1989 VW Wolfsburg Vanagon 3.6 Carrera
VIN # WV2YB0258KH060345
157,000 Chassis Miles
50,000 Engine Miles
Blue Star Blue/Gray on Gray Cloth Interior
5-speed G50 Manual Transmission
Clean and Clear California Title
California Smog Legal with current EPA/BAR Sticker
No Accidents or Paintwork
SoCal Car
Offered at $57,990
Lipstick on a pig…NOT. More like a supermodel in the morning. There is simply nothing to hide with this “sleeper” VW Vanagon hot rod! So many of these Porsche/VW Van conversions are simply a tired/battered old Van that someone shoehorns a tired/battered Porsche motor in. This is SO NOT that. This is a very clean original and desirable Wolfsburg Edition Vanagon with over 250 well-thought out and engineered horsepower. If Porsche and VW ever came together to build one of these, this is what it would be.
I’ve driven several VW Conversions and many of them are down right scary. They’re like driving a Heineken Can tied to a bottle rocket. However, this one was a very pleasant surprise. It sounds like a Porsche; it drives like a Porsche; but, when I look in the rear view mirror, I see seating for 7 plus a bed and a fold-out table. It’s wild. This VW drives like it was always made to have 6-cylinder air-cooled power. It is addicting. I can’t imagine driving a stock VW again. I’m ruined!
The owner started with a very nice original 1989 Wolfsburg edition Vanagon. This is the more desirable model with it’s upgraded and functional interior. It still wears its original paint, which is testament to the fact that it has never been hit or abused and it has never been plagued with rust. The exterior does have the normal expected patina from 20 years of use. There are some small chips as well as some door dings. We will have paintless dent removal do as much as they can as we want to keep the paint original. The interior is all-original as well and looks great. There are no tears, cracks, or rips. It is bone stock inside and looks like it was rarely used.
The first step was to convert the water cooled engine set-up to a 3.6 liter twin-plug, air-cooled 964 Porsche engine. This is a great choice of engines due to its incredible low-end torque. The engine conversion was done by Dieter Wanderer who is very well known for his Porsche 356 work and more recently, he has become an expert on Porsche Engine transplants in VW buses/Vans. Dieter was a VW trained mechanic, worked on a privateer 917 team in the can am series. Has been making Porsche conversion kits for the VW busses since the 80’s. A custom built engine cover with heat shield was created from the stock component and looks very much like a factory finish. Then, a rebuilt G50 transmission with new clutch was installed to ensure reliable shifting for years to come.
The final step was a way to make this bus both stop and turn with its new found power. Porsche 993 Twin Turbo “Big Red” brakes were installed with Porsche brake pads at all 4 corners. Plus, the owner had a custom designed part to allow the emergency brake to still work…not an easy or inexpensive task. Finally, custom hubs were built to fit 8.5”x18” GT2 hollow spoke front wheels and 10”x18” hollow spoke rear wheels from a Turbo.. Not only do they give you a hint of what lurks beneath this sheep-like veneer, but also allows the van to have enough rubber to handle all the power. Finally, new Bilstein shocks were installed with Weitec springs. This setup not only gives this VW the right look, but also allows it to handle the twisties much better than stock without compromising the ride quality.
The owner installed the larger 22.5 gallon fuel tank from a factory South African Vanagon. This extra capacity really makes sense for long highway cruises. The best part about this conversion is that it is totally legal here in California. This is by far the toughest state to get these conversions to pass the strict smog certification. Not only does this vehicle pass, but also it even has the “much-coveted” BAR sticker from the state.
The interior really maintains that stock look and ride. The gauges were redone and recalibrated for the new engine and everything looks stock as if it were done at the factory. That’s what makes this vehicle so great.
Included with the vehicle are extra keys, Porsche factory aluminum spare, original sales brochure, and the conversion records.
Also, California registration is paid through May 2011
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or paul@autokennel.com
For tons of pictures, either cut and paste the following URL into your browser, or click here: http://www.AutoKennel.com
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