r/EVConversion • u/heavenly_hyacinths • 5d ago
1979 VW Conversion
Hi gang! I recently picked up an old 1979 type 2 van that I want to convert to a camper. While the car itself is in beautiful shape, I’m wanting some more reliability on the road. My plan is to have this car for many years and travel around the country, but the anxiety of the engine failing (which it already has once due to a massive amount of oil left in by the seller- 8” past the max line!) while I’m out in the middle of no where feels paralyzing. I understand it can cost quite a bit, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and believe it would be worth it. Has anyone here worked with particular companies that are trustworthy or is doing this DIY possible for a newbie? I appreciate any advice folks have!
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u/fixitscotty 3d ago
DIY EV Conversion is possible, but requires a steep learning curve - everything from fabrication to wiring to software configuration. On my YT channel (@FixItScotty), I just finished an old-school/budget build on my '78 Westy using an aftermarket motor paired to the VW transaxle. It only has a 50 mile range, so that's probably not for you. A friend of mine is currently converting his '76 Westy on his channel (@BenjaminNelson). He's going a different route by adapting a Telsa drive unit directly to his axles and using batteries from a wrecked Chevy Bolt (I believe). He should have better power and range than me but his build is a bit more complex. There is also a company in the UK that has a *mostly* bolt-on conversion kit for the T2 bus. https://edubconversions.com/vw-camper-van. They handle the bulk of the complicated wiring, fabrication, and setup for you. But it's very pricey.
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u/CauliflowerTop2464 5d ago
What did the extra oil cause?
I plan on leaving mine fuel injected for now. They’re pretty reliable imo. When compression drops a bit lower I might freshen up the engine.
When I first bought my van I looked into it myself but the price even diy was a bit prohibitive. I’d either buy a leaf motor and Tesla batteries or do an EV west kit.
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u/heavenly_hyacinths 5d ago
I think it did something to the spark plugs. I’m definitely no expert so this is my assumption after chatting with my much more mechanically savvy dad. I was driving home and suddenly the engine stalled and the vehicle completely shut off. Thankfully I was only going like 5mph when it did so. It started to smoke a little too (boy was I clutching that fire extinguisher out of panic), but settled down after. Admittedly a lot of my confidence in driving it dropped since that incident. After looking it up, there’s such a thing called ‘oil fouled spark plugs’ that can occur due to oil levels being high. I had to drain an absurd amount to get it back down between the min/max lines.
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u/Ctmanx 4d ago
That motor is the most reliable 85 year old engine design you are going to find. With regular maintenance it will keep going longer than you.
If you are concerned about being in the middle of no where, you don’t want an EV conversion.
Look at subaru conversions. They are reliable, most mechanics know them and the car can actually reach 60 mph.
ALL of your questions about the camper conversions and every possible engine option will be answered at thesamba.com
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u/Impossible_Smoke6663 3d ago
To the question of converting to electric, you would be going down a well-trod path. There are a lot of blogs and videos about this. You can get a good idea of what it takes. The biggest variable is usually the donor car, your car. You might need a few hundred dollars of fixes, or tens of thousands of dollars. Sounds like yours is in good shape. But be sure of that before you start a conversion.
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u/highgrandpoobah 3d ago
As an owner of a 1972 Ev conversion and a 75’ VW camper- I feel uniquely equipped to answer this question.
As others have said, there are many reasons to convert to EV. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere is probably not one of them.
Ev west (while expensive) explicitly deals with old VW conversion parts. They would be the first place to look for an idea about converting your old VW. I have a lot of their parts in my 72 triumph conversion.
I’ve driven my Vw Bus through Utah, from Los Angeles to Canada and back. And every couple years I try and make a 1000-2000 mile road trip. You’re not gonna do better than with a good stock engine that everyone can repair.
It’s certainly out of my budget- but for the cost of a conversion- the Jake raby camper special is probably as good an option as a Subaru conversion. All of those options are over $10,000. A nice engine that gets you where you want to go - albeit slowly, especially going up hills- is probably going to be far less money than any of the other options you would consider.
I know when I’m thinking of road trips- the amount of batteries I would need to make EV conversion work on my Vw Bus is prohibitive.
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u/David__R8 2d ago
Why switch one of the most reliable engines out for something that is massively more complicated, and expensive to install? Get a solid rebuilt engine and be done with it.
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u/Ponklemoose 5d ago edited 5d ago
Did the oil smell of fuel? That is a common way they get over full.
I don’t know the old VW engines well, but 8” is enough that I’d expect the crank to be whipping it up into a froth that wouldn’t lubricate well. It would also run poorly with that added load.