Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 10:19:16 -0700
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: My New Ride
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
You poor devil, you fell for the Nigerian Syncro-Westy-on-the-nearby-RV-lot scam. Now you're done for!
Stephen
--- On Wed, 4/1/09, Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
From: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: My New Ride
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009, 1:04 PM
Okay, I haven't said anything about this until now (for obvious reasons) but
now I can tell the story. Monday morning this week I drove by the local RV
lot about a half mile from my condo, going to Costco. I noticed what looked
like a very nice Syncro Westy sitting on their lot. Passing by again on the
way home I decided to stop and see if it was a customer’s vehicle or
actually for sale or what. The guy in the office told me that yeah, it was
a trade in, they were trying to figure out what to do with it. BTW, I was
driving my daily driver, not my Westy, so he didn't have a clue that I might
know anything about a Vanagon. We walked out to look at it in the rain and
he explained that the guy that traded it in had inherited it and didn't want
it because it was so small so he traded it in. When I started looking it
over I was amazed. A 1991 Syncro Westy (could tell it was a '91 by the
inside latch on the rear hatch), about an 80 watt solar panel mounted to the
top, and inside the first thing I noticed was a Vitrofrigio refrigerator and
the thermostat control for a heater. 15" wheels and good off road tires
(didn't check the brand or size). About that time the salesman mentioned it
was a diesel!! We opened up the engine compartment and sure enough, sure
wasn't a stock 2.1L WBX in there. I don't know what size diesel because I
don't know the diesel engines at all. We started it up and it sounded fine,
at least to my ignorant-about-diesels ears. So we buttoned it up and took
it for a drive. First thing I noticed on the dash was the locker knob. Then
the odometer, would you believe only 88,000 miles on it! It drove like a
dream, shifted like butter. When we got back to the lot I opened the glove
box and there were all the original manuals plus a big envelope of receipts
and a notebook with hand written notes and records, all dated. It turns out
it had the Syncro Org springs and OME shocks under it no less. Oh yeah, I
forgot to mention one of the things that caught my eye when I first saw it,
the Van Cafe bumpers and the Projktwoz (SP?) lower grill and lights.
Then came the shocker, when I asked what they were going to ask for it. He
said, and I'll quote as best as I can, "The boss just wants to get it off
the lot. He said to ask $5,000 for it but I know he'll take $3,500". So you
can guess what I said next. And I got a call this morning, the paper work
is done and I pick it up today, April 1st.
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