Date: 08 Dec 1995 18:02:18 EST
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Tom Forhan" <TFORHAN@hr.house.gov>
Subject: DOA: 87 Syncro GL
It finally arrived at 11:45 last night, and is pretty much as
advertised. 114,000 miles.
Engine has a hole roughly the area of a quarter, but very irregular,
on the top of the case on the left hand side. No coolant visible in
the plastic fill tank. Oil overfilled, grungy.
Color is white, looks like original paint, grey interior, matches my
90. Body has taken a hit from behind: big dent up high on right side
like it was backed into a lightpost, rear bumper pushed in
slightly, you cannot pull down the license plate bracket
fully, very difficult to get water and oil in there. Significant
dent in the roof over the drivers seat, maybe a heavy tree limb...
its a little strange. Some rust in lower body panels.
Relatively new off brand "Standard Load Rating" M+S tires,
195x70x14, I think. Steel wheels.
Title indicates Prior Owner (PO) only had it nine months, and 9000
miles. Some interesting paperwork in glove box. Earlier owner's name
and address on a receipt for a $555 brake job 12,000 miles ago. I'll
try to contact him to learn more history. Two weeks after he bought it
PO took it to a mechanic with the complaint: "oil light on, oil
buzzer on"; The mechanic changed the oil, nothing else. That was 8000
miles ago.
Well, the first thing is to get the engine out, with
the help of Jim Davis' post and my Bentley. I also
will talk to the two prior owners and the mechanic
to see if I can learn more about the condition of the
power train.
I contracted with a commercial car carrier I found advertising in
Hemmings to deliver the vehicle. As an interesting sidelight,
the other thing he was carrying on his two vehicle trailer was
a 1937 Pierce-Arrow "Travelodge" trailer. It was small, about
18 feet, filled with beautiful woodwork and beveled glass. The fellow
said he pulled it out of a Montana cornfield, and it was going to
its new owner in Florida. It looked like the perfect thing for a retro
tour of America.
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