Date:         15 May 1996 10:04:56 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Robert King" <Robert_King@qmgate.arc.nasa.gov>
Subject:      The Agony and The Ecstasy R

                                           10:04 AM            5/15/96

For those of you who didn't see it.....

>dlx 65 Microbus.  Polished porsche rims, chrome safaris and bumpers,
>new 1776, needs interior work Ph. XXX-XXX-XXXX (to protect the guilty)

Oh boy! Rang up.  Body 'perfect' - a couple of rust spots in floor only.  All
'factory' original .  Motor done by mechanic, receipts held.  

THIS IS IT!  THIS IS THE BIG ONE!  More than I've got at the moment but we
negotiate a much improved price on the phone and he keeps the porsche rims and
the safaris........

Send a $100 deposit to hold the bus until I can get there.  Pack the toolbox,
take a day off work and fly to LA intending to do a mini furball run and drive
the bus back to San Francisco............

Well, it was factory original (in the sense all the ruuning gear was out of
Type Is, IIs or IIIs).  The only rust spots (which didn't have bog in them)
were in the floor.  The 1776 was 'new' (built by his cousin and there were
receipts for a pair of reconditioned heads).  It was so hot after a short
drive (short cos the steering was literally dangerous and brakes had to be
pumped vigorously to get *anything* happening) that I burnt myself on the top
of the dipstick......

I couldn't get my deposit back out of the guy (I held the bus for you man I
could've sold it ten times over .... YEAH right! ) and I'm $150 down for the
(now return) airfare......

OK, I'm willing to write this one off as a learning experience.  But what do
you do?

Rob K.