Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 12:02:20 -0700
Reply-To: Larry Wissig <lwissig@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Larry Wissig <lwissig@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: 85 vanagon Camper -should I buy? more info.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Thanks to everyone for the help.
I'm still looking at it.
More info:
I drove it for a while last week, seems to run good,
a bit rough at idle but no oil light.
AC is blowing warm.
Owner says it worked last summer,
they have been annually recharging it for a few years. Haven't yet this
year.
So I'm figuring the worst case here, major AC work.
I have a guy that did a good job on my 91 Mazda so I'll just budget for
the worst.
Maybe I'll be lucky and get away with a few hundred.
Interior is absolutely spotless. And all the camper stuff works.
Fridge (3 way) stove, sink, lights, poptop, awning, porto-potty.
Has after market gas heater. Tables not in van, may be missing.
Body is solid. No rust. One big dent in door. Dark brown with tan top.
Mileage seem right. van is currently driven on a 50 mile commute a few
times per week.
Was family camper, family grown up.
Owners are selling because they are moving and can't take it with them.
Here's the scary part. --->
Owner didn't know about any special coolant.
He says he's just been using regular antifreeze at 50%.
Hasn't changed it much cause he didn't need to....
just keeps on topping it off.....
So I got to assume it's leaking at the head.
He keeps it in the driveway and says he's
seen no leaks, so it's probably going somewhere in the compression
chamber and burning off.
So here's the bottom line.
I love this camper, it's been well loved and taken care of by people who
cleaned polished and waxed it and fixed everything regularly...
but who thought it was OK to maintain leaky systems (AC, coolant) by
just adding fluid.
This will cost me some...
I'm inclined to buy anyway, but to try and get the price down so that
I will have some cash cushion to fix the AC and engine (at worst case
new heads) .
I read Bob Donald's fixit instructions, I could go for it myself but
time is an issue.
I'm driving it again with the family today and will try to take it to a
mechanic on Monday
Any last words before I plunge?
Thanks.
Larry Wissig.
>
> I'm looking at an 85 Camper tomorrow.
> 108K miles and very clean. Looks good, also supposed to drive good.
> It has after market AC (vital here in FL, 97 degrees today).
> For sale by original owner who bought it in Germany.
> Asking $3700.
>
> Questions?
>
> What is it worth?
> Will it be reliable?
> What kind of engine is in it?
> I've owned a few old buses,
> including a cherry 67 that looked great but ate up a lot of my cash.
> Will it be similar to those or is it totally different in character?
> What should I look out for?
>
> Any help appreciated.
>
> // Larry Wissig
> // lwissig@mindspring.com
