Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:47:53 -0500
Reply-To: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: What's it really worth?
In-Reply-To: <4FD7B092.1080109@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Scott, thanks.
I bought this 88' GL van from a country car lot in 1998. Looked good,
sounded good, drove good. But in the end, it wasn't so good. It took me
a long time to make it good. The van had about 86,000 miles when I
bought it. Transmission failed 87,500. I took it to my fav repair guy -
car lot paid the bill. Tranny has been good ever since. At 96,000 miles
or so, the engine blew on a trip back from Albuquerque to Birmingham.
Piston let go near Clinton, OK, about 80 miles west of Ok. City. Rented
a U-haul truck and autotralier and towed it back to B'ham where the real
damage was determined. I bought a complete engine just rebuilt from a
local rebuilder of outstanding reputation. When the totaled engine was
pulled out, a yellow tag with the words "Remanufactured by VW of Canada"
was stuck to the case. That meant that the new engine I was about to put
in the van would be the third engine since this thing was new. Three
engines between Original Showroom Mileage(assuming less than 50 miles)
and the 96,000 when it failed. So somebody drove this baby hard and put
it away wet so to speak. At this point I had a van with a freshly
rebuilt tranny and now a freshly rebuilt engine. Since 1998 I have had
no significant issues out of either. Along the way in my ownership
since 1998, I had put in a new windshield, new brakes, new rotors, new
front wheel bearings and races, new Lobro CV's and boots. gas tank over
the tank vent parts, shifter parts front to back, new brake master, new
power steering rack (it's about to get another), muffler, cat converter,
rear exhaust collector, PS pump. Rebuilt the AC system, currently has
new General Altimax tires, Headlight relay upgrade, remote starter
switch connection with relay, Altered rear heater cover and installed
new rear heater valve (long time ago. You can see much has been done.
But - this is a daily driver - and maintaining this old van is an
ongoing project that just keeps on keeping on. It has been well
maintained, BUT - it's now a 24 year old vehicle being used as a daily
driver - so the maintenance never stops. AT any given time, there will
be something on it that needs tending too. Who ever buys it, is going to
have to come to that understanding in our discussion of the vehicle. I
expect to show and tell quite a bit. Who ever buys it I want to
absolutely know what they are getting and getting into with Vanagon
ownership. If it scares someone away, fine. I would ratheer sell to
someone that understands it and wants it even with all the conditions.
We will I;m sure find the common ground in there somewhere.
John
On 6/12/2012 4:11 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> Warning .......this is over 8 lines long !!
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