Page 23 - TT-145_v2

MEMBER’S MOTOR
Transporter Talk No 145
Continuing the new addition to Transporter Talk magazine, this instalment features Club member Liam Quinn’s van. Here is what Liam had to say about VW Ownership and his van, “Doris”.
Ever since I was a young boy I have had an interest in all things automotive and camping. My uncle used to have a Comer camper which my mum and dad used to borrow so we could have a family holiday. These were some of the best times of my childhood and I rst saw a 1976 Westfalia when I was about 7 years old. It was green with a green Westfalia interior and was owned by my sister’s friend’s grandparents! I thought to myself, “When I grow up I would loved to own one”. I had tried many times over the years to own one but could not a ord one due to one thing or another. It then came to my 30th birthday and I thought life is it too short to not follow your dreams, so I set out in the search for my camper.
I purchased Doris in July 2013. She is a 1972 crossover with day van interior. I had been searching for a bay for some time and had been to see quite a few. I stumbled across Doris in a Piston Heads advert and fell in love with her straight away. She was painted in the desert camou age paint you see today. Situated in Ipswich, which was a 6 hr drive from where I live in Skelmersdale, I had to go and see her so I booked a week o work and called the seller, driving down the next day. I nally had her in
front of me and she was better in person than in any pictures, although she needed some jobs doing. I took a test drive and had a massive smile on my face, so had to buy her. It was late in the day so was unable to get the funds until the next day. I booked a hotel for what seemed like the longest night I have ever had. I was nally ful lling my childhood dream of owning an air- cooled camper! The next day I was up early and it took most of the day for the bank transfer to go through, but nally she was mine. I set o on the 7hr trip back up north and it was the best drive I had ever had. I named her Doris May after my late grandmother who passed away in 2012 at the age of 100.
Here is a small account of some of the work I have completed on Doris:
Interior
I took out the dash and rear interior and re- trimmed this myself with vinyl and laid a laminate e ect oor. I also insulated behind all the panels and then later added a new leisure battery and LED lighting with some brown suede thermal curtains. After driving Doris for a while I found I needed a little more storage for camping gear, so then with the help from my
23