Date:         Tue, 26 Mar 1996 20:10:58
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         EXPRES@gnn.com (RON SALMON)
Subject:      Re: question: '76 or '77, possible purchase, what to look for


>Date:	Tue, 26 Mar 1996 18:11:06 -0600
>From:	kahuna67@ix.netcom.com (mike)
>Sender:	vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu
>To:	Multiple recipients of list <vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu>
>Subject:	question: '76 or '77, possible purchase, what to look 
for (Somewhat Long)
>
>Hello again.
>

>I've located a '76 or '77 (i'm pretty sure) westy  of
>same (what's that thing made of anyway?)   Has gas cap without 
panel cover. Headreast on cabin seats.  No sliding windows in back. 
 All cabinetry on drivers side.

>Body has, well, cracks in a few places where looks like swiped
>something lightly and around a couple small dents.  Has surface 
rust >bubbling but undercarriage looked pretty good.
>What are the cracks?  Just paint or will the body panels actualy
>crack?


>Girlfriend says owner wants $800 for it.
>
>Well, hows it sound?  Any advice?
>
>I'm on a really limited budget and need mechanicals rather than 
looks
>at first.  The thing has to drive from colorado to upsate ny soon 
if I
>buy it.  Hoping to buy here to avoid rusty vehicles in northeast
>though.
>
>P.S.  It's a hideous biege color with orange doors and god aweful 
70's
>green and brown plaid apholstry. 
>Any help appreciated.
>
>Thanks
>Mike
>

This could be a '76 thru '79.  $800 is a good price for a camper 
than runs well, even if the body is fair.  However, you indicate 
that you are concerned about rust. 
The color scheme you describe (beige outside with green/brown plaid 
inside) was not a VW combination (neither were the hand-painted 
swirly designs).  If there is green in the plaid, this bus was once 
either chrome yellow (school bus colored) or tiaga green (green-M&M 
colored).  The color of the paint inside the engine compartment or 
in the interior will probably clue you in.

If this bus was repainted, those "cracks" would concern me, because 
metal generally does not crack and Bondo does.  There may be rust 
or body damage under that paint.  See if a magnet sticks to the 
"cracked" areas as solidly as to the rest of the bus.  Check these 
areas carefully for rust:
1.  the front axle beam, particularly in the center where the 
"knuckles" are (any substantial rust here is very costly to 
repair), and also on the sides near the ball joints.
2.	under the sliding door.  If that rocker is rusted out and you 
don't fix it, one day the sliding door will come off in your hand 
because the track has collapsed.
3.	look inside the front wheel wells, looking towards the rear 
of the bus.  Rust holes here are very common.
4.	Look under the front floor mat, and at the floor behind the 
seats.
5.	Do not assume that any bus is solid just because it is not 
from the east coast.  I have seen some rusty southern and western 
vehicles, although generally not as bad as east coast ones.	 

Pop top canvas runs about $200-$300, and is a major pain in the ass 
and about a day's work to install.  Not too difficult, just slow 
and time consuming.

If the body seems straight and solid, invest in a compression 
tester (not expensive at Pep Boys, etc. and check compression.  If 
all cylinders are well over 100 and roughly even, that's a good 
sign.  I strongly recommend reading the section in Muir's Idiot 
Guide on picking a VW. Better yet, have a local air-cooled VW 
garage check it over before buying, since you are not yet familiar 
with what to look for.  The $40 or $50 you spend is worth the 
investment if you're driving it all the way back.  Do NOT have a 
non-specialist check it out. Before driving it back east, I would 
get a tune up, have the valves adjusted (if it is a '77 or earlier, 
and assuming that this has not been done recently) and have the 
fuel lines checked for cracks.

Now for the self-serving part of this message - I have several 
solid '76-78 Westies for sale, and also several for parts. $800 is 
a great price _if_ this bus is clean.  But if you decide against 
it, or if you do buy it and need some of the missing parts for it, 
I am not too far from NY in southeastern Pa.  

Feel free to Email me directly if you have further questions.

Ron Salmon
Tons o'Westies & a '63 Deluxe