Date:         Sat, 1 Feb 2003 14:07:12 -0800
Reply-To:     Ki <ki@CLOUDFACTORY.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ki <ki@CLOUDFACTORY.ORG>
Subject:      advice needed on selling or parting out tiico syncro.
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

hi all,
so after quite a bit of thinking i've come to the difficult decision(90%)
that i need to get rid of my 87 syncro.  the only thing that is holding me
back is the amount of money i've dumped into it(which is also one of the
main reaons i feel like i need to get rid of it!!).  if i had the job that
i did 2 years ago i would definitely keep it without thinking twice, but
times are much tougher these days and i can't justify dumping any more
money that i don't have into it.
 also i live in california and my smog is coming up and unfortunately i
installed the tiico engine under the assumption that it was smog legal(any
other ca. tiico owners out there feel like they were slightly deceived
when they purchased the tiico conversion?)

so i'm trying to decide whether to sell the van whole or part it out.
about the only thing wrong with the van now is some body damage on the
sliding door where it ends where my girlfriend ran into one of those steel
posts that protect gas pumps and some rust on the side rear wheel flare
area.).

Things i've done in the past year and a half)
1.  entire tranny rebuild(replaced everything thing that is replaceable)
by weddle engineering  $2400
2.  tiico engine with under 20,000 miles($4k)
3.  new rebuilt starter(200 +)
4.  new front rotors and ball bearings(withlabor $1k)
5. master cylinder on clutch(can't remember how much)
6.  new steering pump($600 with labor).

so any suggestions on whether i should part it out or sell it whole?
it would be a little more difficult to sell it in ca since it isn't smog
legal which would exclude any potential ca resident from purchasing.

or should i just keep it considering how much money i've dumped into it?

my original plan was to keep it forever and  not fix the body damage and
just drive it into the ground.  i truly love my van for it's functionality
and usefullness but the fact that everything that goes wrong with it is
usually 2x more expensive to fix than a non syncro van is sucking my bank
account dry.  i think i'm just looking for a reason(any reason to keep
it).

ki