Please post: Vanagon Real World Bought/Sold prices

[boulderdrop]

Year Purchased: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle, WA
Van Model: 1984 Westfalia
Mileage at Purchase: 138k
Asking Price: $8.5k
Purchase Price: $8.5k
Source: Craigslist

Purchase Condition: Below are the original photos posted by the seller. It was a clean van, nicely cared for, however the WBX was tired and worn. The water-pump failed on my test-drive and spewed coolant around. I later found the alternator bracket was close to being stripped. Other than that, it was a fine van. Course, it's got at least another $12k dumped into it at this point.

EDIT: Sorry, I just realized that I posted in NOV 2013. hehe. eager to share.

_________________
== My Rides ==
1984 Westy, Bostig, 3rd:1.14, Locker-LSD, Newly Painted
1980 24' J-Boat
1979 Sears Freespirit Moped
1996 Chev S10 4x4 ZR2
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid (Wife's)

== How I Pay the Bills ==
Windows FTP Server at http://www.bpftpserver.com (PM for a FREE one)

[imagesinthewind]

Year Purchased: May 2013
Location: Denver, CO
Van Model: 1986 Westfalia Weekender
Mileage at Purchase: unknown
Asking Price: $4000
Purchase Price: $3500
Source: Craigslist

Purchase Condition: Body was shot, engine ran well but guzzled oil. Interior was very good. For the price, I thought it was a decent buy.

Did not come with the rear tent.
This year it got an engine rebuild and is currently getting a fun colorful paint job. There's a thread for that.

Total investment so far including purchase price, $8500 and easily worth that. We took it last year, with the oil drinking, to North Carolina and though we lost the clutch in Topeka, it was great!

[the craigness]

1984 Westy Full Camper. 144k, new clutch, tranny, interior almost new condition. Asking was $4000, paid $2,400. Put $1,800 into it the first week. Lots of gremlins. Lots of mouse poop. Some dents. No undercarriage rust at all. I'm now the second owner! You have to WANT this vehicle for you, not for an investment. Buy one to keep for a long time and like a boat, if you have to worry about what it's going to cost, get something else. It's 30 years old. It will always need things. Be prepared to get things overnighted to strange locations you will be when you break down. Ever hear the term "getting there is half the adventure?" We'll this time it will have a different meaning.

[streamr]

Good thread, thanks for starting it. This one goes back a bit but might be good for an historical perspective.

Year Purchased: Fall, 1990
Location: Northern Suburb of Chicago
Van Model: 1985 Westfalia
Mileage at Purchase: 50k
Asking Price: $10k
Purchase Price: $9.5k
Source: Newspaper ad

Purchase Condition: Got it from the original owner, he said it was too small and was buying a motorhome. Great original condition, no rust or any mechanical issues whatsoever. It was my daily driver for almost ten years and we went everywhere with that thing. Never had any major issues, I think the most I had to do was new exhaust, clutch and the usual other maintenance. Sold it in '98 or '99, don't remember for sure. When the young woman drove it away, my wife and I looked at each other and said....crap, what did we just do?

Sold Condition: Sold it for $5500, was asking $5000. More than one person was interested. I seem to remember close to 200K on the odometer. Never any accidents or re-paints, but the rust was starting behind the front bumper and a little in the rear seams. Still very solid and the interior was still perfect. I miss that one.

I don't have any photos of when we picked it up, this one is just before we sold it.

_________________
'03 MV

[Rachelwins]

89 Carat
Unknown mileage
Body good
Interior complete
4 speed manual
Original engine
Ac not working
Clean title
Purchases April 2014 in Knoxville, TN from Craigslist
Asking $3900
Paid $3500 sight unseen then drove it home to RI.

[MootPoint]

The day after I bought the van, heading home...

Year Purchased: 2006
Location: Silver City, NM
Van Model: 1984 Full Westy, standard transmission
Mileage at Purchase: +-150K
Asking Price: $6000 (won't dicker)
Purchase Price: $6000
Source: Pulled up in front of the restaurant where my wife and I were eating breakfast during quick trip to Silver City from Albuquerque. Woman got out, opened the side door, popped the top, hung a "For Sale" sign on it and walked away. Ms. Moot and I looked at each other and said, "Oh, this isn't good..." Bought two hours later. Hadn't taken the For Sale sign off yet and someone walked up and asked to buy it.
Purchase Condition: Amazingly good for a 22 y/o van. I knew nothing about Vanagons other than I wanted one but knew enough about cars to check the basics: leaks, tire wear, rust, etc. Drove fine and had good power. It was a Saturday so I couldn't take it to a shop for a check-up so we just crossed our fingers and bought it. It also came with about 15 years of maintenance receipts which help us with our snap decision and a Bentley.

Discovered Samba soon thereafter and, in reading others' posts all these years I felt we were damn lucky to not inherit a bunch of problems.

I've probably put $10,000 into it since then (tencentlife engine, 15" wheels and tires, new shocks, lots of basic maintenance and PM stuff. Today it needs a new windshield and power steering maintenance. Has 185K on the odometer now. We love it.
_________________
1984 Westy with tencentlife power!

[Surfy Murphy]

Year Purchased: July 2013
Location: Kenab, UT
Van Model: 1987 Syncro GL with Sunroof
Mileage at Purchase: 220k roughly, now about 226k
Asking Price: 8500
Purchase Price: 6500
Source: thesamba.com

Purchase Condition: No rust, except under the gas tank-not found until last week when the tank came out. PO put in a new gowesty decoupler, and new transmission. The frozen tranny and old propshaft came with the van.
Sunroof was recently serviced, barely functional brakes, a home made cabinet setup and cig burned seats, anemic single carb waterboxer 2.2. Hard to know if I paid too much, but I really had ZERO idea what I was looking at.

I've since thrown another $18k of work and parts at it. If I were to do it again, I'd just buy the finished van. I am enjoying the process of rebuilding a van from scratch. OCD with a vanagon....sigghhh.

After the drive back to Brooklyn....

_________________
1987 Orly Blue Sunroof Syncro, EJ25

[BavarianWrench]

[AZ Landshaper]

Purchased July 2015
Purchased for 5500.
177000 on the dash.
No rust to speak of
1980 Aircooled w FI still attached
Didnt run but engine and van were very clean.
Poptop needs attn and needs tires.
All interior items work.
Ill probably sink 2k into this in the next few months if not sooner.
Purchased for trips around AZ and poss to San D. but doubtful .
Planning a maiden voyage to Mnt Lemmon (65 miles round trip) in two weeks.

[/img]

[57 Zwitter?]

1985 Westy full camper, Nice! New BC/ CC Savannah beige paint, 132,000 miles. new go westy heads, new PS, S/S cooling lines, top canvas etc, etc. Ebay reserve $21,500, sold for $22,000.

[AKWesty]

I just listed my van and trailer on eBay. Could be interesting for thesamba to watch to see if someone is willing to pay for the expensive modifications. I have always heard that you can't get your investment back out of one of these vans. I guess we will see. -Chad

http://www.ebay.com/itm/302267596476

_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's

www.CatchTheKraken.com

"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir

[61Scout]

Dead/bad link above, but searched by item # and found it. Good luck... that's one sweet van!

EDIT: Hmmm, the link doesn't seem to want to post for me. Just search by item # off of the main page I guess.

-Kevin
_________________
1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
Floppy Mirrors no more: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653018&highlight=
Remove the front spindle nut with ease: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679567&highlight=
Remove the rear wheel bearing housing without messing with the big 46mm nut: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679507&highlight=

-Nec Spe, Nec Metu

[AKWesty]

Thanks Kevin, I am not sure why the link didn't work for you. Glad the item number is searchable. Thanks, Chad
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's

www.CatchTheKraken.com

"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir

[AndyBees]

Below on the Left

Year Purchased: January 2016
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Van Model: 1989 Carat
Mileage at Purchase: 142k miles (from the second owner)
Asking Price: $3,500.00
Purchase Price: $3,000.00
Source: Craigslist

Below on the Right

Year Purchased: September 2007
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Van Model: 1984
Mileage at Purchase: 208k miles
Asking Price: Bid $560.00
Purchase Price: $560.00 on a second chance offer
Source: eBay

I did convert the 84 to an ALH TDI for a cost of about $4,200.00. Back in '07 good ALH TDI engines were hard to find and expensive. I could do the conversion for half that now. I've put over 71k miles on the conversion with no major issues.

_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[Andymon]

Year Purchased: June 2016
Location: Medford, Oregon
Van Model: 1985 Westy
Mileage at Purchase: 123K miles (from the second owner)
Asking Price: $9500
Purchase Price: $9500
Source: Private party

_________________
"Blanch" '85 Westy
"Too many freaks and not enough circuses".

[jimf909]

Year Purchased: 1997
Asking price: $6,500
Purchase price: $6,000
Miles: 130,000

Year sold: 2014
Selling price: $3,000 (as pictured below, broken engine)
Miles: 230,000
The most expensive repair before the engine failed was a steering rack. It served as a DD for years running 40 miles per day and was a remarkably inexpensive vehicle to drive.

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- Jim

[Abscate]

1983 Vangon 7 seater tin top, diesel GL

Bought in 1987 for $5500, 50k miles

Sold on 1999 for $6000

12 years of driving for brakes, tires, oil changes and a radiator.

I miss you BlueBus

_________________
.ssS!

[candyman]

87 tintop. Bought nov 2016 $100. Was starting to get parted out until i rescued it. $1500 later in missing parts and tune up ect, was back on the road in 3 weeks. Been my sacrificial lamb so to speak, to save miles on my syncro westy. Drive it daily

[slobrewer]

Year Sold: 2017 (April)
Asking price: $19,500 + $400 for fridge
Sales price: $19,500 plus a case of Russian River beers
Miles: 181,740

1988 Automatic Westy with working A/C, Fiamma awning, and aftermarket fridge. Excellent mechanical condition but fair paint job (some superficial rust spots on body, fiberglass bumpers a bit rough, and three nickel sized rust bubbles under rear windows.) In other words, it looks presentable but not a show queen. No structural rust or any major deficiencies.

Lots of interest and sold after six days on the market.
_________________
White 1988 Vanagon Westfalia (Automatic, A/C, solar, aux battery, 15" GW wheels, 8' Fiamma awning, 63 qt. Edgestar fridge, homebrew on tap)

[Strangeblackclouds]

This thread is great!

Year Purchased: November, 2016

Location Helena, Montana

Van Model 1985 Wolfsburg Weekender, 4 speed, pop top

Mileage 89,000

Asking Price $6,500

Purchase Price $6,000

Source Friend

Purchase Condition good, engine was in okay shape, very little rust.

[/b]
_________________
1983 Tercel 4WD
1985 Wolfsburg Weekender
2014 Sportwagen TDI