Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Thu, 21 Nov 2002 09:54:01 -0600
Reply-To:     Bruce Nadig <motorbruce@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bruce Nadig <motorbruce@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      History - Magnum PI Van On eBay
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

A week or so ago someone posted this eBay link to the list showing the Magnum PI Vanagon for sale:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15296&item=1872513533&rd=1

I contacted the owner about the history. I requested the VIN number but he did not send it to me. Here is the reply he sent me.

Take it for what it is worth. I have no financial interest in this van. I just thought the information might be helpful for anyone interested in bidding or anyone simply wanting more Vanagon trivia.

Please don't contact me with questions about the van. Contact the owner via eBay.

> >Thanks for writing and here is the history of this van. Let me know if you >need anymore info.. > > >Here is the history of this van. I bought it in 1996 from my friend who >bought it from The Hawaiian Flying Balloon Co. They bought it from the >production Co (Universal Studios), in Honolulu when the show Magnum P.I. >stopped filming in 1988. > >In 1984 the production Co. (Universal Studios) in Honolulu took delivery of >6 VW vans and 1 Audi 5000S from Ala Mona VW and Audi of Honolulu. And the >van that I have now is one of those vans. 1984 was the first year for the >water cooled VW van. VW of America drove one of those 6 vans across the >U.S. >as a promotional tool, then had the van shipped to Hawaii to be used in the >Magnum P.I. show. I tried to contact VW of America to find out what the VIN ># was of that van to see if it was the one that I have, but as of this date >no luck. VW of America told me that they would have to research it and let >me know and I'm still waiting. > >So, in 1984 these six vans where sent to a custom paint shop in Aeia, HI >just outside of Honolulu to be painted into the Island Hopper vans. I have >seen photos and meet the son of the painter who painted all the vans. Then >they where turned over to the production team to be used in the show. They >where all used until 1988 when the show stopped filming there in Hawaii. I >know the mechanic that worked on the show to repair the vans and he still >lives and owns his own VW repair shop in Honolulu. At the time of filming >he >worked at Ala Mona VW. He continued to work on my van after I bought it. > >In 1988 the production Co. sold off the assets of the show. Everything. All >the vans where sold and the Audi 5000s and also the red Ferrari. (Larry >Malitie (spelling). I believe bought one of them. Also Universal Studios in >LA has one on the back lot that you can see during the back lot tour. I don >t know what happened to all of the vans except one other. It was in >Washington State or Oregon the last I heard. The lady that owned it emailed >me once to ask for some info, and I do believe she sold it. To whom I don't >know. > >And so the Hawaiian Flying Balloon Co. of Honolulu bought one and used it >as >a promotional tool when driving deliveries thru Honolulu. They drove it >till >it was worn out. And then parked it and let it set. Now this is where I >come >in. They put it up for sale and a friend of mine bought it, because I did >not have the money at the time to buy it. > > >So he bought it and it was in rough shape. He replaced the carpet and the >door panels, but the rest of the interior is all org. The paint on the >outside of the van is still the org paint. It has a couple of rust holes in >the front bottom by the door and by the A/C drain. But not bad at all, and >for being on an Island for as long as it had been. The salt air is a killer >out there. > >Well I had always told him if he ever wanted to sell it let me know because >I wanted it bad.. Well that day came when he moved back to the mainland and >did not want to take the van with him. The reason? It was not running at >the >time. So he left it with me and then he sold it to me about 2 months later. >And so I started to fix it up. I put new tires and had the engine fixed, it >was always over heating. I drove it as my main mode of transportation. It >was great so many people would follow me or stop me to ask all about it. >Take pictures and just look at it. So it was great. Well in 1999 I moved to >Atlanta. And brought it with me. That Sept the engine just gave out. So I >bought one from AVP in Washington state to fix it up. I had it put in and >keep driving it as my daily driver until Aug of 2000 when I was leaving >work >and 1st and 2nd gear went out on the way home. So I drove it home in thrid >and fourth gear and parked it in my garage and shut the door. > >I had just plan to let it sit and get some well needed rest. So I went out >and bought a new car. And then in Jan of 2002 my work decided to move me >back to Hawaii. Before I lived there from 1988 to 1999. So now I have all >of >these cars, because I did not plan on moving again. So I had to make the >hard choice of what to do. I really don't want to sell the van, but I don't >have anywhere to keep it. And so I just decided for the best to try and >sell >it to someone that would love it as much as I do. And that takes us up to >date. So that is the history of this van..(of what I know) It is sitting in >the garage and I start it up twice a month and just try and keep the dust >off of it. I have it up on jack stands to keep the tires in good shape. >Well >after all of this if you are still interested then let me know and we can >talk about it. I'm asking 3k for her which is a great price for this >collector's car. >

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