How long will a Vanagon drivetrain last?

[Elliott]

First off, I am admittedly uneducated in the ways of the Westie...I have been learning from all of you, so thank you for the info I've gotten here so far!

I'm in the market for a Vanagon to take me around the country on what may amount to a year-long tour starting in January! So I want something that is going to hold up.

I looked at an 86 Vanagon today, that drove really well...it is the most solid of all the busses I've checked out so far.

It's really pretty clean, and in good shape all around, with the only hitch being that is has 220,000 miles (that's a quarter of a million...gasp!) (it's also an automatic...I prefer manual)

HOWEVER, the engine was rebuilt 20,000 miles ago and the seller has the paperwork.

What does that mean exactly?? A rebuilt engine vs a new one? And what are other implications of the van having 220k miles when the engine is rebuilt?

Another bus I'm looking at has 110,000 miles, but the original engine..is that a better bet? That one is also an 84..so slightly smaller engine...but the whole thing has been restored and looks really nice..

I would definitely get a mechanic to put either on the racks, and give me an opinion before buying anything, but wanted to see if anyone had any initial thoughts on this...does buying a bus w a quarter of a million miles, but a relatively newly rebuilt engine raise any eyebrows?

Another option I'm going to go check out tomorrow is an 81 bus that miraculously has only 20,000 miles... Smaller less-powerful engine, and air-cooled vs. water cooled on the other 2 I'm looking at, but much lower mileage...

...not sure how relevant the mileage is when the engine has been rebuilt? I guess that's my main question here... And if anyone feels like throwing out any thoughts on anything else I've blabbed on about here then, killer... You will be helping a rookie learning the ways of the Westie!

Thanks!!
Elliott

BTW, the seller is asking $9.5k for the 86 Westie...does that seem reasonable based on what else I've said above? It also has some nice new Michelin's and hubs, and a good stereo system wired through the bus... Thank you for reading and for helping a noob!!!

[randywebb]

"rebuilt" has no real definition - it could be better than a new engine all the way down to a grenade ready to explode

you can look at the parts purchased to get some idea what was done

next issue is the reputation of the person or shop that did the rebuild -- did they do the minimum possible to make it run? or did they do every thing that often fails at certain mileages, even if those things looked ok at the time? did they measure are all tolerance accurately? etc. etc.

a careful check over by a mechanic who is experienced with Vanagons (not just VWs) is important
_________________
1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[Jon_slider]

I hope it works out well for you.

whatever van you are considering... they are square Vans not round Busses, except the 81

these old vehicles are best matched with people who can fix them themselves, not having to pay a mechanic.

You dont sound mechanical, so I would say the best thing to do is to find a mechanic you trust, to inspect anything you are thinking of buying.

The 86 sounds worth inspecting. As far as the price, study the ads here on Samba for Vanagons in the classifieds.. you will get an idea what people are asking.. whatever you pay, expect to pay more down the line to keep it running.

Have your inspection person give you some idea of what kind of things you will be spending money on in the first year..

[Ahwahnee]

I agree that 'who did the rebuild' is an important consideration. A good rebuild can be superior to the original in a few cases.

My 84 has a simillar spec to the 86 you describe -- 250K w/ 30K on the rebuild -- I would not (and do not) hesitate driving it cross country.

[dlb]

i agree with jon. old vehicles require more maintenance and if you're able to do that yourself, great, but if not, you should have a mechanic that you are fairly sure won't rake you over the coals.

these things are REALLY expensive. you can luck out and find one with a few issues that you can fix up but generally you'll pay through the nose for them. i honestly wouldn't pay half of what most people ask but i also prefer a vehicle that i don't worry about getting dinged in parking lots.

if the rebuild is done well and everything else in the van is in good working order, i wouldn't worry about the high kms. things that are looked after should continue to run well for a long time, as long as you continue to look after them well.

[Elliott]

Thanks for all the great feedback guys....I will see if I can get ahold of the paperwork on the rebuild and find out exactly what was done..

Sounds like I should steer clear away from air cooled engines unless I want to travel w a tool kit and a copy of vw's for dummies...which is probably not going to be the wisest move...

That being said would you say theres a big difference between an 86 and an 84?

Thanks again!

[Ahwahnee]

[dlb]

[morymob]

Maint and driving style determines longivity(?) . Previous '84 GL had 170k+ when bought. leaked so i did a O.H.,all brngs, seals, rings, w-pump and heads needed no work. I passed it on at 330K+ and last contact was it was past 350K.Was actually the most reliable of any 'makes' owned during that period and after getting a thorough going over,grounds, connectors, brakes etc, at first it was hard to let go but a syncro surfaced and the rest is history.

[Perales]

[Elliott]

[Perales]

Could be anything. Just last week I had to tighten up the windshield wipers as they just flopped during a rain storm. My friend recently had to replace a broken accelerator cable on the road. (he carried a spare with him, as do I). These are 25+ year old vehicles and require TLC. I have not had to make major repairs on the road (knock wood) but you never know. Don't be turned off by this, it is just a different kind of reality that you have to accept when getting into these things. I wouldn't have it any other way.
_________________
-- 1987 Westfalia automatic (Captain Vino)

[j_dirge]

[SL1]

It can range from something as minor as topping off your oil to a 'holy crap batman' full blown tow job issue

follow the advise of the wise ones, you need a basic set of 'spares' , you need a good set of tools, a Bentley manual, maybe some printed articles found here and on other knowledegable sites. You need a cell phone, a CAA or AAA card, and don't forget your visa - the 'easy' button.

These are old machines and unless you have deep pockets, you need to learn how to fix stuff yourself. You have to get dirty, shed some blood, and get to learn your machine - thats one of the joys of these babies - you may grow to like it. When you get stuck, there is a wealth of knowledge right here and lots of people that will come to your aid.

Don't let that scare you away - get your prospective machine checked out by a reputable VW mechanic who works on the beasts, then buckle up, enjoy the ride.....'be one with your vanagon'
_________________
Steve
1985 GL Westy - 'Bullwinkle'
1978 Super Beetle - 'Rocky'

[dlb]

on my road trip, the gas tank appeared to be leaking right after we filled it. i had a small tool kit so i just needed $30 worth of rags and rubbermaid bins and then i drained and dropped the tank in a parking lot. found that the rubber hoses running to the expansion tanks had rotted out so i replaced them. between all the running around it ate up a half day of our vacation but saved us getting raked over the coals by some jack off.

definitely don't want to scare you from buying one of these, just want you to know that if you do get one it will be a good time to learn some basic wrenching so you can trouble shoot and fix some stuff on your own. it's actually really satisfying to fix your own stuff.

[Perales]

[dlb]

wow, yours must be a very different set up from mine or else it was the lines that are easily reached in the front wheel wells. the guilty parties on my tank were the lines connected furthest back on the tank--with it in place i could just touch them with a finger and feel that they were soaked but that was it.

it's funny because i replaced all the rubber fuel lines in the engine bay but i never heard anyone mention anything about the expansion tank lines. now i recommend doing them right after the engine lines!

[tomkat73]

86 Westy - Original owner - 180K in 10 years before I 'killed' it in a rollover on icy Stevens Pass. No injuries (thankfully!) - but my first thought as I was still sitting in the drivers seat with the driver's door on the shoulder was "My wife is gonna kill me for totaling our rolling home".
Heads/gaskets were done under VW warranty...at 120K. Fought the insurance battle for 2 months - hired own appraiser and settled for $12.5K

87 Syncro Westy - 3rd owner - bought it 2 months after the accident with 100K miles. Heads/gaskets were done by 1st owner at 80K. Daryl AA Transaxle rebuild (.77 4th) at 160K. Sold it last month to a friend with Syncro envy with 249K. Original 2.1 WBX still running strong.

90 Syncro Westy - 2nd owner. Purchased from my FIL with 145K miles. Like me - he's a stickler for ongoing maintenance.

+1 on AAA Premier, carrying spares (ignition switch, headlight switch, belts, etc.), tools with some basic wrenching knowledge...and Internet access to reach this forum (Use the Search, Luke!)

Bentley manual is 'priceless' - along with an available credit line and a good VW mechanic to help with stuff you don't want to take on yourself.

Try this link to find someone local to check out your westy before purchase:

http://www.roadhaus.com/shops.php

Have fun shopping - and post when you've made a decision. Change your fuel lines as soon as you can.
_________________
Tom

90 Bordeaux (Wine Wagon) Syncro Westy
87 Flash Silver (Silver Slug) Syncro Westy (1996-2011)
86 Bronze Beige Metallic Westy (Tourist Delivery - 1996)

[Perales]

[Wildthings]

These vehicles can reasonably be kept on the road for many many miles. A quality rebuild is probably good for 200K miles as is a good transmission rebuild. Front suspension stuff appears to last 250-300K before needing to be replaced. There are always lots of other little stuff that can and will go wrong. Cooling system parts are a PITA, there are just so many of them, all with their own failure modes. Many of the plastic ones are only good for only 10-15 years before they blow apart sudden from age.

The first year you own one of these you might as well plan on spending several thousand on parts alone. In future years you should average a thousand or so annually in the long run.