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Newbee need advice buying first California Westfalia

qyou

qyou

Messages
33
Location
bristol
Vehicle
T4 PopTop
Hi everyone, I'm new to the T4 club and hope someone could help me with a Westy I've had my eye on in Cornwall. It's a 1999 105,000 miles imported from Germany 2008 5 owners comprehensive service history wants 17,500! what do people think? it's been advertised now since Sept last year, MOT till next May, did HPI check comes up clear. I'm going to see it just wanted to hear from folk with the experience around this, this would be the biggest purchase in my life want to be as sure as I can, appreciate anyone's help, advice or guidance. Thanks
 
Is this the blue one on Gumtree in Falmouth that you're on about? It's advertised at £15500.

Looks tidy. I think the roof canvas may have been changed but is the wrong style - sorry that's the trainspotter in me. However the photos don't really offer much to go on. It may of been repainted as it's difficult to tell if the vinyl decals are still in place. This doesn't mean it's a bad van though as you would struggle to get these replaced as supply is very limited.

Beyond its looks though it's worth getting down a having a good look underneath. They are well built but still suffer from corrosion.

If it is this one it's quite a package for the money. But you will still want to make sure you check everything works before starting any negotiations. Even the accessories it comes with too.

Are you specifically after a poptop? There are a huge range of T4 Westfalia variants to choose from.
 
Looks like a California Blue,

http://www.westfaliat4.info/html/1998_vw_westfalia_t4_californi.html and apart from the missing decals and bike rack, everything seems to be standard.

I'd definitely be interested in a look if it was me. However go with very open eyes. Look for the general overall condition of the van, they can rot on the wheel arches and the sliding door step area especially. Check nobody has tried to "tidy" it up to sell it. Look at the documentation carefully and check the MOT history online. If it's been in Britain since 2008 then it's entire UK MOT history will be online and this is also a good way of verifying it's milage. I once tried to buy a standard T4 panel van and when I checked it's online MOT history, I noticed that one year 100,000 miles had vanished off the clock!

Lastly check everything works inside, they are generally well built and reliable, but parts can be costly to replace if broken. Download the manual from the website I've linked too and take along the part about how the control panel works, so that you can test each and every function and make sure that they work.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.
 
A link would help :)
 
Courtesy of @Chris Woodcock's link I stand corrected about the roof canvas. It looks to be the right one. It's worth having a good read of the T4info website though as it has a very comprehensive rundown of all the specs and accessories that could or should be present on an original example. Good luck with checking it out.
 
Looks (at this distance and on my phone) nice. Nice to see photos of them being used. Ask if he still has rear head rests (usually stored in the shed, and lost during selling on).

Look for rust around front wheel arches, and all around the windscreen (all 4 sides). Also on the steel revealed over the windscreen when the roof is raised.

Check everything actually works... Heater heats, fridge cools etc.

Looks pretty fair asking price to me. I don't see a mention of cab air con. Not sure when this became standard, but it's a big deal in my opinion if you don't have it.

Not sure why you'd just list this on Gumtree?
 
Hi... There was a similar question asked on another post in the last few days, i wrote the following:

Just be careful though when looking at these vans, watch out for the ringers (the multivans, caravelles & transporters that have been converted - more than likely with the interior from some poor bugger's stolen California!).

Check the paperwork thoroughly - if the original documents don't say California, then probably best to walk away. Check the service books too, if they don't tally with the mileage or look tampered with, then also a bad sign... Saw a couple of these vans during my search - one claimed to be a California, but there were just too many telltale signs - a colour that didn't seem like one offered for the Cali, the mileage that was not tallying (said 169k but turned out in the end to be nearer 350k!), the interior (which was expertly fitted) that somehow didn't match the specifications relevant for the model year and the final blow, the documents that stated 'multivan' as the model... The link above to www.westfaliat4.info is a great source of info - get to know the model specs, revisions and signs of what is correct for particular model year and you'll be well armed to spot the potential dodgy vans...

(important!)
Also, when viewing, play with everything in the van - pop the roof (check for neat installation - another sign of a non-factory original), spin the seats, try the tap (though if there's no water in the tank don't try it for long!), try the gas burners, run the night-heater, switch the fridge on, flip the bed... Try EVERYTHING - cos anything that doesn't work properly will cost you later... Check there's nothing missing (the table is a sneaky one!), saw one where the rear mattress was missing... things easily overlooked, but additional costs...

You might also be lucky to find a van with all the extras too, look out for awnings (again, test it), thermal window/roof covers, bike racks, etc... Accessories aren't cheap and having these thrown in will save you a lot of money adding later...

I'm no expert on these vans (still very much a newby myself), but doing your homework before going to view can save you a lot of trouble... And remember, if its too good to be true, then most likely it is...

The van on Gumtree seems like a nice example. Though be careful of the mileage pre-import to the UK - for the one i reference above, there was no inter-country checks done. When it arrived in Belgium from Germany, the mileage was simply recorded as what was on the clock and that became the baseline for the Belgian Equivalent of the HPI, but of course it was clocked before it arrived in Belgium and this wasn't checked. It was only through going back to Germany and contacting the authorities there, that the true mileage could begin to be known - if its moved between more than one country then you really have a job to chase it up... Unfortunately for a lot of 'ringed' vehicles in Germany, they're taken between there and bordering eastern European countries to mask the effects of the dodgy dealings. The mileage changes (or indeed rouge conversions) then can get lost in the import/export processes...
Of course, hopefully this is not the case, but just to raise awareness of these practices - Sadly the California is one such vehicle that the perpetrators of these deeds focus their talents on as they're a lucrative business - Knock several hundred 1000 km's off a vehicle and its worth much more - A 15year old caravelle or mutlivan is worth a fraction of a similar aged Cali, put the interior of a stolen Cali into one of these and pass it on to the unsuspecting buyer and you can stand to double (or more) the value of the old van...

So just be wary of vehicles that have been imported/exported to multiple countries...
Not sure if this link helps (http://www.tuv.com/en/corporate/pri...ic/vehicle_inspection/vehicle_inspection.html), but you might be able to follow the vehicle's German history through here if you've any doubts?

Hopefully all checks out and you've found a nice example of a Cali Blue... Price seems to be 15.5k now (was the price drop recent?). If its all in order, then I'd certainly be doing my homework on it - the fact its a limited edition will be interesting in the future too...

Good luck! :thumb
 
Hi again, does anyone know anybody down Cornwall who would be willing to help? I'm hoping to view next week and my friend who was going to go with me has to work,
David
 
Whats important in terms of knowing if it is an original is how the vans paperwork defines the vehicle (it could be that the MOT simply took it as a VW Transporter). In the van's service book there should be a sticker in the front of it (see the image below), here it should state that its a California. Also, inside the van, normally around the drivers footwell, this sticker should be repeated - this sticker quotes the VIN number, paint code, options from the van specification, etc..). In the paperwork, if you could/should have a C.o.C. (unfortunate acronym! - "Certificate of Conformity" - the standard EU document that all vehicles since 1998 or 99 should have which lists all the attributes of the vehicle), this should also declare if the van is a California (see other image).

Mine didn't have decals either, it is an original Cali and so either the van was ordered without (as was possible), they've been removed by one of the owners, or there was some paintwork done (in my case must have been the first or second option as the paintwork was original)...

example service book first page.jpg

example CoC.jpg
 
These are the decals on a Cali Blue. If it's had paint, they may have been removed. It certainly looks like a 'Blue' . Price is good if it doesn't need any major body work.

ccc44e8d99b19442b22420bd539b9699.jpg


1fdb6b364c7240f4e65e191ba18c714e.jpg


Good luck

Simon

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Hi Guy's really helpful advice thank you I have been sent copies of the TUV and the vin number is WV2ZZZ70ZXH045813
I checked this with a vin website and the digits I found were it was made in Hanover Germany 1999. 103558 kilometres 13,02,2008. A guy in my local garage said that its the digits that tell you the type, 70 states VW transporter vans and pick ups, it says the 12-17 digits defines the make, model and unique identifying number for each vehicle, can anyone help with this can you determine a California from the digits in the Vin?
Thanks. David
 
These are the decals on a Cali Blue. If it's had paint, they may have been removed. It certainly looks like a 'Blue' . Price is good if it doesn't need any major body work.

ccc44e8d99b19442b22420bd539b9699.jpg


1fdb6b364c7240f4e65e191ba18c714e.jpg


Good luck

Simon

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
Hi Simon I've just been sent this from the seller, does this confirm its a California?
cid:EEE4A4D6-84A4-470F-92EF-7FC8D18C2EFC
 
I can't see a picture!

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[Hi Simon, sorry about that, having problems loading the jpeg the chap sent me. I can forward it to you in an e-mail?
 
Of course, have sent pm

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Hi All, thanks for all the education with California in Falmouth
Does anyone have or know anyone who has experience of a company called 25seven Campers in Birmingham? Would appreciate any feedback.
David
 
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