Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 12:41:00 -0800
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
Organization: The Cobalt Group
Subject: Re: Vanagon safety and design?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Ha! Ignoramus insurance agent, I'll be he used to be a used car
salesman, and for Dodge to boot!
When your number is up, your number is up. Check out the attached
photo. The Vanagon driver's number wouldn't have come up in this one,
not true for the other guy. http://www.251.org/volvocrash.html
If you change your mind there is another guy on the list who will buy
it! Todd, have you stopped weeping after reading this post yet?
Jennifer Jones wrote:
>
> Hello - I will update further on this in another message, but I am just on
> the brink of buying an '85 Westy with 75K original miles, in excellent
> condition (haven't seen it in person, but was sent about 5 pictures and it
> looks immaculate), for $6500. I'm planning on having the owner take it in
> for a compression test, leak-down test, and maint. inspection. Anyway...
> was just on the phone with my insurance agent to see about rates for the
> Westy. He spent about 20 minutes trying to talk me out of buying it!
>
> His main issue (along with lack of power and crappy gas mileage) was safety
> and design. He said Vanagons just fold up like an accordion when hit. He
> basically said the design was terrible and that it was analogous to he and
> I went going into a garage and building a car. He specifically mentioned
> the how everything was run by cables that run underneath the car, and that
> these are susceptible to corrosion, etc.
>
> Anyway, given that eventually I want to use the camper for touring (as in,
> musical) and want to tow a small trailer with equipment behind, he tried to
> talk me into getting an early '90s Dodge Caravan with a 3.0 L engine. Said
> the they got great gas mileage, were very safe, and had a lot of power.
> And, that I could convert the inside into some kind of camper.
>
> Now, it must be said, he didn't change my mind - I want this Westy ! I
> also think Dodge Caravans have about as much character as a cardboard box.
> But, he did give me an interesting perspective. It must also be said that
> he's just the agent, not the underwriter, he so isn't in charge of whether
> they'll insure the van or not. It's possible they won't (guess they're
> afraid of people living in 'em - he he :)).
>
> I hadn't heard that about the safety, or about Vanagons being poorly
> designed. Obviously, since we're all on this list, we don't have the same
> opinion., but I was curious as to people's response to his views...
>
> Thanks, JJ
>
> (soon to be : '85 Westy!)
--
Stuart MacMillan
Manager, Case Program
800-909-8244 ext. 8208
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