VW T25 Buyers Guide

T25 Buyers Guide Strip

What follows is a brief VW T25 buyers guide to the VW T25 Transporter and is best read in conjunction with our guide to VW Campervan Conversions

VW T25 Buyers Guide

Summary

The T25 or T3 which it is sometimes known as was the 3rd generation VW Transporter by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Produced between 1980 and 1991 it was the replacement for bay window or T2 VW Transporter. Much squarer in design than earlier versions, it was to be the last of the rear engined VW Transporters. Design wise it remained largely unchanged throughout its production run aside from a mild facelift in 1989 in the form of the shift from single round headlights to twin rectangle units along with new deeper fibreglass bumpers. The slab sided design and slightly larger dimensions lent themselves well to camper conversions with professional convertors such as; Autohomes, Autosleeper, Danbury, Holdsworth, Leisuredrive, Reimo and Westfalia all offering T25 VW camper conversions. Available globally in a various specifications, most UK based camper companies used basic panel vans as a basis for conversion whereas Westfalia in particular started with the Caravelle which resulted in a higher specification camper.

Engine / Gearbox

Originally launched with air-cooled 1.6 or 2.0 petrol engines these soon made way for the more powerful water-cooled units available in petrol form as 1.9 or 2.1i flat fours or diesel form as a 1.6D, 1.7D or 1.6TD straight fours. You do see some T25s with 1.9 D or TD engines in them although it is more than likely that these would have been transplanted later on in life. Gearboxes come in the form of 4 or 5-speed manuals or a 3-speed automatic. It’s worth noting that the 5-speed unit features a ‘dog-leg’ first gear which can off putting at first but soon becomes more natural.

VW T25 Engine Options (most common UK versions)

Engine Type Engine Code Size (Ltrs/Cylinders) Power (bhp) Cambelt Intervals
Petrol DG 1.9/4 78 n/a - direct drive
Petrol (Injection) DJ 2.1/4 112 n/a - direct drive
Diesel CS 1.6/4 52 4 years
Diesel (Turbo) JX 1.6/4 70 4 years
Diesel KY 1.6/4 54 4 years

Please note: The information provided within this VW T25 buyers guide is intended as a starting point for potential buyers and should be treated as a source for basic reference only.

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