Date:         Wed, 31 Aug 94  17:28:43 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         <BSNICH01@ulkyvm.louisville.edu>
Subject:      help from you breadloafers or former ones...

Well, I'm thinking about adding another VW to the family. I have an 85 Vanagon
GL Westy camper and am considering a 1978 bus. Below is what I found out from
the previous owner. Does any of this raise any red flags? Would anyone care to
shed any light, give help, scream NO...anything?

1978 Blue & White (cheap paint job) (I still haven't seen it. It went from
being traded in to a corner lot dealer about 50 miles south). The last owner
replaced brake shoes, shifter bushing. He said on a trip, the exhaust valves
stuck open.
  He took out the motor, took off the head put on new valves and new valve
guides resurfaced the head (s?), put them into the cylinder-head resurfaced.
The motor has at least 50K miles. It leaks a little oil ("what you'd expect
from something like that.")! It leaks oil at the "weird looking o-ring things
on the push rod tubes". It also has an oil cooler w& it leaks a little at the
cooler. He believes the engine is not far from rebuild. No reduction gears in
back. and the transmission is very low ratio (wound up is at $65 mph. Its
missing the trim piece covering the door slider. Steering wheel "inner
arm"(mounts at front suspension) was tightened. It is (or was... it got
confusing) FUEL INJECTED (he said the engine WAs taken apart). I think he said
for $250 heput a 2 barrel carb on it (40mm 2 barrel?). Compression is pretty
good. The rear bumper had been bent & straightened with a hammer (before he
got it) , no body damage. There is a little rust right above 3 fender wells. A
dent on the driver's side, right front of rear wheel. GOOD SEATS. Anything I
should think about?

Barry S. Nichols                 BSNICH01@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU
7004 Ethan Allen Way             BSNICH01@ULKYVM
Louisville, KENTUCKY  USA 40272
PH: (502) 583-5835 (machine answers--it may be rather odd)