Date:         Thu, 9 Aug 2007 16:48:15 -0400
Reply-To:     Kragen Javier Sitaker <kragen@POBOX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kragen Javier Sitaker <kragen@POBOX.COM>
Subject:      Magic Bus needs new transmission
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Thanks to the wonderful people of the Vanagon list, I was able to find
the parts I needed to rebuild our 1982 air-cooled engine last year,
and our beloved Magic Bus has served my mother-in-law faithfully for
about 2000 miles in the intervening year.

My wife and I have been visiting the San Francisco Bay Area during the
last few months, and sometimes using the van.  Unfortunately, this
last week, the transmission died --- it feels pretty dead, really.
The van is now at Valley Wagonworks in San Rafael, where Larry's
Towing carried it this morning on a flatbed.

So now I'm faced with the choice of what to do with it.  We need to
sell it, because we're about to go back to Argentina in another month,
and it won't do us any good there, and I think it may be telling us
it's too tired to go on.

Paul at Valley Wagonworks suggests that he could put an overhauled
GoWesty tranny in it for $1400, plus the $700 core charge (minus
whatever is left of the old tranny --- synchro wheels and the casing,
I imagine), plus I think some other incidentals.  So that would cost
around $1400.  GoWesty would warrant the new tranny for four years.
So then I'd have a fairly-good-condition 1982 Vanagon to sell.

Or he could put in a used transmission in exchange for the canopy and
those 15-inch alloy rims that some previous owner put on it.  This
would also result in a fairly-good-condition 1982 Vanagon --- if the
tranny is any good.

Or we could try parting it out.  I just rebuilt the engine last year
with a new Chinese head and set of pistons and two cylinders, and the
engine sounds good, so that might be worth something; the battery is
new; there's also the starter, the alternator, the 15" rims, a Dometic
dual-power fridge, the propane stove, the aftermarket pop-top (this
was an aftermarket camper conversion by some shop in Oakland), three
good (but orange) doors, and I don't know what else.

But I don't know what's the best thing to do.  Maybe I should try
selling it for $5000 with the used tranny (and normal 14" rims, and no
canopy), or $6400 with the GoWesty one?  Are these realistic prices?
What are the parts worth?

These are sad questions to be pondering, but perhaps their resolution
can bring some joy to the new owner.

Kragen