Date:         Mon, 7 Jun 2004 10:21:32 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Dead vanagon in the middle of the road... (kinda longish)
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So we were driving into town Friday morning and the automatic tranny in my '87 died. It seemed a little soft when I backed out of the drive, and when I took off forward, but then it 'settled', as it were, back into a more normal feeling as we went to the end of the street. Took off normally out onto the highway, went for a little over a mile and was going about sixty when it just... faded. The speed slowly dropped while the rpms stayed more or less the same, with a couple jumps during a more noticeable slip. All in all, it was probably the most graceful death of a drivetrain component I've ever felt; it was weird. Anyway, reverse still works, so I got on a dirt road adjacent to the highway and backed home. Lots of fun.

Later in the day I backed it down some back roads to the tranny shop about 1/4 mile down the highway from here. Got some interesting looks. They're going to call me back with an inspection teardown estimate and a full rebuild estimate, but I'm pretty sure I already know what I'm in for; while I'm thinking of it, however, if anyone that's had a full auto rebuilt done wants to let me know what it cost them, I'm sure it would help me get a more accurate/comparative picture.

I have a couple of options as I see it. I have a line on a an '88 with an auto in town that's in really good shape except it has a 'bad motor'. I've been wanting to buy this van for a possible conversion and I can probably get it for a very good price. I'm gonna go talk to the guy about it today. My options then would be to swap that tranny into my current van (quick and easy) and save the other for the later conversion, or swap my motor into the new van (not a big deal, just more involved) and have a somewhat newer/better van than what I had. I would keep my current van so I would still have options for repair or conversion.

A junkyard in town found me a tranny on the system. Since I wouldn't have any real idea of what I was getting, I think I'm going to avoid that route if at all possible. Btw, this guy got an auto Vanagon in a couple of months ago, and thought he would never sell anything off it, so he crushed it. He felt a little sheepish telling me that. : )

Another alternative is to try to have my cake and eat it too, so I'm asking if anyone out there has a working auto tranny they'd like to part with, and I'm also interested in a 'runnable' 2.1L. I won't be ready financially to make a move right away (next two weeks or so), so I'm trying to figure out what's available and where it is so I can work out an idea on total cost including shipping for various options. 

TIA,
Robert