Your Rides: 'Louie'

Your Rides: 'Louie'

About Your VW 

Year: 1984

Mileage: Unknown

Fuel Type: Diesel 1.9 normally aspirated diesel which I believe may have come from a Mk 3 Golf. 

Vehicle Model: VW T3 Doka

Import? (where from):

No

Louie

Have you named your VW and where does it come from?

Her name is Louie. Named after my biological Mother who was forced by her mother who was a high ranking officer in the South African Salvation Army, to give me up for adoption. She has apparently had a hard working life on the mines in Kiruna and environment for many years. 

When and where did you buy your VW?

Well... I have replaced and fixed the following:-

  • Drivers seat
  • Dashboard fan unit
  • Windscreen wiper water pump
  • Rear seat side windows with slider units
  • Indicator relay, glow plug relay, ignition switch and lock and barrel.
  • Steering rack, boots, tie-rods and tie-rod ends, mounts and seats.
  • Bball joints, both upper and lower.
  • Wishbone bushes, upper & lower.
  • Anti roll bars, damping rings and bushes
  • Fuel tank, breather valve and all the other megubbins that go with it
  • I have bought the parts to replace the steering column bushes, clamps and couplings
  • Front brake disks, callipers and pads, brake lines.
  • Rear nearside brake drum.
  • Gear stick with full refurbishment kit.
  • Alternator and fixed wiring
  • Battery, as well as main leads and earthing cables.
  • Electric engine winter heating system and plug in point.
  • Speedo cable
  • Diesel pump but installed an additional electric fuel pump to help out.
  • Starter Motor with a brand new one.
  • Rocker cover gasket and sealer
  • All filters
  • Wheel bolts
  • Tyres
  • All wheel bearings
  • All fuel lines
  • Fuel tank and inlet piping
  • Radiator fan unit.
  • Overflow water tank
  • Thermostat two speed switch
  • Fixed windscreen wiper bolts
  • Windscreen wiper pump and fixed reservoir leak
  • Accelerator cable
  • I've bought complete CV Joint Kit and will replace once temperatures reach above 10°c in June next year.
  • Wheel alignment, camber and tracking done all round.
  • Exhaust system
  • I scraped her down to bare metal and slapped on a thick layer of red primer and sprayed on a topcoat as an interim measure

Louie

What are your future plans for the VW?

We are going to take the van on a European road trip as well as Morocco, European Russia and the UK.

Before that we still need to build, install or replace the following:-

  • 60 liter water tank
  • 60 liter diesel tank
  • Complete rewiring with modern fuses
  • Replace all lights and light covers
  • Replace shocks with a heavy duty version
  • Replace the springs with a lift kit heavy duty version
  • Replace the bumpers front and rear
  • Install a solar kit
  • Install a converter... 2000 watt probably
  • Install 12 volt lighting in the pod
  • Install extra batteries
  • Replace front windscreen with a heated version if possible
  • Replace all side windows with anti-smash glass
  • Replace all gear linkages between gear shifter and gearbox
  • Renovate engine and gearbox
  • Replace all engine bay piping with silicone based pipes
  • Replace all clips and cable tidies wherever they may be found
  • Replace the diesel warmer for non electric hookup winter/cold starts
  • Replace radiator
  • Install an oil cooler
  • Install extra gauges to monitor engine and electrics
  • Install a reverse camera
  • Install a dash camera
  • Install spare wheel mounting racks
  • Install 52 inch roof mounted light bar with remote control
  • Install rear and side facing LED work lights which also add a safety factor
  • Replace is engine mounts and mount bars
  • Install an air scoop, simply for cleaner air
  • Install additional air filtration
  • Install additional oil filtration
  • Install a between the seats secure storage with cup holders
  • Replace all rear suspension bushes, joints and parts possible
  • Re primer, re spray and rubberise the underside.
  • Sort out a reasonably safe and stable roofrack.

What have you bought from Just Kampers

We have bought a great deal of the above installed parts and probably will buy the vast majority of the remaining to be installed parts from JK.

What are you looking for next?

An awning

Louie

About You

Your Name(s)

My name is Tam, originally from South Africa, and have lived in SA, Namibia, Israel, England, Scotland, The Outer Hebrides too, Wales, and now Northern Sweden. Have traveled to a few other contries as well! I really love VWs and can honestly confess that I am seriously NOT GOOD at all things mechanical.
I have ideas aplenty though...

Is this your first VW?

Absolutely not! How could you even think such a thing?

Do you own any others?

Sadly not right now. Wouldn’t mind a collection of T3s in every conceivable configuration known to mankind

Who enjoys your VW?

Well... me of course! And my fiancé once Louie is up and running. My Swedish fiancé Hanna is rather excited with Louie and is VERY happy with the hobo pod.

Where do you go with your VW?

I have driven from Ålvsbyn to Blidö, an island a little north of Stockholm as well as from Luleå to the three borders area where Finland, Norway and Sweden meet. And obviously a lot of driving to Jokkmokk and such areas in the near Arctic. 

Do you have any amusing or fantastically memorable stories whilst enjoying your VW?

A couple of years ago I found myself between abodes so my van became my home in the forest for 5 months. Much canoeing and walking was done during that summer. 

3 years ago