In the summer of 1979, Volkswagen presented the latest offering in their line of hugely successful Transporters – the T25, also known as T3. As the last VW to be produced with an air-cooled engine, the first models came with a 1.6 litre or 2 litre flat four. In 1980, a 1600cc inline primitive diesel was introduced, as fitted to the first VW Golf, and then in 1983, the 1.9 litre water-cooled flat four boxer was released. A further update around 1985 saw bigger 2.1 litre engines added with fuel injection and upgraded cooling system.
The T25 (T3) had many noticeable differences from previous Transporters, namely that it was now bigger and heavier, and more angular in shape. Produced in several variations including single cab and double cab pickups, minibuses or Caravelles, and panel vans, many were also shipped straight from VW to the numerous campervan conversion companies including Westfalia, Devon, and Holdsworth.
Let us introduce you to Club80-90.co.uk
Club80-90.co.uk is a dedicated club and forum for owners and admirers of the VW T25 (T3) vans. The name stems from the fact that the T25 was mainly produced from 1980 to 1990 and within this active online community, members and users will find all the information they need to on buying a T25, maintenance and servicing, and hot tips for getting the most out of owning a VW van. We caught up with Mocki, Club80-90 memberships admin, to find out more…
When did the club first form and how many members do you have?
Club80-90.co.uk was formed in 2000 by Simon Baxter, who now owns Brickwerks, and the late Steve Shaw who went on to start Gas Sure. Both stepped down to concentrate on their daily lives back in 2005, and today the club is run by a small team of five people. Three admins and two moderators of the forum.
With just over 17,000 full members and 32,000 users registered with the forum, Club80-90.co.uk is totally internet based, and free! The team running the forum agrees that it will always be free and prefer not to have any adverts on their web page or forum other than dedicated supplier pages.
How does the club operate?
Back in the early days we had an old style “bulletin board” on EzBoards and a minimal web page consisting of a few pictures. This was managed by Steve and Simon before we moved to a forum of sorts. When Steve stepped aside in 2005, a couple of us took over the admin, rebuilt the web page, and moved to bigger hosting. Finally, with the help of two or three past members, we built the current forum and web pages. Everything we do is done in our spare time.
The club operates entirely on a donation basis. When we require money for web hosting etc., we put out a request on the forum and hope everyone throws a pound in. As soon as we have enough to last us, we switch off the means to pay. We have no committee or bank, no finances as such, and we don’t want any!
Tell us about the vehicles covered by the club?
Club80-90.co.uk is a club for all VW T25 van owners and enthusiasts. The T25, or T3 as it is known in the rest of the world, is the third generation of the VW Type 2, the Transporter. The T25 is the last VW van with the engine at the back, before the T4, T5, and T6 with inline front engines came along, and has the square shaped upgrade from the old traditional round fronted T2.
Does the club offer technical support or maintenance advice to members?
Club80-90.co.uk caters for all – if it’s happened to you, someone has been there, and done that! We cover all aspects of ownership and all models – be it a pick truck, a panel van, camper, two wheel drive, and four wheel drive. Plus there are topics on mechanical, bodywork, electrical, and camper interiors. The information is all there, gathered from personal experiences over the last 22 years.
How about you Mocki, how long have you been involved?
I have owned T25s since 1997 and I found Club80-90.co.uk back in 2002 when my second T25 suffered engine issues. I “popped in” for information and have been here since, taking on the role of sole moderator in 2003 and taking over as membership admin in 2004.
We currently have three T25s. My ‘88b Tin Top Auto 2.1 Camper, my other half’s ‘83 High Top Camper, and a 1984 Tin Top which has been off the road since 2012 and is in dry storage… I will get around to digging out one day. I haven’t owned any other vehicles apart from T25’s since 2005!
Do members receive benefits or discounts for being part of the club?
The club offers discounts with a few select suppliers and companies. These are available for club members rather than general forum users. Although we don’t have banner adverts and pop-ups on the forum, we ask that members go to the discounts page and contact the suppliers directly if they require their services.
Club80-90.co.uk members receive a 15% discount on their VW campervan insurance premium with ClassicLine Insurance. Be sure to mention that you are a member of Club80-90.co.uk when requesting a quote.
Does the club organise any meets or events?
We don’t really have any set meets these days, although we have in the past. We tend to work on an “if you fancy a meet up, put the details on the forum and if others want to join, they will turn up” kind of set-up.
We generally have a presence at the bigger shows, although these can be expensive to attend nowadays.
What makes you feel proud of being a member of Club80-90.co.uk?
We have kept Club80-90.co.uk free to join and use. We have been around a long time and have managed to stay true to the club’s ethos, and we are the biggest T25 owners club online!
Any top tips for those looking to buy their first T25?
Anyone thinking of buying a T25 should read the T25 buyer’s guide. Do your research and take your time. Remember bodywork is key, it is the most expensive part of restoring or maintaining an older VW camper. All the mechanical bits are relatively simple, it’s basic spanner work.
And finally…
Go and visit the Club80-90.co.uk forum. All the information anyone could ever need is either on the forum or our extensive private wiki pages.
So, these are the people behind one of our favourite car clubs. Working hard behind the scenes to create the go-to source of information for T25 owners and maintain a welcoming online community for owners and enthusiasts. Club80-90.co.uk, thank you for being our club of the month.
ClassicLine Insurance offers a range of car club insurance schemes that can provide revenue for your club as well as benefits and discounts for your members. To find out more about this and our specialist club liability insurance, visit our car clubs page.
