Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:14:22 -0500
Reply-To: Peter J Buehler <pbuehler@MIT.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Peter J Buehler <pbuehler@MIT.EDU>
Subject: '89 Wolfsburg edition for sale . . . I think.
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I've been lurking on this list of-and-on for quite a while, thinking all the
time, "Yeah, I've had that problem too" in response to at least one posting a
day. This, of course, engenders strong feelings of camaraderie. And I can
understand how one can come to love these 4-wheeled transport appliances--many
of us are just suckers for unrequitted love. But, damn it, I'm getting old
(still working at 67 because I have two teen-age boys to send to college) and
the peccadilloes of my Vanagon are becoming more and more aggravating the older
I get. Don't get me wrong--I love my Vanagon. I've had a couple of wonderful
trips to Newfoundland over the last two summers, putting 4,000 miles on it each
time with no major problems. It's great for camping and it's beautiful
todrive--I especially love the cruise control--but I don't like the
negotiations
I have to go through with it on cold mornings just to get the damned electric
door locks to relinquish their hold. And that's just to get inside where the
serious negotiations begin. I could continue in this vein for hours but won't;
you all know what I'm talking about.
Anyway, it's a vanagon and therefore not something that I could, with good
conscience,palm off on an unsuspecting member of the general public (and I'm
leaving e-bay out of the equation for now). So here goes:
For Sale--
1 1989 VW Vanagon, White, Wolfsburg Edition in pretty good shape.
Automatic transmission.
Passed Mass. inspection (full emissions testing, etc.) two months ago.
Complete new exhaust system two years ago.
136,000 miles.
Very little rust and that only on the steps inside the front doors and only skin
deep.
Doesn't seem to be burning oil, but leaks precious bodily fluids from every
pore. (Of course! It's a Vanagon.)
Good tires and battery (half their useful lives left?).
Seem to have all the equipment that it came with except the cap for the rear
window washer bottle and a cover thingy for the interior fluorescent light
(cosmetic only; the light still works).
Even still have the two plastic trays that go behind the front seats.
And a great JVC am/fm CD player with a remote so's you can control it whilst
snug in the bunk. And I'll throw in the Bentley manual to boot.
This van is a prime candidate for restoration to mint condition because all of
the parts are still there and it's just in need of TLC and tweaking--if you
have the time, inclination and patience. (I don't.)
Pictures? What, you don't know what a (white) vanagon looks like? I can
probably find some pictures if you want or just go out and take some new ones
when the blizzard subsides.
It's located in Boston and I can probably deliver it anywhere in New England and
western New York.
Price? (I thought you'd never ask.) I dunno. Certainly not more than $3,000
but I'd be loathe to take anything under $2,000.
If you are interested, please write me at pjbuehler@gmail.com. DO NOT write to
the Vanagon list unless you want to flame me and feel the need to entertain a
larger audience with your not inconsiderable sagacity and wit.
P.J.
Buehler
P.S. What I don't like about it most is that it leaks ATF (tranny fluid). Not
a great problem but a major nuisance, since it requires keeping an eye on.
Spent $1,200 trying to get that fixed, but to no noticeable effect.
