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.