Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

We drive a classic campervan and a low-rider Volkswagen pick-up

By Shahzad Sheikh

It’s the van that got Europe moving again after the World War, and the Hippies moving after Vietnam and a toke too many. It’s an icon, it’s a legend, it’s a load-lugging workhorse, a globe-trotter on a wing and a prayer, a family favourite, a trendy ride and a flower-power love wagon. It’s the peace-machine with DNA derived from a fascist regime. It’s a contradiction, a comrade, a conveyance, a conundrum, a convert to your cause – whether that be nostalgia or hot-rodding (as depicted through our two subjects) or anything you want. It’s totally easy man.

Click below to watch out video review of the two classic VW Type 2 examples you see in these pictures.

The Volkswagen Type 2 is quite simply an automotive icon and a legend – which is an astonishing achievement for post-WWII British-rebooted Volkswagen if you think about it, because that makes two for two when it comes to epic motoring heroes – the VW Type 1 being the best-selling long-running classic Beetle.

Just as you better know The Love Bug by its more Coleoptera-inspired name, you’d know the Type 2 by… well multiple monikers actually: Bus, Camper, Delivery Van, Kombi, Microbus, Pick-up, Transporter, Samba and so on. It was available in many permutations, from 2 or 4-door pick-up to 4 or 5-door bus or van, during its prodigious production span beginning from the latter part of 1949 to its close of production 64 years later at the end of 2013.

It’s simple ‘Forward Control’ design based on ladder chassis with a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout – employing the venerable air-cooled engines that gloriously defined the Beetle – made it incredibly versatile and customisable – as well as, of course, relatively easy to produce which it was in numerous locations including Germany, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

We’re lucky enough to have two Volkswagen Type 2s for this feature story and video above. Max Morley’s exquisite and original 1978 Westfalia Camper Van (which he calls Kermit!) and Tom Jone’s sensational 1957 hot-rodded pick-up.

Max Morley:

‘My 1978 Volkswagen rolled off the VW Hannover line in late 77 as a plain bare van with windows. He was then transported to the Westfalia Werke , 150km away in Rheda Wiedenbrucke, where the full Helsinki camper interior was fitted. This, in its day, was the pinnacle of camper interiors. It featured a gas cooker, gas/battery powered fridge, a sink with running water, insulated panelling, plenty of storage space and to top it off, two full size double beds.

‘I’d started my love affair with aircooled Volkswagens in approx ’86. My first car, a ’68 semi auto Beetle purchased for £35.00. This, when it ran, took me to and fro from college for 6 months. I then stepped up to a ’65 Beetle, which I still have. This resides in London. Other classic VW’s have included a ’63 Karmann Ghia Coupe, a 74 VW kombi (converted in the UK from an ex Dutch post office van), a concours-winning ’52 sunroof Beetle and an ’81 mk1 Golf. And now my ’78 VW Westfalia Camper, or Kermit as he’s otherwise known.

‘Kermit had officially been scrapped in 2000 and was found in a German scrap yard. This was due to the strict TUV tests that all vehicles have to pass in Germany to remain road worthy. He apparently only failed as a result of excessive smoke from the engine, common to any high mileage car.

‘Once he was back in the UK in 2002, I immediately carried out the full engine rebuild myself. I upgraded the ignition to the later VW electronic ignition, doing away with the unreliable points and condenser set up. I also decided to ditch the primitive original dual Solex carburettors in favour of twin Dell’orto’s which benefited from an individual runner per cylinder. This improved both the gas mileage and HP of the engine.

‘The gearbox was also rebuilt as I had no idea of the mileage of the van. This was also modified a little with the installation of a ZF limited slip differential and a slightly taller 4^th gear. The ZF diff was a factory option on all vans but came as standard on most military specification vehicles.

‘I ran the van around London as a daily driver for approx 10 years in this guise. I then decided to give him a full body restoration as he’d deteriorated a little after I had moved to Dubai. This was entrusted to Beetlemania in London, an ex-customer of mine who I could trust despite being almost 3500 miles away. After his restoration I shipped him to Dubai in 2013.

‘As with any classic car there are always jobs that need doing. Kermit will get additional fan assisted external oil cooler, this will help to keep his engine temps down and improve longevity. I’m also trying to find a pair of original green front door panels.’

Tom Jones:

‘I had been looking for an early VW single cab for some time. The early ones have smaller rear lights, pressed bumpers and even a 3rd brake light!  I found one in Florida earlier this year and had it shipped to a friend in California. Once there my friend did some work on it adding safari front windows and painting the cab roof white. He drove it around Malibu and L.A for a few weeks and then it was shipped to the UAE. The colour is sealing wax red and a special order from VW before 1958.

‘Upgrades to the truck are engine, gearbox, brakes and some creature comforts in the form of a Retrosound radio in place of the stock 50’s radio. Retrosound make drop-in radio replacements for various classic cars and I put their latest Bluetooth model in the truck, syncing up and listening to my music couldn’t be easier!

‘The engine is 2276cc based on 1600 case bored out to 94mm and with an 82mm crank, Engle 100 cam, mild heads and all topped off with dual 44 Webers, gasses are expelled using a Tiger A1 muffler tucked up in the bodywork out of site. The gearbox is from a 70’s Super Beetle with higher ratios to allow cruising at motorway speeds, top speed back in 1957 was around 55mph (89kph)! The braking system was originally a single circuit with drums all round, now there is a dual circuit master cylinder and disc brakes up front, you still need to use some effort as there is no servo but it is vast improvement over the original braking system.

‘The truck being 58 years old has stood the test of time well and most panels are original. It had a sympathetic restoration a few years ago so while not a show-winning example it is a great daily driver you can jump in and go! There are lots of small jobs I want to do to the truck and one of them is to fit some gauges to monitor the engine, an Autometer tach, oil temp and pressure gauge will be in soon.

‘I think of this truck as a rolling project as us VW heads are always looking at ways to improve our classic rides!’

Liked this feature?

See also:

We bought a DeLorean

Jensen Interceptor & FF Silver Slammington

1987 BMW E30 M3

1982 Pontiac Trans Am KITT replica

2001 Lotus Esprit V8

Porsche 356 Replica

1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

Citroen 2CV

1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia & 1965 Giulia Sprint GTA

1965 Ford Mustang

1980 Fiat X1/9

1970 Volvo P1800E

1966 Cadillac Eldorado

Please leave your memories of the VW Type 2 and other comments below!