Warui’s VW Kombi was once a lodge in Nairobi

In 2005, Steven Warui was a budding musician in Kenya. He owned equipment such as guitars and speakers and to transport them, he would always hire a truck. This was, however, not sustainable since he needed to save money to buy more equipment and start making professional videos. The plan was to buy a car.

At the time, Warui says, new vans were costly but he managed to get a 1968 model Volkswagen Kombi that was rotting away in Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya.

Historical car

According to Warui, the 55-year old Kombi belonged to the then Foreign Affairs Minister in the first Jomo Kenyatta government. When the Minister’s driver was retiring, he (minister) gave it to him as a retirement gift. The driver kept it for a few years until he was unable to maintain it and parked it in one of the Kenyan slums.

After acquiring it from the retired driver at $300 (about Ksh30,000), Warui cleaned the car and later replaced the tyres. When the engine successfully started, he drove it for eight years without painting it. The Kombi has over the years maintained its signature classic colonial number plates it was given in 1968 when it was imported into Kenya.

Updated

It was in the ninth year that Warui embarked on restoring the Kombi. For example, the seats are heated, a feature that comes in handy during cold weather. Also, its radio system that can be connected to your phone has a full navigation system. If you want directions to any place, you speak to or type into the system where you want to go and the smart screen will display Google maps or a route chart to your destination. The radio system can also audibly read phone messages.

“If someone calls and I am unable to answer the call, the system automatically replies and communicates to the message sender to wait,” Warui explains.

The Kombi was also fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) speedometer to comply with Kenya’s maximum speed limit of 110km/hr. The speed limit was installed because of the car’s powerful 2500cc engine that can tempt you to drive above the recommended speed limit. When you reach the speed limit, the system sounds an alarm. 

Altitude and engine performance

Because he enjoys exploring nature, to know whether he is driving up or downhill, Warui also fitted his Kombi with an altitude gauge. This is because some places in Kenya have altitudes of 2,900 metres above sea level while others are at 2,000 metres above sea level. Other gauges on the dashboard give the driver information about how the engine is running, its temperature, oil pressure and engine speed. It also has a map gauge to use to check for trip statistics.

For instance, from Nairobi in Kenya to Kampala, Uganda, Warui drove 644km. The gauge displays the maximum speed, average speed, total time and total driving time, among others. For safety, the Kombi also has a dash camera that has GPS and coordinates of wherever you are.  

Apart from speedometer and engine gauges, the rooftop of Warui’s Kombi was installed with a solar panel that charges the battery that powers the TV and fridge, all of which were fitted during restoration. Also, the middle seat row reclines to turn into a bed for camping. The TV is positioned behind the co-driver’s seat to allow you watch while lying on the passenger-seat- turned bed, with indoor curtains  

Engine performance

Initially, Warui drove the Kombi with its original engine for 16 years. It had an air-cooled mortar that was 1600cc. He had driven to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi many times with the 1600cc engine. Parts such as piston rings would wear out and start smoking and would be replaced for another 100,000km. It was a fairly good engine but Warui argues that it had two challenges.

The first was that it was severely underpowered. When he drove in hilly places or for long distances, it would struggle to maintain momentum with other cars. For example, a five hour journey would take approximately eight or nine hours and it would be draining. The second challenge was that the 1600cc engine had to be handled gently.

Swapping the engine 

In 2021, Warui swapped the Volkswagen Kombi 1600cc engine for a 2014 model Subaru Outback 2500cc engine. This came after test driving a 2014 Subaru Outback for three months, whose excellent and reliable power and fuel consumption won him over.

“It is the biggest and most critical modification I have ever done on this car and it has been the most rewarding. I did engine swaps for my clients but had never swapped mine. With the exception of buying the engine, I did not incur any costs because I did the conversion at my workshop,” Warui recalls.

Unlike the old 1600cc engine, the swapped engine has a feature called Intelligent Automatic Valve Lift System (IAVLS) that works just like the Variable Valve timing with Intelligence (VVTI) of Toyota brands. The IAVLS system responds with the load and the terrain and adjusts accordingly, while also minimising fuel consumption.

Service and maintenance

Much as the Kombi has been fitted with modern equipment, its minor service is done after every 5,000km or after three months, while major service is done after 30,000km. Warui usually replaces plugs and brake pads. On average, this costs $20, which is equivalent to KShs2,000 and $80, which is equivalent to KShs8,000 for major service.  A manual transmission by design, the Kombi uses petrol and covers 14km per litre of fuel.

About VW Kombis  

The Volkswagen Kombi 1968 model was the first version that came after the split window. It is called a Type 2 A because there are three types 2s’; the Type 2A, which was the first one, the second was a crossover and the Type 2C. The indicators of the 1968 model are below, while those of the Type 2C are on top. The earlier model of the 1968 model has small taillights while the newer one has long tail lights. A few features were changed