Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 23:53:10 -0700
Reply-To: Brian Wawzonek <b_waz@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Brian Wawzonek <b_waz@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: long-distance Vanagon buying (I did it)
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<P>Bought it 800 miles away via the net, and had to turn the radio off and imagine I was sitting right in front of it and wrote down every question that my eyes would go past. The seller was very good about answering, yet not to forthcoming on the details he didn't think were too important, like that slow oil leak. Of course, rust and accidents were top on the list, then all running gear components. Chrome, outside rubber parts, tires, glass, hubcaps, paint, etc. As well, something noted as small is always bigger than described. Mine was bumped off the towtruck when in for the new transmission, a small dent on a rear corner, is about as big as an orange, and half as deep as one and does affect the rear door closing. Interior, again, ask every little question your eyes would look at. This worked very well, as there were no surprises that way. Luckily as I was leaving him, he mentioned that once in a while the gas pedal went to the floor, and he just put the little arm back on. On the way back home, as soon as it got dark, it went to the floor, i put the arm back on, tried it, and it fell to the floor again. I tried to adjust it a little more, and zip, down through the hole... gone, me without a flashlite. I got out, reached around underneath, checked the ground by feel, and still nothing. Dropped the spare tire, and still nothing. At that point, it was sleep there on the side of the road, not sleeping much with the trucks passing by, or try to limp to the next gas station. I was fortunate enough to have some tools, and managed to slip a screwdriver through the hole in the floor, and somehow into the linkage for the pedal. I could only max out at 40 mph, but made it to the next town, bought a flashlight and saw the boot that went over the linkage. Unscrewed it, and found the arm and wired it back up. Made it home, another 500 miles away. Have been really happy with the van, except for the oil leak, which wasn't mentioned as it was so small, (i asked later when I got home) and the brakes done a year earlier had only 10% left on them. Always a tough decision, but overall I probably saved 1500 to $2500 by heading out of town. Would I do it again, yes, with the same questions plus more. By the way, I was prepared to get back on the plane after flying there, if it wasn't what I wanted. </P>
<P>Brian Waz</P>
<P>85 Westy GL<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>From: Mick Kalber <HOTLAVA@INTERPAC.NET>
<DIV></DIV>Reply-To: Mick Kalber <HOTLAVA@INTERPAC.NET>
<DIV></DIV>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>Subject: Re: long-distance Vanagon buying (I did it)
<DIV></DIV>Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 18:57:52 -1000
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Good advice. I would add not to examine it in the rain.<
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I once bought a Mercedes Benz 220S at night. Big mistake. Exterior was a
<DIV></DIV>beautiful black... interior was lovely red leather. All electrical systems
<DIV></DIV>operated perfectly. Car ran like a dream. Price was right. What I didn't
<DIV></DIV>notice is that the bottom was so rotted out you could sit in the back seat
<DIV></DIV>and watch the road go by... through the floor. Also, one of the reasons she
<DIV></DIV>ran so smoothly was because she needed a ring job and valve job... so badly
<DIV></DIV>that she used a quart of oil every 100 miles! Maybe that's why the price
<DIV></DIV>was so low, eh? Night is not the time to buy a car. Duh!
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Mick
<DIV></DIV>Hilo, Hawaii
<DIV></DIV><br clear=all><hr>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at <a href="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</a>.<br></p></html>
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