Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 00:03:08 -0500
Reply-To: Alan Pickersgill <alanpick@MAGMA.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alan Pickersgill <alanpick@MAGMA.CA>
Subject: Advice on 92 Eurovan
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I'm thinking about buying a 92 Eurovan GLS 180,000 km asking price $4500 Canadian - from used car lot.
Claim is that it is a one owner car traded to a local Nissan dealer and wholesaled to the used car lot. I may be able to get phone number and contact original owner? If so would like to have some good questions to ask.
Am looking for tips on where to look for evidence of common Eurovan Trouble - rust and mechanical.
Condition
I had a quick look/drive and its overall condition seems "fair". Didn't have a chance to crawl around - getting dark and good clothes on but body looked solid, some minor repainting - back hatch and under left headlight.
Inside seemed pretty clean and not very worn for age.
I forgot to look for or check air conditioning, but otherwise things seemed to work as they should including heated seats, power mirrors, windows door locks, radio, (didn't try cassette).
Intruments
I believe there is a common problem with the instruments in Eurovans. I noticed that gas gauge and temp gauge seemed to be dead - no movement from key off to key on. Is this a big deal?
Driving Impression
Front brakes were very rough with pulsing peddle - felt like rotors/pads would need to be change for sure.
Transmission itself seemed smooth enough shifting but there was sometimes a distressing chassis sensation on shifting - difficult to describe. Sometimes felt like maybe the clutch was not fully disengaging prior to shift or that engine mounts or transmission mounts might be broken/weak?
Anybody know what this might be, how to diagnose for sure?
Engine seemed OK, no funny noises and no smoke I could see of any colour - tried high revs in 1st gear and sudden back off to see if it would smoke - none I could see.
Not much power but that is how they are I think?
Please send thoughts advice and impressions of the price - especially Canadians who might know the price in $ Canadian. Kelly Blue book online seemed to be saying about $4,000 US for a "fair" condition van in Texas.
Any advice is appreciated.
Ottawa Canada
Alan
|