Date:         Wed, 31 Aug 2005 12:04:36 -0400
Reply-To:     Paul Guzyk <paullist@GUZYK.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Paul Guzyk <paullist@GUZYK.COM>
Subject:      Selling our California Subie Westy in the Northeast for $14k
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

I'm about to list this on Ebay, but thought I'd let the list know first.

Sorry about the verbage, but I wanted to answer as many questions as
possible in one shot since I have limited access to email.

I figure this Westy with the Subaru engine is worth around $14k US.
I'm currently in Nova Scotia, heading towards the NYC area by labor
day.  If anyone is interested pmail me all call me on (917) 561-2088

Lots of photos here:
http://www.californiavan.com/subieExterior/
http://www.californiavan.com/SubieInterior/


---------------

1987 Westfalia for sale.  CLEAN, Automatic, Loaded, from California
with Subaru engine.

This classic genuine VW Westfalia camper was sold new and has always
been registered in California. It just arrived in the Northeast and
is now for sale. It's a fantastic camper for a family (sleeps 4) that
enjoys nature. The body is straight and clean and it has approx 171k
original miles. The interior is in very good condition. A Subaru 2.2
engine was installed less than 10,000 miles ago. The engine runs
excellent. My wife and I just drove it from San Francisco to
Vancouver then all the way across Canada to Newfoundland with no
headaches at all. (9000+ miles total). We are only selling it because
we are moving to New York City and have no space for a vehicle. If we
were living anywhere else other than Manhattan we would be keeping
this wonderful campervan.

Five great reasons to buy this Westfalia:
1) If you live on the East Coast, you can get a clean, rust free
California Westy without expensive shipping costs. I can even deliver
to your door anywhere in the Northeast for a very reasonable fee.
2) You can enjoy the van THIS FALL, then start using it again in
EARLY SPRING. If you wait until next spring to buy your Westy, prices
will no doubt be higher.
3) The Subaru engine has 50% more power than the VW engine and is
more reliable.
4) The Automatic transmission allows anyone to drive it.
5) It has been upgraded/maintained by a Westfalia enthusiast who
enjoys traveling in these vehicles, not someone who just resells them
to make a quick buck. My wife and I have driven to Alaska/Yukon,
Mexico, Central America, across Canada, and all over the US in
previous Westies we've owned. This one is by far the most pleasant
and powerful one to drive.

I would feel comfortable taking this van on another lengthy trip immediately.


Exterior
The exterior of this Westy is really nice. Most people who see this
van cannot believe how nice it looks for a 18 year old vehicle.

Overall, the exterior is above average for a 1987 Vanagon. Some
restored VW Buses from the 60's and 70's and now selling for over
$20k. Who knows what Vanagon Westfalias will fetch in another 5-10
years as they become more collectible. If you take care of this van,
it should only go up in value as time goes on.

There are some minor dings and scratches here and there but the
FACTORY PAINT JOB shines like new. The silver California RV
placard/sticker is still on the van. (Required by the state when the
vehicle was sold new in California). Some areas of the stick-on
stripes on the side of the van have started to peel away.

As far as I can tell, this van has never been in an accident. All the
body panels look factory original. The front (nose) of the van above
the grill has some blemishes but is hidden by the bra (which is
included with the van). The undercarriage is perfectly straight and
rust-free.

The Uniroyal Laredo Heavy Duty "LT" tires are in fair to good
condition. The original VW 14" alloy wheels look great. The
headlights, turn signals, wipers, horn etc, all work as they should.
The rear wiper is not currently working but I have a spare mechanism
that I can include with the van.

All the doors fit well and close easily with a satisfying "thunk".
The rear hatch struts work perfect (i.e. the hatch stays up on it's
own). The chrome bumpers are straight and the black end caps have
very minor blemishes.

The van has factory central locking (aka power locks) and it works
perfectly. If you unluck the driver or passenger door all doors on
the van unlock. When you lock the driver or passenger door, all doors
on the van lock.

Interior
The front seats have no rips or tears. The drivers seat has been
replaced with a "Recaro Style" custom seat which is great for long
drives. Both front seats can be swiveled, but the drivers seat cannot
turn around more than about 90 degrees because the kitchen unit is in
the way.

The Westfalia cabinetry is the grey version. This is much more
desirable should you ever sell the van than the beige or "wood
paneling" style that was offered in earlier years.

The original rear seat fabric is in excellent condition. The rear
mattress pad over the engine is in good condition.

The carpeting shows some wear. You can easily cover it with floor
mats or an inexpensive carpet from Home Depot or Ikea.

All windows except the windshield are tinted. This keeps the van
cooler in the summer and gives you additional privacy. The windshield
has a few minor "rock dings", but no cracks.


Comfort Enhancements
This van is loaded! Automatic transmission, Power Steering, Power
Brakes, Power Windows, Power Mirrors, Central Locking, Cruise
Control, AM/FM Cassette, and A/C.

Everything is working EXCEPT the A/C. The van had factory air, and
all the pieces seem to be there but you will need to at least have
hoses made by an A/C shop to connect the Subaru compressor to the VW
system and a recharge of the A/C system.

The van also comes with a modern, two-way ALARM SYSTEM that was
recently installed.

Subaru Engine Upgrade
People love their Vanagon Westfalia's. The only complaint is that the
factory engine is underpowered and prone to cooling system problems
(head gasket leaks etc). A popular upgrade is to install a Subaru 2.2
"boxer" engine. The engine in this van is from a 1991 Subaru Legacy.
The engine had 120k miles when it was transplanted into the Vanagon.
You can learn all about the Subaru conversion by going to the Yahoo
Group http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/subaruvanagon/

The Subaru engine allows you to accelerate quickly and cruise at
modern freeway speeds.

To have a Subaru engine professionally installed, it costs $7,000 to
$8,000. If you do it yourself, it costs between $3,000 and $4,000. If
you already have a Westy and were thinking of doing a Subaru upgrade,
it may be easier to buy this van and sell yours.

The front shocks were replaced with Koni shocks from BusDepot 10,000
miles ago. The driver side front disk rotor was just replaced.

Camping Gear
The rear seat easily folds into a bed "downstairs" and sleeps two
adults. The upstairs bed under the pop-top is in excellent shape.  It
can sleep two adults, but usually kids want to sleep upstairs.  The
pop-top canvas tent is showing signs of wear and has a few very tiny
holes.  The bug screen at the front of the tent has some holes also.
In the next year or two, you can replace it with one of the
aftermarket tent units that have 3 ventilation windows (instead of
1).  A new tent costs between $280 and $380.  (see GoWesty.com at
http://tinyurl.com/i6xo) If you are a handyperson, you can install
the tent yourself with their instructions.<br><br>

There is a swing out table that can be used in the rear of the van
and another that is for the front area. (see photos).

There is a 3.0 Gallon propane tank underneath the driver's side of
the van. The two burner propane stove works great. The fridge is
super clean and is designed to work on 110v, propane, or 12v,
although I never tried the fridge on 12v because propane is so
efficient. If you leave the fridge on 24/7 and use the stove a few
times a day you can go a month or so before filling the propane tank.
You can also drive at highway speeds and the propane fridge will stay
"lit".

The sink works and there is a 13.2 Gallon on-board water tank with
electric pump.

The original FULL SET of privacy curtains are included. When all the
curtains are installed, you have 360 degrees of privacy and nobody
can see inside.


Powertrain and Drivability
Overall, this van is in great running condition. I would feel very
comfortable with the buyer leaving for a long trip in this van.

The Subaru 2.2 litre fuel injected engine starts up instantly and
sounds great. Even the engine compartment is exceptionally clean.

With the Subaru engine, this van has excellent acceleration (better
than most Vanagons). The engine runs very smooth at cruising speeds.

The transmission shifts smoothly and feels solid. It does not "grind"
or make any funny noises. Even the exterior of the transmission is
very clean compared to other Vanagon transmissions.

The steering feels solid and the van goes straight if you take your
hands of the wheel.


Delivery/Shipping
I will accommodate transporting the vehicle to you as best I can.
Personal delivery within 1,000 miles of NYC is possible at a
reasonable price, email or call me with your situation. For
nationwide Shipping Quotes go to: carmoves.com,
dependableautoshippers.com, or aa-autotransport.com.


Paul Guzyk
(917) 561-2088