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Date:         Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:23:28 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: buying a syncro in PA- shop recommendations anyone?
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2007071222323965@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> If you don't know how to fix a Vanagon, let alone a Syncro > which is twice as bad at least, I wouldn't even think about > buying a van and driving it cross country. You should be able > to ship it for 600-800 if you are patient. > We had a potential customer buy a west coast Wolfsburg > sight unseen and had an acquaintance drive it cross country. > It was a 3000 dollar disaster with multiple breakdowns. All > to save a couple of hundred dollars in shipping costs. She > was so traumatized by her first month of Vanagon ownership we > never heard from her again.

I've done it a couple of times myself. In my case it's generally been the enjoyment of the journey home, not the desire to save money, that was the motivating factor. Shortly before I started the Depot, I bought an '83 Westy sight-unseen from a fellow in San Francisco. I had him bring it to Volks Café in Santa Cruz. They treated me right, looked it over carefully, and fixed a few issues. (I would never have considered doing this without having it checked over by a qualified shop prior to my flight out.) My wife and I flew out from Pennsylvania, and spent several weeks driving it back east at a leisurely pace. Oh, the memories of that trip ... we had a blast! To complete the story, the folks who bought the van from me ended up becoming my best friends, and later my daughter's godparents. That was over ten years ago, and they still have that Westy. In fact, we got together for a campout just last weekend!

That said, for every story like mine, there's one that didn't end as well. It is definitely risky driving any unknown, high-mileage used vehicle a long distance on its "virgin flght" under your command. Having the van thoroughly inspected by a shop you trust (if you can find one remotely) can mitigate but not eliminate the risk. It's a used car; anything can happen. You have to balance the positives (in my case the fun of the trip; for others, perhaps, the savings) against the risks (which can involve substantial time/cost if a "worst case scenario" occurs) and decide if taking the chance is for you.

- Ron Salmon The Bus Depot, Inc. www.busdepot.com (215) 234-VWVW

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