1982 Vanagon Westfalia
Sep 1st 2021
"WHEN TRAVELING THE WORLD IN MY VAN, I NEEDED A SET OF GAUGES I COULD RELY ON. MY SPEEDHUTS HAVE NEVER LET ME DOWN." - SHANE JORDAN, Vanagon Owner
Shane Jordan doesn't like to stay in one spot for long. He's been on the road in his decked-out '82 Vanagon Westfalia for months now, every day traveling to a new spot along the East Coast. "I love the constant stimulation and exploration and adventure that this Vanagon gives me. Every day is a different place; there's always something new to explore."
His next destination in the "Westy" is Argentina, a spot on the map that takes him down to the tip of Baja, in a ferry to mainland Mexico, and through Central America. "I'm planning to drive the Panamerican Highway, so this is a test drive to see what breaks and fix what breaks."
'Fixing what breaks' is a strong point of Shane's. He not only learned to fix his VW, he built an electronics repair emprie ten years ago, which gives him the freedom to live out of his Vanagon while traveling the world.
But living the van life wasn't always Shane's aspiration. He preferred fancier cars when he was younger, and somewhere along the road he decided to buy a classic Volkswagon Beetle. "As I started to learn how to fix it I came across the whole Volkswagon community, and that's when I discovered the Westfalias," which are basically compact camper vans, with every part folding out like a Swiss Army knife. "It just blew my mind, the engineering, and how it was a classic car but you could still use it" Shane says with a tinge of excitement in his voice. "They're not garage queens--people actually still use these cars for their intended purpose, which is rare for a classic car."
So when Shane bought his own Westfalia for $4500, he drove it across the desert from Flagstaff to his home in Los Angeles--and it died in his driveway. Typically, a person might feel discouraged at that point, but Shane considered it a bonding moment. "It's like, yeah, this thing broke but it got me all the way through the desert and then broke in my driveway."
For a guy that has a knack for fixing things, a broken-down Westy proved to be the start of a beautiful relationship.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Shane's VW Vanagon Gauges:
• 3-3/8" GPS Speedometer
• 3-3/8" 8K Tachometer
• 3-3/8" Quad
Check out Shane's Website and follow his Van Life Journey
Visit North Westy for excellent VW Vanagon repair work and customization.