Ray Tubbs wrote:
>
> Although I'm the proud (second) owner of an '86 Westfalia Wolfsburg I have a
> chance to pick up an '82 Westy full camper with diesel power.  Under 100,000
> miles, new interior, no AC but generally good condition.  What kind of
> concerns should I have about the diesel and what should the price range look
> like.  Thanks
Ray, after just going thru this myself, I would recommend a couple
things, first visit the Volkswagen Westfalia Diesel Page at
www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw/  I think it could shed some light on the
subject. I have had other vw diesels and love them. This one is slow and
a bit noisy. It takes a little getting used to, but I still really like
it. It also has a top speed around 65 or a little more. Mine seems to
cruise at 60 pretty easily on the level, even 65, but I would'nt push it
any faster. 60 seems pretty happy. What are your goals in buying this
van? To use it as is? To keep it diesel, or convert to a inline 4 cyl
gas? I want to keep mine as it is, and possibly some day; convert it to
a turbo diesel with highway gearing. If your goal is to keep it as is,
I'd recommend a lenghthy test drive- a 1/2 hour out and a 1/2 hour back.
That should allow any head gasket problems to show itself. I took my van
for a shorter ride and did'nt find out it needed a head gasket till on
my way home. As it heated up, it started pushing coolant out the
resivoir and out the overlow tank- especially at highway speed. Got lots
of green polka dots of green antifreeze all over the back of the van. A
compression test may also be a smart idea? It shows the overall health
of a diesel engine. Anyway my head and engine turned out to be okay. And
with a couple weeks or tinkering, a new gasket, head bolts pressure
test, and a couple hundred bucks- she's running great. No more polka
dots and rising temperature guages. Westy Diesels aren't speedboats, but
are fun, economical and dependable. Just my 2 cents. Feel free to e mail
me if you have any questions.   Joel Hembel- 82 Westy Diesel/Wisconsin