Date:         Thu, 26 Jun 1997 00:45:17 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Thomas <vanagon@atl.mindspring.com>
Subject:      New Westy owner

Dear Volks;

Just want to introduce myself as a new listee and proud owner of an 83 Westy.

I happened to see her on a local used car lot and followed my usual ritual
of checking out any Vanagon based Westfalia.  Well gang -  she looked rough
at first glance and it took three visits before her hidden beauty became
apparent.  A call to the lot's owner aroused further interest when he said
the asking price was $3300.  

Now a serious customer I looked her over carefully, drove her (so smooth and
quiet!) and took stock of the mechanics  - cooling system problems (coolant
soaking the floorboard) and tranny problems (1st and 2nd very hard to find).
No rust or external leaks, though.  I was happy to see the blue owners
packet with manual, camper supplement, and Dometic literature all there.
Dealer stamps from VW of Santa Monica documented the first 45k of service
history.

I then proceeded to haggle, discussing the obvious problems and the
potential for the unseen - bad head gaskets, FI gremlins, et al.  He said
make an offer.  I said $2500 and he came back with $2200!  He said he did
not want to lose a sale since Vanagons are not in demand in Georgia.  Well
that did it - it was clear it was destined to be mine.

I drove it immediately to the nearest gas station and was greeted by a flood
of gas pouring out from under the tank when it was almost full - not good!
I returned to the lot and the owner was sincerely concerned and offered to
buy a new tank if necessary.  I left it with him and he had it towed to a
local shop.  Turns out it was only a leaking plastic tee fitting from the
top hoses.  What a guy.

A thorough cleaning revealed an interior in excellent shape except for the
drivers seat.  The canvas and upper bunk are perfect.  Alex, my German
mechanic and a former VW factory technician, fixed the shifting problem by
adjusting the linkage and bypassed the heater core for now, all for  $72.  A
tuneup, oil change, coolant flush/fill,  brake fluid change and 4 Michelin
MX tires are to be done by Saturday to ready her for a July 4th weekend
shakedown cruise.

A few questions:

The fuel gauge reads 1/2 full with a full tank - why?
Where can I get the closest factory match for front seat covers and foam?
Is the Behr dealer-installed A/C worth fixing?  Summers are hot and humid
here in GA.

Thanks , Bill     83 Westy
                            former 76 bus
                            former 69 Westy