Date:         Wed, 12 Apr 2000 21:57:07 -0700
Reply-To:     Bill Calder <bcalder@TELEPORT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Calder <bcalder@TELEPORT.COM>
Subject:      Couldn't bear to part with my cherry '89 Westy
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

I thought I'd share this brief story with the list because the list played a role in saving me from the 
precipice....Thank you all....

I am a lucky owner of a super clean '89 Westy with 34k original miles. 
Bought it a few years ago when it had only 27k. It was unbelievable. The camper had never 
been used, the original blue celophane was (and still is) wrapped tight around the stainless cover for the stove. 
The body was perfect, the motor strong. Everything was mechanically perfect. It had all the original reciepts, manuals, floormats, record from date of entry into US, even an original '89 Vanagon sales brochure from the dealer the guy had bought it from. It was truly a rare find.

We've really enjoyed it but unfortunately we haven't used it as much as we had hoped, and so when
it came time to purchase another family vehicle for around town, we decided reluctantly we would
sell the Westy. It was hard. Gut wrenching. I polished her up and the Wolfram Grey Metallic sparkled 
like new. There is hardly a ding anywhere. I contemplated putting a note to the list but started with my local paper, and at over $20k. The second caller said he'd buy it, but wanted to have it checked by his mechanic about 80 miles away. Knowing that it was mechanically perfect, I agreed but couldn't get it down there for a few days. In those days I kept coming back here, checking the list, and talking to friends, my wife, and eyeing the Westy in its like new state in the garage. How could I do this, I said to myself. How would I ever replace her? Do I want to start over with a 60-70-80+k miler a few years down the road? In the end, I couldn't do it. I felt really bad but I called the guy and said I couldn't do it. He sort of understood, but he knew what he had lost. If he had bought it the day he looked at it, it would be gone and I would be lost.

So I'm glad to be back, in the fold, with my cherry '89 Westy. It was scary. But the list and vanagon.com helped bring me back into the excitement I had when I bought my first camper, a '72, then the '80, and now the '89.  Whew!! Thanks to everybody!!


billc
'89 Westy
(photos/website avail on request)


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