Date:         Thu, 15 Apr 2004 18:48:40 -0700
Reply-To:     Greg Irick <gregi@VWTYPE3.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Greg Irick <gregi@VWTYPE3.ORG>
Subject:      Just Bought My First Westy and I'm completely STOKED (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Hi Everyone,

I just bought my '80 Westy and I'm really excited about it.  Unfortunately,
2 and a half years ago the PO's daughter was driving it and it had just
started to rain after a dry spell (you can probably guess where this is
going).  Well, she comes down 11th ST in Bremerton, WA (which is downhill)
and makes a left turn onto Warren Ave. (a major street) and spins the Westy
around hitting the right rear wheel against the curb hard enough that she
breaks the stub axle and drops the Westy down onto the right rear backing
plate (Ouch).  They had the Westy towed home and that is where it has sat
for the last 2 and a half years.

Now here is my requests, does anyone have a stub axle, an axle nut, and a
passenger side rear backing plate for an '80 Vanagon?  These are really the
only parts I need right away so I can trailer my new Westy home and start
all of the other work on her that I would like to do before putting her
back on the road.  Other work that I'm planning on doing to make her road
worthy again is replacing all rubber fuel lines, replacing the front brake
pads and rear brake shoes, replacing the rear wheel brake cylinders, and
replacing the poptop and luggage rack seals,  and replacing both batteries
(main and accessory).

I also need to replace the tires and wanted to get the lists opinions on
which tire is the best out of either the 195/75R14 Yokohama Y370 with a D
load range and the 27X8.5QR14 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO's with a C load
range, which do you think is the better tire.  I plan on using my Westy for
camping and fly fishing in the National Forest's and State and National
Parks in WA, OR, and maybe some camping up in Canada.

As for general condition, she is in pretty good condition.  The poptop
screen is in great shape with no holes.  The appliances look like they have
never been turned on (I think the PO had a clean fetish).  I need to
replace the rear bumper due to some damage and do a little touch up paint
work on the rear hatch, but other than that she is a very clean Westy.

Still haven't thought of a name for her yet, I figure that will happen in
due course of the repairs and driving her around and may not happen until
the first camping trip.

Sorry for the length but as you can tell I'm pretty excited about my
purchase.  If any listees are in the Bremerton/Silverdale, WA area give me
a shout off list and we could get together for coffee/lunch/dinner or whatever.


Greg Irick
Silverdale, WA
gregi@vwtype3.org

'65 Notchback with a Britax sliding rag top
'73 Pro-Street Bug
'80 Westy
'88 16V Scirocco (currently for sale)
'00 Jetta VR6
(Yes, I have a lot of VW's)