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Zippo
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2007
Posts: 103
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morymob
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2007
Posts: 4683
Location: east-tn
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 Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:44 am Post subject: |
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| I believe this van listed in samba classifieds |
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Zippo
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2007
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:01 am Post subject: |
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Ive seen it driving around where i live it doesnt look that bad from about 20 ft anyone know anything about the deisel engine in it.
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Columbus didnt discover America in one day!! |
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wolfsburged
Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2006
Posts: 69
Location: Raleigh, NC
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:07 am Post subject: |
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It's got a sunroof.. Wonder if it works/leaks.
I've never seen those seats before... At first I thought they had just put seat covers on the fronts, but the back and middle seem the same. |
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Zippo
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2007
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:12 am Post subject: |
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Well when I have seen it driving around I have never seen them have it open so I wouls either assume they dont like it open or it leaks. Maybe I will type them a message about it on ebay. Its Not far from where I live and if I could get it for 15 or 16 hundred that wouldnt be bad. I just dont want to get in over my head with it.
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Columbus didnt discover America in one day!! |
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brooklynvan
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2006
Posts: 342
Location: Brooklyn NY
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:20 am Post subject: |
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The Ad says it's for sale locally. go see it and see what they want for it. Drive it too! seems silly to me to buy a car without driving it first unless it's an incredible deal.
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1990 Vanagon "Plain Jane" Bostig in the Back
TRADED: 1967 Panel for 1976 BMW 2002
SOLD: 1984 Sunroof Vanagon with EJ22
RIP 1986 Saab turbo
and my daily commuter: a Bicycle |
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Zippo
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2007
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:25 am Post subject: |
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Well I already contacted them I waiting for them to get back to me. I only live about 30 minutes from them. I already have an 87 Vanagon GL But Thats not a bad deal I dont think. I just dont know much about The Vanagons with the Diesel engine in them.
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Columbus didnt discover America in one day!! |
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mightyart
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 6188
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:40 am Post subject: |
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Never buy a car site unseen off Ebay, go look at it and drive it.
Ebay is the where alot of cars that haven't sold ussually end up.
I know your just looking for help, but it is not a good a good idea to post an ebay auction you're intrested in on the boards.
If it is a good deal, then you just showed a large group of people that want vanagons that it's there.
You might trust the people that post on the board but remember there are plenty more lurkers then posters.
The auction has a reserve on it, so you really don't know what the seller wants for it he might want $5,000 is it a deal at that?
Ebay is not a great place for buying cars, there are exceptions, but as a rule, you can do much better other places.
Before I bought my westy about 4 years ago, I looked at a little white westy that was for sale on ebay. It was an 84 it was clean, rust free, had all the camping stuff and had a problem with the engine, he said it might be bad but wasn't sure. I went and look at it and asked about the engine he said he wasn't sure but he refused to turn it over made a bunch of excuses. The funny thing was all the autoparts and cars around his yard. He could fix a bunch of other cars but he wasn't sure what was wrong with the Westy. 
The bidding was up to 900.00 and that was more then I'd pay for one with a bad engine and at that time was what they were going for.
It ended up sellng for $4,500 and you could get an 84 in that condition with a good engine for that price then. |
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Zippo
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2007
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:44 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice I will keep that in mind next time I am looking at one. Thanks for the help.
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Columbus didnt discover America in one day!! |
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hiram6
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2006
Posts: 1880
Location: Beautiful South
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:26 am Post subject: |
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I've sold 4 cars on eBay, and bought one. Actually I have always had good experiences, as have the people who bought cars from me. I do think eBay is a useful place to buy and sell "odd" cars, or cars that have a loyal following.
I've sold two Fiats (an X1/9 and a Spider 2000) on eBay, and both were bought by people who drove them home. Home being Cleveland for one guy, and Detroit for the other, quite a drive from GA in a 20-something year old Fiat!! Both made it with no problems, and both had no buyers remorse when I checked in on them a few months later.
I also sold a modified Volvo 740 TurboWagon for way more than it would have sold for locally. Had to find the right person for that car, and I did. I got a good price, he got a car he had been searching for. Drove it to Texas, no problem.
My point is, I'm open to eBay to find/sell odd cars. And you don't get much odder than our Vanagons.
YMMV
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1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited
You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning. |
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Pascaa
Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Quebec, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:48 am Post subject: |
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Cars i bought sight unseen.
2000 Golf TDi no problems ebay
1985 Westy no problems thesamba
2004 Mazda 6 was advertised as a 2005. Got cash back that made it an even better deal. auction
1983 Dodge 400 no problems aunts car
Car i bought after seing them.
1994 hyundai excel new no probs.
2001 Mercedes ML320 new no probs
2002 Subaru Impreza new too many problems to list
1982 Diesel Westy - motor blew up with in 3 monts, tranny 2 weeks later, almost done redoing it completely
So essentially as far as cars are concerned, i've been better off buying sight unseen...
If someone is dishonest, they can make a lemon look like champs even to the most experienced mechanic.
Do your homework as best as you can and leave some room price wize for work that will need to be done even if you thnk the car is perfect.
My 2 cents.
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Pascal
1982 1.9 TD Westy Bertha
1985 Westy Oscar - would trade for syncro Vanagon
2000 Fork pick up (work truck)
2004 Mazda 6 wagon (her car) |
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mightyart
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 6188
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: |
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As soon as I posted that I knew someone would post about the good experiances they had buying a car off Ebay, that's why I said there are exceptions, and there still are good honest people out there.
The people that have had good experiances will post about them, the people that have had bad ones won't, who wants to tell everyone they got taken.
Caveat emptor!
The Romans knew it, seems to be human nature.
It's not that Ebay is inherantly bad, but like all the fake knockoff stuff that finds it's way there it just make it easier for the unethical to take advantage of people.
Ebay has just come out with new rules and fees, they are trying to drive the little guy out.
Once all my stuff is gone I'm done selling on there, it just isn't worth it anymore, so you might not find many good deals on cars anymore anyways. |
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Pascaa
Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Quebec, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:09 am Post subject: |
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I always buy the cheapest or the roughest and price accordingly. So my usual surprises are that i didnt spend as much money as expected fixing something. Instead of paying top money and then being surprised with a big problem. The only time i broke that rule was the 1982 Westy and i paid dearly for it.
I had this exact discussion with my best buddy. He was looking for a car with existing warranty and was ready to pay a premium. Bought a Subaru Legacy, original paint, clean, and 2 months later spent 1300$ on it and now swear he will never buy a use car again. I bought my gf Mazda for close to half the price with lots of km and knowing it was a repaint and havent put a dime in it yet...
Paying top dollars for something used is more risky in my book than the opposite unless you are buying from someone you know personally or a shop with a serious reputation for quality.
So buy on ebay but buy cheap, real cheap. Or sell on ebay and get top dollars. but be careful not to confused the buying with the selling.
My 2 cents
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Pascal
1982 1.9 TD Westy Bertha
1985 Westy Oscar - would trade for syncro Vanagon
2000 Fork pick up (work truck)
2004 Mazda 6 wagon (her car) |
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Sloth
Samba Member
Joined: October 23, 2006
Posts: 38
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:48 am Post subject: |
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We are eBay burn victims. I will never buy another item from eBay for more than I can afford to lose. In other words, I treat it like gambling!
We were desparate for a VW bus and bought one for way more than it was worth - sight unseen. Unfortunately, after we put lots of money and time into it we found out the true condition of the bus. We brought it to a very reputable VW mechanic who told us that we would be better off junking it (fiberglass holding the frame - YIKES! among other things).
Do as you will and I hope that your experiences are better - but I sure wish that we had listened to sound advice; though nothing teaches a good lesson as well as a $3000+ burn.
Cheers, Sloth 
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1980 VW Vanagon ~~~ Riviera Style |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10491
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:20 am Post subject: |
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| Zippo wrote: |
| Ive seen it driving around where i live it doesnt look that bad from about 20 ft anyone know anything about the deisel engine in it. |
If the engine is stock, it's about 48 HP. Even though it's not a Westy (lighter) this Vanagon will be SLOW! But if you're adventurous you can remedy that. These vans are great for either a more powerful gas engine, or a TD 1.9. Heck even a NA 1.9 (AAZ or ?) would be a big improvement. From what I've read, the 1.9 is a 1.6 "done right". Just beware of the crankshaft pulley. IIRC, it's the woodruff key on the crank that has been known to fail early. Regardless, the crank pulley can come loose. To say the least, this would disrupt things in the engine dept. 
But..... if you're just tooling around town and not overloading it, it may be just fine for your needs. It will get better fuel efficiency than a gas model, if it's in good shape.
I saw another post re: sunroof. For sure check it for leaks!
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"VW gas I4 Conversions" Google Group is being shut down.
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
VE7TBN |
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lovedavdubs
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2004
Posts: 1597
Location: New York, NY.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:50 am Post subject: |
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"It has a 5spd. manual transmission"   Pretty rare if that really is the case.
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82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway. |
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Alan Brase
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2004
Posts: 4564
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| lovedavdubs wrote: |
| "It has a 5spd. manual transmission" Pretty rare if that really is the case. |
No, ALL US market 83 diesels were 5 speeds. But they did not sell many 83's, so I guess you are right. Nearly all US diesels are 82's. After 82 the word was out and nobody would buy them. Too bad, the 5 speed made a bad situation a lot better. 10 more horsepower would make it better yet. I've had my 82 for 18 years. A great in-town car, but 60mph is the practical limit.
Those sellers of the black Mississippi car were either dreaming or very dishonest. No way it would go 75-80 and no way it would get over 30-32mpg.
That car had originally been red and white. Neat car. I'd have bought it for up to $2000. I hope they did better ending it early.
Al
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Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home |
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coolwind57
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2008
Posts: 79
Location: S. Indiana
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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I'm the fella that bought this van. I live in Indiana and picked it up on my way back from a business trip in Louisiana.
It is really in pretty good condition, although I haven't yet pushed the engine and I too am a little skeptical about them moving it over 65mph. The 5-speed really helps. I have a 5-speed Diesel Rabbit too and it does fine on the highways, but this weighs significantly more.
I'm happy to report that the sunroof does not leak...I ran it through an automatic car wash earlier today. I had my wife and kids scanning for leaks.
The body on this van is quite good...no significant rust. Tomorrow is the first real driving test as I plan on logging in 100 miles or so.
I'm very new to the forum and look forward to tapping off your knowledge and learning from you guys. |
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Alan Brase
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2004
Posts: 4564
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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| coolwind57 wrote: |
I'm the fella that bought this van. I live in Indiana and picked it up on my way back from a business trip in Louisiana.
I'm happy to report that the sunroof does not leak...I ran it through an automatic car wash earlier today. I had my wife and kids scanning for leaks.
The body on this van is quite good...no significant rust. Tomorrow is the first real driving test as I plan on logging in 100 miles or so.
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Good to hear from you. My 82 has a sunroof and it leaks every once in a while. This is because the drains get plugged with pine needles. The gaskets don't really seal it, nor were they designed to. What leaks through the gaskets gets dripped off to two troughs and these have drains front and rear that are hoses going thru the B pillar and the rear pillar. To clean the rears take out the black plastic rear grilles and blow air thru the hoses. The debris will dislodge and hopefully drain next time.
The front drains have steel tubes ending at the bottom of the rocker panel just behind the front wheel. Blast those out too.
It will be interesting to see how you like it. I'd like it better in its original colors.
Al
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Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home |
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Zippo
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2007
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Congrads on your purchase I almost bought it I only live about 30 minutes from where they had it, I just didnt know the first thing about a diesel engine in one of these vans. Although I did see them driving the van around town alot. So it must have run fairly decent.
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