Ron,
Please change my = status! I'm no longer a wannabe but now = the proud owner of an 89 Westy!

Talk = about great leap of faith!!! I'd never = even sat in a Vanagon, driven a Westy, or = laid eyes on this van until an hour ago!! = I bought it "sight-unseen" over = the internet from the PO in Texas. I had = it shipped to Iowa and it arrived this morning. = Its everything the owner said it was.

Talk = about a larger leap of faith.....the owner = sent the van AND the signed-over registration = WITHOUT RECEIVING dime one from me before = hand!!

I will say that I spent nearly = a year, off and on, as a lurker asking occassional = questions and watching all the discussion = about tires, coolant changes, leaking head = gaskets, you name it. When I located this = via the internet, I called him immediately, = was able to ask the right questions and = better yet, he was able to give me the right = answers! We struck up an immediate kindredship = over the phone (VWitis runs deep in the = blood of those afflicted!) and both felt = comfortable with the deal.

Today = I'll overnight the check to him. I'm taking = a little cruise with it on Wednesday, having = it detailed on Thursday, might actually = go camping this weekend!

What a country!

Jim = in Iowa

jfritz@decorah.k12.ia.us<= /FONT>