zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?
At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:27

Nice Price or No Dice 1987 Volkswagen Doka

VW never officially sold Vanagon Dokas (Double Cab) in the U.S., but as today’s contender proves, they’re desirable enough to warrant a DIY effort. Will this one’s present price prove equally desirable?

Yesterday we looked at a , a classy coupe that, nonetheless, couldn’t generate much interest amongst all of you. Add to that many warnings peppering the comments about the potential problems the car’s Northstar V8 might encounter and there wasn’t much hope for the seller’s $10,999 asking price. In the end, the Eldorado didn’t go for the gold, falling instead in a 63 percent No Dice loss.

Image for article titled At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?

For those of you new here and are gazing in wide wonder at today’s while questioning who took a saw to the back-half of that poor Vanagon, don’t worry, it’s a factory job.

This T3 is a double cab work truck, sort of Germany’s version of our F-150 pickup. That’s earned the model the name DoppelKabine (Doka for short) and most are three-door, rubber-floor, get the job done and go get a beer, non-nonsense affairs.

Image for article titled At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?

This one sports traffic cone orange paint and, according to the sparsely-worded ad, over 200,000 miles on the clock. With what looks to be a non-turbo diesel under the floor in the back, you can probably imagine those miles took an eternity to pile up.

Image for article titled At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?

But pile up they have, and amazingly, this Doka doesn’t look totally shit-shorn for having exercised its odometer so aggressively. The bodywork is relatively straight and there doesn’t appear to be anything more than surface rust anywhere on the truck.

Being a forward-control truck means this is an incredibly space-efficient workhorse. You get a roomy cabin with seating for six, with a six-foot bed behind that. It doesn’t stop there either. Unlike your traditional American pickup trucks, the Doka has gates that fold down on three sides and an under-the-bed storage space behind the cab, just like Rivian RT.

Image for article titled At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?

Of course, that utility comes at a price. There is a total lack of civility and accessory to be had here. Still, if you’re cool with vinyl seats (save for that GTI driver’s perch), rubber floor coverings, and no A/C, then this might be the truck for you. As noted, the seller doesn’t give us much to go on here, stating only:

Great daily driver 2WD with a diesel pusher. More details coming soon. Not interested in any trades. Thanks for looking!

Hey, you’re welcome, Doka dude or Doka dudette! There may be more info coming soon, but you know what? We’re in a hurry. We’ll just have to assume that the engine is the typical-for-the-model 1.9 liter oil burner and that with 200K on the odo things like the timing belt, clutch, and brake pads have all been cycled through at least once. The ad does note that the title is clear. That’s a recent innovation on Facebook Marketplace, the most craptacular classified ad venue on the planet.

Image for article titled At $15,500, Could This 1987 VW T3 Type 2 ‘Doka’ Be Your Type of Truck?

What we also get from the ad is that this Doka’s price is $15,500. And, since it’s being offered with that clean title in Florida, we can assume that all the pesky paperwork needed to bring it into the country has already been done.

What’s your take on this truck and its $15,500 price tag? Is that a deal to get your Doka on? Or, for that much, is this a work truck with a price that’s just not working for you?

You decide!

out of Navarre, Florida, or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to phalvorson for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
All The Crazy Aero On The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR: Explained
All The Crazy Aero On The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR: Explained
When we went to drive the new we had and then drive it As a racer, he also took us through how all of the crazy aero kit on the Viper actually works in the video above. Enjoy. And here’s a fun GIF of it working: And here’s a full...
Apr 20, 2026
For $2,500, This 302-Imbued 1983 Ford LTD Wagon Is A Light Sleeper
For $2,500, This 302-Imbued 1983 Ford LTD Wagon Is A Light Sleeper
Has there ever been a platform quite so Lego-like as that of Ford’s Fox? Today’s LTD has a lot of pony parts bolted on making it - in the words of its seller - a sleeper. The question will be, is it price something that you wouldn’t mind waking up...
Apr 20, 2026
The New Audi TT Quattro Turned Out To Be The Coolest Daily Driver
The New Audi TT Quattro Turned Out To Be The Coolest Daily Driver
Please put your stupid hairdresser jokes aside for now because is a pretty special piece of kit even if it didn’t turn out to be the fastest thing on a tight mountain road. [ Porsche Hungaria would have given me this TT for a week two months ago, then somebody...
Apr 20, 2026
For $12,000, This 1982 Jaguar XJ6 Is Really an XJ8
For $12,000, This 1982 Jaguar XJ6 Is Really an XJ8
If you think of the 12 as the papa bear and the 6 as the baby bear then today’s Jag with a Chevy 8 should be mama bear just right, right? That is of course, if its price doesn’t require too much of your gold to unlock. In Just Because,...
Apr 20, 2026
Ten Cars That Are Finally Getting The Love They Deserve
Ten Cars That Are Finally Getting The Love They Deserve
Sometimes a car’s launch just doesn’t do it for consumers or enthusiast bases. These are the ten cars that are finally getting the appreciation they deserve. Decent handling, versatility, reliability and value has always made the Nissan 240SX a well-liked car, but it wasn’t until recent times that enthusiasts have...
Apr 20, 2026
The Ten Weirdest Things You've Found In Used Cars
The Ten Weirdest Things You've Found In Used Cars
When going through your recently purchased used car you’re bound to find some signs of the previous owner’s mess. Here are the ten weirdest things Jalopnik readers have found in used cars. My current car may have come with a few pennies and nickels stashed in the center console but...
Apr 20, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved