Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2011 09:34:29 -0600
Reply-To: Ken Wyatt <57skibum@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wyatt <57skibum@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Dollar value of Westfalias
In-Reply-To: <120a01cc83e5$f06fccf0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I think current prices remind me of the mid to late 1970s. Back then you
could buy a pretty well used but functional fixable late 60s or early
70s muscle car (GTO, 442, LeMans, Firebird, Camaro, Galaxie500, or ?insert
your fav. here?) for about $500 - 1000 +/-. I think the vanagons are in
that place, about low as they might go. Nowadays, you can't touch a classic
muscle car for under 10 - 20K. Will our vanagons go that route? Some will
for sure. One thing for sure, there won't be more of them yearly, only
less. Take a look at the auction for the 23 window splittie last year.
Almost $200K was it?
And then:
I saw a well used 1980 vanagon yesterday here in Salt Lake City. It was for
sale and asking price was $8000. WOW! Claimed to have had new engine, lots
of mechanical work done, just needed exterior love and TLC. HMMM, It just
didn't look that good on the outside or inside. $8000 I thought? Come on,
rust, ugly. And I thought I was considering selling mine for 6K. No way
now.
And then.....
My mechanic called me Monday to say he believes he's solved my non compliant
emissions issue. He was working on another van that couldn't pass
emissions. Problem was too much hydrocarbon, so running rich or an
incomplete combustion just like mine. So guess what it was? Injectors!!!
He says the van he just finished had 2 bad injectors. Hydrocarbon went
from 700 to 120 after servicing them, easily passing emissions now. Cool I
thought.
And then,
Of course I thought, how ignorant am I/we? Duh!! Its the only thing we
neglected/spaced/forgot last year when the new engine was installed. He's
so confident its the cause, he suggested I bring my van in and he'll do the
labor FREE to R&R the injectors. I'll pay for the servicing. Ok, one
more...
And then
Yesterday, cruising the junkyard for J**p electric door locks, I spied a
1986 Vanagon 2 rows down. Checked it out and scored Windshield visor clips
to replace my broken ones. May have to go back today, I forgot to check
for window trimerry. It was raining.
Yea, 2 steps forward this week. So I'm happy to report that my westy value
is up this week....
Cheers,
Ken
82 westy
SLC, UT
So there you go,
***************************************************************************
> Hi All,
>
> Has anyone noticed a change in the values of Westies in the last few years,
> up, down or stable? My gut tells me they've gone down, but I don't know if
> it's a seasonal thing or what.
>
> tabe_johnson/90MV
>
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