Hi everybody, Last week, I posted a long message called "potential new vanagon owner" where I obviously displayed signs of acute vanagonitis. I cured it by the only means possible: I bought a plane ticket and flew from Durham NC to Memphis TN, paid asking price for a neglected and very used Vanagon; and, drove it 700 miles home (in one day). It took 2.5 tanks of gas and a whole quart of oil. I also had to wear hearing protection because the air conditioner didn't work, and the muffler had been replaced with a free-flow "sport tube." (Question: Why isn't there a 5th gear? There seemed to be plenty of torque in the 2.1l to handle it. 70 mph equated to 4000 rpm! For 13 hours!) It is at a vanagon.com-recommended shop right now getting lots of attention, and the repair price will be more than half of my purchase price. The interior is shot -- the P.O. had 3 kids, who broke all of the cupholders, two of the front armrests, and the plastic seat adjust handles. The carpet and seats are filthy, and will require much elbow grease to return them to acceptable condition. Now, I know why this one was priced so much lower than its competition. However, even with all of the work and money ahead of me to bring this vehicle back to an appreciated state, I am still in love! It was incredibly fun to drive, and I really appreciate all of the help and advice that I have received from this list. It will make a great addition to our family! Michael Townsend townsend@rtp.ericsson.se P.S. The highlight of my trip was when I casually waved to a Westfalia driver approaching from the other direction -- and he waved back! |
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