BID ON THE-SALEROOM.COM
According to information kindly supplied by the vendor, `GAL 270D' began life as an 11-window `Splittie' equipped with a Dormobile roof and Westfalia camper interior. Resident in Bath prior to entering the current ownership during 2010, the Volkswagen was thoroughly restored and upgraded over the next three years. Stripped to bare metal and repaired as necessary the body received four coats of paint prior to lacquering, while the underside was both painted and waxoyled. Refurbished brightwork from stem to stern complimented the Safari windows up front and six pop-out windows to the sides.
Fitting an early Bay Window ball-joint front axle assembly not only allowed the ride height to be dropped by circa two inches (without compromising the suspension or steering geometry) but also permitted the installation of front disc brakes. Sourced from Creative Engineering, a rack and pinion conversion resulted in a far more positive helm.
The adoption of a Bay Window brake servo and independent rear suspension components plus Koni adjustable shock absorbers all round gave more modern driving dynamics. An important consideration given the extra performance available from the uprated Type 4 2-litre engine (stainless steel exhaust, twin Weber carburettors, Empi heads with 40mm inlet valves etc) and slicker-changing VW Beetle 1303S four-speed manual gearbox.
Extensively rewired and converted to 12-volt electrics, the Camper also gained more effective windscreen wipers and washer jets plus a 240-volt hook-up, leisure battery, Radio/CD/Sat-Nav (with facility for iPhone connectivity) and reversing camera etc. The `walk through' interior features a stainless steel hob / sink, fridge, Propex thermostatically controlled heating system, light oak rounded cupboards, rear seat belts and rock `n' roll beds.
Riding on five-spoke alloys and showing an unwarranted 73,000 miles to its odometer, the rejuvenated `Splittie' has been used by the vendor for trips with friends to the Goodwood Revival and Cholmondeley Pageant of Power etc. Far more capable / comfortable on long journeys than in its original guise, `GAL 270D' is worthy of close inspection. Offered for sale at a fraction of its build cost, this re-booted Camper is accompanied by numerous restoration photos / invoices and a MOT certificate valid until April 2016.