tape lines, over spray, paint that will quickly fade, peeling paint list goes on and on. These types of cheap paint jobs and you get what you pay for.
This is an all windows out, all doors off ( both front driver door, slider door, rear hatch) stripped to the bare shell, all trim, pop top, luggage rack, lights, door seals, rear license plat, slider door cover, even all 4 body drainage plugs, entire dash boar, interior removed restoration. All body seams cleaned out and reseale, it was a Mega job.
I was the one that dismantled all the parts off of the van to minimize the cost of the total paint job and it was $24,266.30 for the entire paint restoration. Receipt included with the sale of my Westy.
Pop top removed, stripped off all nuts and bolt, seals, skylight and all of its mechanisms, both rear hinges to the bare shell. The entire inside headliner was cleaned, repainted. All brand new skylight, seals, Skylight cover and knob color matched with original gre, new flex arm, new nuts and bolts, all pop top bolts was sandblasted, primered and painted body colo, it's all in the details for me. Brand new pop top seal from GoWesty. Entire headliner is thoroughly cleaned, not a spot of mold anywhere which is very rare.
Brand new cotton 3 window pop top tent sourced from GoWesty. I prefer the cotton model since originally these Westy came with cotton, they lasted for over 30 years, they fit better and they breathe better than the Acrylic made ones. Did you noticed in the pictures how nice it fit, nice and taught when fully opened.
Luggage rack removed and stripped down to the bare shell was also and repainted with brand new stainless steel tie downs and stainless steel nuts and bolts. I also installed stainless steel mesh over all the luggage rack drainage holes to prevent future larger debris that tends to accumulate under it and a new OEM German seal.
The van spent over 6 months at the paint shop and he has done all my paint restorations in the past and understands how picky I am. All doors(both front doors, slider door, rear hatch) were prepped and painted inside and out, no over spray and no missed painted areas are seen especially at all door jambs. Primed, sealer and then base coat and clear coated. As previously mentioned all body seams were cleaned out and resealed super important.
The entire van was painted with all doors off, the entire rear cargo area and rear seat storage, area was repainted. I made sure all the slider door sliding areas were super clean and repainted. This area gets lots of dirt and debris over the years.
Slider door, and the rear hatch (inside of the doors) bottom drain areas also were super cleaned and prepped prior to paint, this area also gets dirty over the years.
Front and rear fiberglass original bumpers and both front door skirts were fully prepped and repainted to perfection. All hardware like rear bumper brackets and mounting hardware are sandblasted and refinished. Look closely how these bumpers have been restored to perfection, it's not easy.
Same attention given to both power mirrors, stripped off all parts for a complete base coat/clear coat inside and out. New stainless screws and anti seize to threads as well. Blind spot mirrors added to both mirrors for safety.
Rear license plate housing was also stripped and sent out to sandblasting and repainted, that's why it looks like new. New screws and anti seized applied to threads. Original smog equipped decal was carefully removed and put back where it belongs.
The Westy was repainted in its original color, Pastel White LD90, 2 stage paint job, base coat and clear coat . Paint materials alone was over $3500. This is not your average $5,000 or $10,000 paint jobs. I have seen those, they are no where near mine. I am pretty sure it looks better now that it did new from the VW showroom floor. I made sure the entire( including all the bumpers, pop top, luggage cargo tray) repaint had 3 coats of clear, typical is 2 coats of clear. The paint shop also color sanded and buffed out the entire van to perfection.
If you see all the pictures and videos that I have included, I also included all the areas that most will never see has been painted like it came from the factory. It's all in the details for me, door jambs, slider door jambs and slider track areas, inside of slider door bottom drains and rear hatch drains etc...
All door handles was repainted, new door handle seals throughout
New washer fluid nozzles, main washer nozzle tank removed and cleaned. All 3 wiper arms repainted New windshield and rear wiper blades . New Rain-X windshield washer fluid.
The engine is a GoWesty 2.3 liter motor , built on 12/2024 with approximately 100 miles on it now, brand new GoWesty AMC heads, new Hepu water pump, new lifter, new thermostat housing, new thermostat, GoWesty high volume oil pump, rebuilt to spec fuel injectors, new Bosch cap and rotor, new NGK spark plugs, new Bremi made in Germany spark plug wires, new low and high oil pressure sensors, new high and low pressure sensor wiring, rebuilt alternator, new throttle body seal. New air filter. All new Cohline German fuel lines from the engine to the fuel tank throughout with Oetiker pinchless clamps used. All the engine bay metal coolant lines as well as intake body and intake manifolds were all sandblasted and refinished with engine enamel. New intake manifold boots . Most of the engine and exhaust nuts, bolts, washers screws are all brand new.
All engine bay ground connections are all sorted out, I routinely replace all ground connectors now since ground has wreaked havoc on these VW's when it comes to running issues.
The engine mustache support bar, all engine tin, motor mount bracket was sent out for sandblasting and repainted, 4 brand new motor mounts with new bolts and washers.
The entire stock exhaust pipes were sandblasted cleaned and repainted with high heat paint ( I prefer using stock original exhaust pipes because they are thicker gauge and does a better job of noise insulation vs stainless ones), the California emission catalytic converter and stainless steel exhaust muffler/tail pipe and brackets are sourced from GoWesty. New Bosch oxygen sensor .
I spent $1200 for all the ceramic window tinting, why ceramic, because it reflects heat much better and often costs 3 times more than the regular window tinting that you see on most vehicles out there on the road.
All glass was removed including both slider door glass and sent out for window tinting, 30% tint throughout, ceramic tint was used . This is great as it keeps the heat out. I prefer the 30% tint so you can actually see out of the van at night and it looks great. Both slider windows have brand new felt strips. All glass have brand new window German seals ( the good stuff).
Brand new windshield, I have already spent this much money. It deserves a new one.
Front doors have brand new window seals throughout.
Sound deadening used on all doors and rear hatch. They all closes with a nice thud.( see photo album pictures)
New GoWesty coolant aluminum tank along with new coolant level sensor, new overflow tank, new radiator, 3 brand new radiator baffle( GoWesty) new radiator fan switch, stainless steel coolant lines, new coolant temperature sensor, all coolant hoses are brand new. I try to source hoses and use German ones when possible. New heater core hoses from the engine bay to the core. I use all spring clamps ( like they are originally from VW ) and oetiker clamps.) The entire cooling system was completely clean internally and brand new 50/50 mixed coolant phosphate free of course mixed with distilled water. I have done numerous bleeds on the entire system now, it's perfect. The van runs very cool, no issues.
Brand new radiator, new radiator hoses. The radiator housing and both support brackets were prepped and repainted as well (see pictures).
Manual transmission fully serviced with new CV seals, new transmission CV axle seals, new transmission oil. Fully rebuilt German GKN CV axles, these are the best ones you can buy. OEM multi point bolt heads and serrated washers for all axle mounting and torque to specs.
The entire rear shifter mechanism was cleaned, grease, new shift rod and elbow boots. It shifts like new.
Front brakes are all brand new, new ATE rotors, new ATE brake pads, new Meyle brake hoses, remanufactured front brake calipers, new bearings and seals. Brand new backing plates. Stops really nice as it should.
Full front end alignment just done after restoration, drives perfectly straight down the road.
Rear brakes are also brand new. New ATE brake drums, ATE brake shoes, ATE wheel cylinders, new left rear wheel bearings and seal. New Meyle rear brake hoses. All the good parts
Newer master brake cylinder replaced by previous owner, brake fluid reservoir was fully cleaned. I used over a gallon of new brake fluid during the entire flushing. It is super clean now and brakes work as it should. Stops nicely with a firm pedal feel. Hand brake properly adjusted.
The entire original gas tank was removed for inspection, it is super clean on the inside so I opted to use the original tank. The aftermarket gas tank is not as well made and not made as well as the OEM ones. I only use aftermarket tanks as the last resort. Entire fuel tank was cleaned inside and out and repainted. Brand new seals / grommets throughout, new breather pipes, new German hoses used throughout. Pinchless clamps used here also. New fuel sender( super important). New fuel filter, all new fuel lines. Both bottom gas tank brackets refinished and new bolts. See pictures.
The propane tank was sent out for powder coating color matched grey, the original grey ones was painted as well as new ones from Manchester. I prefer to get them powder coated as they will last longer and will not start to rust like the new ones within a years time. New filler valve, new bleeder valve and new topped off propane of course. Both burners work like new( see picture)
Front suspension has been thoroughly inspected and everything replaced as necessary. Brand new Powder coated GoWesty no lift springs front and rear( I had springs powder coated because GoWesty only paints their springs and within a year they start to show rust) New radius arm bushings, new sway bar end link bushings, new upper ball joints, new tie rod ends. New KYB shock absorbers. Everything else is still in good condition. Front end complete alignment was done, it drives perfectly straight down the road. Rack and pinion is in good condition, no issues. Full drain and refill of the power steering fluid, power steering fluid reservoir was removed and cleaned, new power steering filter .
Rear suspensio, GoWesty rear no lift coil springs, new spring pads, new KYB shocks, both trailing arms were cleaned inside and out and repainted.
While the entire dash was removed, entire dash blower motor/heater core was fully cleaned. All the old vent foam was replaced with new foam and seals. All metal flaps were cleaned and repainted. New blower motor. This was a huge job. The heater core is still in good condition. Most shops would charge a minimum of $1000 for this service( see pictures)
All the air duct hoses were cleaned as well as all the vents.
Fan works in all 3 modes, the heater works as it should.
Brand newKenwood excelon KMM-X704 Am/Fm/Bluetooth, Pandora, HD radio, USB quick charge outlet, compatible with all i phones and androids stereo, brand new front TS-G1020F speakers , new Hirschmann antenna .
New 12v dash outlet with voltage display with built in USB C and USB B outlets
All dash lights are replaced with bulbs along with LED map and overhead lights.
The instrument cluster was inspected, bulbs replaced along with all dash light, the speedometer cable was replaced by prior owner, works perfectly fine .
The speedometer is perfectly accurat, I checked the speed with my GPS. Cruises at 70mph at 4k rpms. This is because of the 16 inch wheel set up vs the original 14 inch wheels.
Wheels are from a Mercedes CL, I prefer these 16 inch wheels over any other wheels available out there because they are forge, super strong and only weighs in at 12.5 lbs each as compared to GoWesty 16 inch alloys which are 25 lbs each. Unsprung load weight is important, read up on it. These wheels fit perfectly, no wheel spacer, and the offset is perfect. I had all 4 wheels sandblasted and repainted base coat/clear coated in Mercedes silver and put on brand new Michelin Defender2, size 215/60/16 with a tread wear of 840, the latest tires they make today. Brand new center caps painted to match and brand new VW logos. This set up cost me over $2500.
The spare tire has a DOT of 2022 and is like new. Pressure checked and ready to go.
The spare tire carrier has been sent out for powder coating, along with both supporting arms sandblasted and repainted. Spare tire carrier bolt, anti seize applied so it will come off easily .
Also included are a new lug wrenc, gloves, towel, original floor jack and a carrying bag.
3 Brand new cut to code keys, 1 of the keys are brand new original OEM VW metal keys. 2 spare metal key and the original key. I only do it this way, because the feeling of using a brand new cut to code key feels so nice when turning the ignition / locking and unlocking the doors. It's all in the details.
1 key unlock all doors including the original gas cap.
Both headlights, low and high beam housing was cleaned inside and out, they tend to get condensation inside. It is now super clear as seen in pictures. Brand new LED bulbs both low and high and properly adjusted. New headlight adjusters were replaced where necessary.
Both front top and lower grill were refinished and brand new VW grill badge. Brand new rear hatch VW badge as well as the VANAGON GL badge is brand new.
Brand new front turn signal lens and new bulbs, new stainless steel screws.
Brand new side marker rear lens with new backing sealing foam so dirt does not accumulate between the lens and body and new LED bulbs, new stainless steel screws.
Tail lights have all brand new bulbs, new stainless steel screws.
Brand new GoWesty hookups, 110, sink faucet, and water tank fill.
Original German made driver side mud guard to protect the propane tank, this is how they came from the factory.
Interior as previously mentioned was removed and thoroughly cleaned. All bedding mattress covers were removed and hand washed . All curtains were removed and hand washed . Interior smells fresh now.
All interior carpets were remove, shampooed, scrubbed . pressure washed to rid off all the grime. All new all weather floor mats added throughout to keep original carpets nice and clean sourced through GoWesty.
Both front and rear seats were shampooed and steam cleaned sterilized.
Both front seat belts are brand ne, as the old ones have slow retractions and often does not retract all the way and it's irritating to have the slack hit the doo, or closing the door and hitting the door jamb areas causing paint damages when you are exiting the van. None of that any longer.
All interior closets have been cleaned also.
The stove top was cleaned, both burners work perfectly, see picture.
The sink has a brand new submersible water pump, Shurflo faucet kit from GoWesty,all lines have been cleaned, it works perfectly. I cleaned out the entire water tank and sanitized it. It is now empty to keep clean. See picture.
The original fridge has not worked for many years, I decided to install the GoWesty fridge elimination kit for more storage. See picture. I recommend using a portable cooler, which is more efficient and a whole lot colder than the original fridge ever did.
Both table legs, stove top panel, sink/stove hinge housin, fridge lower grill, and rear seat rail were sent out for powder coating to match original Dove grey.
The rear heater, the one that sits under the rear seat that no one ever uses has been removed for additional storage. I will be more than happy to include it for the new owner.
Brand new Kidde fire extinguisher rated for all A,B,C fires with a 12 year shelf life.
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I took extra time to use anti seize on many of the nut, bolts, screws to prevent any future seizing, this requires extra time which I highly doubt most shops will ever do .
Brand new starter Napa battery, 03/2025.
Brand new Interstate marine battery for the power inverter and powers all the accessories.
Inverter is a Powerbright 1100:
1100 watts continuous power, 2200 watts peak power. Modified Sine Wave Car Inverter converts 12V DC to 120V AC Power•1100W power inverter connects directly to a 12V DC battery to power small appliances and charge devices•This inverter has all the protections that you will need. Overload, over-voltage, under-voltage, high temperature, and short circuit. All of this is displayed on the LCD screen as well as input voltage, output wattage and battery level•2 USB ports 2.4A each, 2 standard North American AC outlets
The van passed strict California emissions on 04/09/2025 .
I have put over 100 test miles on the van to make sure everything is in proper working condition, bleeding the cooling system, adjusting the brakes, checking all lights, adjusting timing, adjusting belt tensions, check axles bolts, checking for any oil or coolant leaks, plus a bunch of other big and small things, it's a big check list .
Zero oil leak anywhere, I made sure of that.
I have done over 60 start ups running up to proper running temperatures and complete cool downs. Never taken it over 4000 rpms. never over 1/2 throttle. This is recommended by GoWesty for proper break in periods. This is recommended until it reaches 1000 miles then another oil / filter change is recommended. Conventional 20/50 motor oil is best.
I would not hesitate to take this Westy cross country and back .
As compared to the stock 2.1 liter motor, the GoWesty 2300 cc motor you will notice a lot more torque, it's a great motor and very reliable that I have used in many of my restorations.
Factory air conditioner works perfectly. Brand new condenser ( GoWesty) brand new AC lines from front condenser to the compressor. Fully serviced, new A/C dryer, new A/C compressor, updated to R134. System fully vacuum tested and new PAG oil and Freon.
It has not been camped in or used in any way. Just road tested miles to make sure everything is in proper order..
Has been garaged since full restoration .
I welcome all independent vehicle inspections, Broad Street Auto in San Luis Obispo, Ca. is one I highly recommend.
I am pretty sure there are many other things that I have gone through and forgotten to mention here, and I know every square inch of this van since I took it all apart and put it all back together. If you have any questions or want additional pictures. Feel free to send me an email we can chat that way or I can call you back.
Regarding transporting or pick up. I will be more than happy to work with the buyer to help you find one or work with one you have sourced.
Deposit of $500 is due after you win the auction and the remainder we can work it out to your preference.
