Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 19:08:08 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: value of 84 adventure wagon
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if it's really only 39K total miles........
that is rare.
84 is not the best year due to the sliding door being too hard to operate
( just way to strong a spring inside the sliding door........sometimes the
outside handles break off........and there are not any available ,
basically.
Otherwise, 84 is an OK year.
'yes'...........the stock AW vanagon interior layout is ..........
well, I'm hyper opinionated about it........and give the designer of that
layout a D -, if not an F in design class.
I'm in the process of completely redoing the interior layout of an 85
Adventurewagon I have, no dents and no rust either......
that I for sale, or that I will be selling.
Very wise of the person to not let you jump start it. Right on.
If a battery has been sitting dead a long time, lots of times they won't
even take a charge from a battery charger.
I think AW's are a lot better than people realize.
I always figured they'd be top heavy, or really hard to push through the
air.
They are neither of those.
Aerodynamically they go through the air at speed in a more stable way than a
Westy does.........
that pointy back end of the roof...........that moves the center or pressure
aft...............works like an arrow - contributes to stability in straight
flight.
I have almost no criticisms of the roof...........it's double walled, and
insulated.
( I do think it was dumb to put the side windows on a slant with moving
parts...........that is just asking for things to leak. I read recently one
AW owner paid $ 1,200 for new top side windows, installed, I think it
was. )
a Westy by comparison is sort of 'noodling' around in the air at say 65
mph........
AW is smooth and steady.
They do not seem to have a fuel mileage penalty that I am aware of.
They also don't feel top heavy .....
..and it might be the HUGE bed that fills up the entire 2/3 of the rear of
the van.......
but they are absolutely the quietest Vanagon I've ever driven.
The only 'penalty' about them I think.. ( not counting the clutzy interior
layout ) .......is the full time high roof.
Wont' fit in a lot of home garages............or perhaps even in some low
parking garages.
what I find totally exasperating about the stock interior :
- you open the sliding door, and 2/3 of the opening is taken up by the
fridge/stove/drawer thing that's installed right there. I use my vanagons
to haul stuff........so I want nice floor area, like a Westy has.
- there is only one window that opens down the left side of the van ( not
counting driver's door of course ) - the put a cabinet right in front of
that window.....
If you want to open that window, you can.......by reaching through the
closet below that cabinet, but the cabinet still blocks the view and fresh
air.
- in fact.........if things you want to put in the closet there won't fit
through the tall narrow closet door...........the way you load something in
there......something the size of a bag of charcoal......is to reach into the
closet, open the window, then load the closet area through the open window
on the side of the van !!
- the front passenger's seat that swivels.........it can only swivel toward
the center of the van, since the stove/fridge oversize thing is right there.
- the systems.........rather poorly installed.......and to work on
them............you have to more or less destroy, or take the cabinetry
apart as carefully as you can, doing minimal damage............there are no
screws for disassembly. It's more like stabled and clued. Kinda chinsy
stuff too.
- when the bed is deployed.............there is about 11 inches max between
the bed and the stove/fridge.
and a narrow foot wide walkway to the front. ( the length of the installed
furnace dictates.......or they let it dictate, that the cabinetry on the
left wall of the vanagon stick out over 2 feet, eating up floor room. ) So
there's no floor room when the bed is deployed.
- they have the lowest grade.......and thus wasted interior volume, with the
type of rear seat they use.
A 'good rear seat' .........has 3 useful features - it's a nice trunk to
stow stuff in, like a Westy has, and it folds out right into a
bed........plus it's a seat. Three useful aspects. Also..........you'll
notice a Westy or later GL vanagon with a Z bed rear seat......they're flat,
like a couch, since they are also a bed, thus you can sit anywhere on
them..........on the 'early type' crude seat they put in AW's..........the
rear seat is made for 3 'bucket seat' position.........makes it lousy to sit
on while using the table.
But hey, some people love their AW's stock. The one I put a 5 speed trans
in, and a whole 85 front suspension and power steering into..........that
guy loves his, and it's for sale btw, Located Salem, OR.
A Westy has NONE of these poor design issues.
It's super well made and very nicely designed in comparison. And not even
that bad to work on.
AW top with Westy interior is the best deal actually.
The finished oak trim inside the AW is nice.
Just having wooden pegs to locate the upper bed is unbelievebly hokey.
The propane furnace is nice.
I have for sale, btw........the *entire* rear bed system and all parts, out
of a Vanagon Adventurewagon.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "dj" <djct2@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 1:51 PM
Subject: value of 84 adventure wagon
>I have just looked at an 84 adventure wagon. It has 39,000 miles and body
>is
> perfect, no rust no dents except 2 small dents. Paint is 2 tone faded but
> with wax should be great. it looks like it has been sitting a long time.
> It
> is part of an estate sale. Battery is dead and the sale person wouldn't
> let
> me jump it. She did let me hook up a charger and I can come back tomorrow.
> my question is what is the value of the adventure wagons, I see the layout
> of this one is very different than the standard westfalias I have seen.
> What
> is the history on these and what are they worth. I like tha hard top with
> all the windows and big skylight. What should I be looking at before
> buying?
> dj
