Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 12:07:58 -0500
Reply-To: Martin Peitz <peitz@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Martin Peitz <peitz@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject: Report on K$3 Westy Syncro FS
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Report on the $3000 Westy Syncro I looked at yesterday:
On the Westfalia web page an 86 Westy Syncro Weekender is advertised for
$3000obo.
Needless to say this is pretty amazing, as they are being traded for
about 4 times that value.
3K is even cheap for a normal non Camper Syncro.
It is (or was) a white Wolfsburg edition non-GL 86 (G) Vanagon
Weekender.
Seller is a nice College girl that is absolutely clueless about the car,
but she is very honest and only wants whats its worth.
She described all the problems with the car she was aware of, but then
she does not know enough about these cars to give a good assessment or
even description.
Overall she did describe the car as pretty bad and needing quite a bit
of work.
But heck, for K$3000 it may be pretty bad.
I wanted it, and off I went to get it, all 600 miles one way. From
Alabama to Charlottesville, VA.
And what a pile it was!
Talk about a piece of S***!
It turned out to be from Massachusetts, and man, they must really salt
the roads up there.
The seam rust is bad, very bad, definitely beyond longlasting repair.
There are actual rustholes in the rockers and in the front.
There is a major accident damage in rear corner. A good repair will
require a replacement of the entire panel. There is another accident
damage on the right rear wheel arch and side panel.
The rear bumper is actually rusted through (besides being smashed up).
In short: the body is dead (good body on the girl though).
Technical side:
It is almost impossible to put it in gear. 1st and 2nd are somewhere at
reverse and low gear.
When starting to drive the transmission grinds like a major bearing is
crunshing up its balls. Very scary.
Engine compression is a bit on the low side and a bit uneven.
The engine compartment looks like someone sprayed it with saltwater
weekly. Corrosion beyond description. All is there and it does run, but
I would not install that thing in my Syncro.
Because the front driveshafts are not installed the front drivetrain
could not be checked.
The rear Diff lock did not engage.
The starter magneto rattled loudly but did engage.
Power steering pump is very wet.
Exhaust system is really corroded, one muffler clamp has corroded off.
Non-Syncro tailpipe.
Engine rattles and shakes.
I may have missed stuff.
Camping stuff:
The interior is partly complete garbage, and partly quite good.
The front seats are junk. All covers, even the armrst covers, are in
shreds.
The carpet is probably beyond cleaning (though I don't know much about
carpet cleaning possibilities).
The top bunks are ok and clean.
The lower folding bed is ok.
the table works.
The ice box is missing, but a second battery is present I am not sure
about the available configurations in this model).
All cup holders are broken.
Other:
the fuel gauge is broken.
Many small things are broken (handles, knobs, plastic around fuel
filler, and others).
Sliding door rolled like it didn't have any bearings.
So what is something like this worth?
If you are descriminating, you realize it is beyond fixing it up nicely.
If you want it for salvage, whats to salvage? The engine is not
trustworthy, the tranny needs a rebuild, rest is questionable.
Everything is corroded. This is not a fun car to work on.
I offered 2700 and regretted it immediately. Luckily she didn't agree.
She has a guy in the San Francisco Area buying the car unseen for 3000.
He will ship it home (I estimate it costs at least 1000).
She called the guy because she wanted me to describe the car to the guy,
and the guy didn't want to talk to me (?).
He may be in for a surprise. Us Southeners just can't imagine what a car
from up north can look like.
So as a warning to everybody:
If you are offered an 86 Westy Syncro out of the SF Area that looks like
it has been sales prepped, it may not be a califonia car at all.
It may be this one. Beware.
BTW: Who is the guy in the SF Area anyway. Perhaps one of those parts
places? May the Folkshome knows?
Please comment everybody! Am I crazy?
I feel good for not buying. Know the feeling?
Really, really appreciating my rustfree california Syncro,
Martin
53 Bug
69 Squareback
77 Army-Bug
72 Westy
87 Syncro
