Conundrum.....new van vs old van

[Zeitgeist 13]

Just go drive it and report back on your observations. It's a 1.9L with an automatic, so you'll really get a good feel for the stock Vanagon experience. Then you can try an '86 and newer model with the 2.1L engine which has a bump in power. The automatics really are geared low, so you'll get a good idea about what I was mentioning earlier about the RPMs on the freeway. The autos are a lot more pleasant to drive around town, though.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[Ahwahnee]

Certainly a lot of custom touches there which may or may not be to your taste. If you like them that's good as such things can lower the value vs a stock vehicle and be a bargaining chip.

Sounds like he will have photos 'before' and 'during' sheet metal repair so you may be able to assess the rust and repair situation.

I am always wary of sellers who feel the need to bad-mouth the original components to justify their problems... '99% of these cars the rubber starts to split from the sun', 'the stupid propane system westy's normally have', 'For the pop-top I took out the uncomfortable foam', 'heavy duty fuel pump cause they need 45 psi to get enough fuel to the injectors' etc.

'Since the engine only has 90k miles on it, It won't need to be replaced or rebuilt for a while.' is hopefully true but definitely run any prospective purchase at full engine temp for a spell while watching for any 'air' in the pressure tank that would suggest a compression leak.

'got the car painted for 1500 $'... will be interesting to see what that money gets you. Maybe an indifferent Maaco job or maybe not.

If AC is important to you, you will want details on what work was including what refrigerant was used. He says 'replaced' - a thorough replacement usually includes new (barrier) hoses and improved condenser. Other upgrades are also possible with such work (later fan) but not necessary.

Bottom line - lots of thing have been 'covered' here (floor, upholstery, dash, body,) so you will want to consider whether the repairs effected are of a quality and style you can accept.

BTW - the phrase 'TAKE MY WORD' is not one I particularly like to see in an ad.

[jimf909]

[Tom Powell]

[crazyvwvanman]

Agreed, a lot of posturing about the so called upgrades. Claims not to have cheaped out but photos say otherwise as does his list of fixes it still needs. Looks like a $100 dorm fridge, not a real built in camping fridge.

Mark

[SCP_Austin]

I have gone down this same path before twice and still ended up back with a Vanagon.

Things to consider:
Are you comfortable breaking down?
Do you have the knowledge or the cash to get yourself out of it?

I have always heard you want to buy appreciating assets and Vanagon are going up in value. As long as you get a good price up front and hold for a few years you can get your money out of it if you don't like it.
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#leftlanelife

[campism]

Here's the ad in question. I second the need for caution when checking it out. "I'm a very handy guy" just as this guy claims to be and I'd expect you to want to verify my claims if I were selling it.

1985 Volkswagon Westfalia watercooled 2.0 liter engine - $17000 (San Clemente)

1985 volkswagen vanagon westfalia

fuel: gas
odometer: 92000
title status: clean
transmission: automatic

Where to even begin, Im a very handy guy and Ive spent several months working on this beauty and have dedicated hundreds of hours to its restoration. The condition is amazing. not a speck of rust on the body and the chassis/engine has only 92,000 miles on it. It sat in storage for over 10 years before I picked it up which is why the mileage is so low.

-I didn't cheap out on anything for this car and I've put a ton of money into it. I wouldn't sell it but I need the cash :/
-Just drove it all the way from Florida and had an amazing trip! these cars are ideal for someone that likes to adventure
-I have a spreadsheet of the costs and all the receipts to show for it as well. Ive done practically everything on this car including many, many customizations that have made it different from any other west out there.
-TAKE MY WORD you don't want to buy a cheap one in bad condition because they need a TON of work to restore, and unless you're a great mechanic you're going to spend way more time/money than you ever imagined fixing it
_______________________________________________________________________________________
WHEELS
The rims are new and custom, way bigger than the original 14' ones, these are 16' and 2 inches wider as well. had to add spacers and get some custom lug nuts and studs that were surprisingly hard to find just to get the wheels to work, but they look great! tires only have around 2 thousand miles on them and are the most recommended wheels you can get for this car according to GoWesty. I also changed out the bearings which is a pretty crucial step a lot of people don't do.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
BODY EXTERIOR
There were a few exterior panels with rust but rather than doing some shitty-bondo-patch work I cut the panels out, bought new ones from busdepot and welded them on. I removed the pop-top, pressure cleaned and waxed it, replaced the westy stickers and all of the hardware and also replaced the canvas with hemp blend that is mold resistant so this canvas will last very many years.
I then got the car painted for 1500 $ in classic British racing green which looks awesome.
replaced all of the cargo cleats for the front of the roof.
replaced all of the lights and the horn
replaced the roller bearings for the sliding door
I replaced a few of the window seals that needed it
replaced the entire skylight so its got a brand new everything for that.
underneath the car doesn't have a speck of rust, it was stored inside for most of its life
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BODY INTERIOR
I made a custom wooden dashboard because on 99% of these cars the rubber starts to split from the sun, most people just get a cover but I removed it, made a template and customized a piece of butcher block- it looks awesome!
I realigned the steering column
I added a new (and larger) speaker system in the car BOSS Audio (bluetooth and has a screen you can watch movies on)
removed the carpet and rhino-lined the floor of the cockpit area
added an auxiliary battery (70 amp) biggest battery that could fit in the space
I had the front chairs custom reupholstered with paisley and leather that came out amazing
Put wood floors down in the main cabin area
Added a fridge with an on off switch that runs on electricity instead of the stupid propane system westy's normally have
Added a cutting board that pulls out as well as an extra drawer, all above the fridge (came out perfect!)
I had the back seats reupholstered using sumbrella material which is super strong and had zippers added so it can be taken off and washed if needed.
For the pop-top I took out the uncomfortable foam and replaced it with Tempur-Pedic memory foam so its wayyyy more comfortable to sleep up there.
I replaced all of the lights with LEDs
I got a new propane valve that runs on a more efficient system. stove works like a charm as well as the sink! the car could use new hook-ups that are on the exterior but this part is under 200$ on GoWesty.
Im sure there a ton of other things I missed but you'll see for yourself the interior is pristine
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/ electronics
Since the engine only has 90k miles on it, It won't need to be replaced or rebuilt for a while. Never have had issues with the engine
replaced the Alternator
Replaced the Water Pump
Replaced the AC compressor and the ENTIRE AC system which cost a couple of grand... have the receipts for that expensive endeavor
replaced the transmission filter recently
burped the radiator
replaced the plugs, filters and most of the fuel/air lines
replaced the fuel pump with a bosch (top of the line) these cars require a heavy duty fuel pump cause they need 45 psi to get enough fuel to the injectors
__________________________________________________________________________________
THINGS THE CAR NEEDS
-could use a fuel tank cleaning or just replacement, a new fuel tank is around $150.. the fuel filter gets clogged every 1000 miles or so from gunk in the engine so be sure to change it so the fuel pump doesn't go!
-slight transmission fluid leak (probably very minimal fix)
-could use a solar panel so the batteries stay fully charged all the time!
-Hook-up boxes (water hook up, electricity hook up) could use a replacement, this is under 200 dollars I just never got to it
- bumpers could use a replacement...I recommend upgrading to a twin peaks bumper, they are awesome!!
-the car is about due for an oil change!
(as you can see there isn't much this car needs to get it to be perfect)


IF this add didn't cover something or you have a question feel free to call me at show contact info
thanks for looking!
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[crazyvwvanman]

Also appears not to have Calif plates. If not, that is 2 red flags.

Mark

[Abscate]

[Simpdog5]

So I went and drove the van. Some feedback:

The seller is a young kid who just graduated college, and he bought the van last year and spent some time fixing it up and then drove it on a 2 month cross country trip from Florida to where the van is now in Southern Cal. Some of the writing in the ad was admittedly red flag worthy ("trust me" etc) but I chalk this up to him being a kid. Truth is he was very nice and seemed pretty honest and switched on. There's clearly no way to know for certain, but if I trust my instincts I'd say he's on the up and up.

He did the work on the van with his Dad, who spent 20 years in the Danish Military as an engineer, and then worked as an engineer at Volkswagen for a decade. So he clearly knew his way around the vehicle.

There was no rust. very, very clean, including underneath from what I could see. The body was in excellent condition. He pointed out a few smaller panels where there had previously been dents or scratches and he said they replaced them. Literally no dents, dings, etc.

The interior was very clean. The pop-top opened easily and the tent fabric is brand new. All appliances in working order. The seats all have new fabric with no signs of wear and tear.

Engine started well. The van ran well. Straight when i took my hands off the wheel. Didn't have a ton of power but went fine on the freeway at 65 mph.

The paint job did seem a little junior varsity, although I like the British racing free.

I looked for red flags and didn't find anything glaring. Few little tidbits here and there but thats gonna be the case with any van I suppose. Felt like a solid van.

[kamzcab86]

[Alaskaberrys]

Nice looking van from the pics.

I think your instincts will let you know once you’ve talked with the owner - the trick is listening to them

As long as your prepared for “something” to go wrong - as it will - all is good. I’ve never given a hoot about anything I’ve driven till we got our Westy a year and a half ago, and now I find myself perversely waiting for the next flashing light/no start/really bad noise to deal with. Granted it’s never at a good time, and usually some panic and loud words ensue, but that just makes for great stories. And you’ve got a great resource in the Samba community to fall back on.

Good luck!
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'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[campism]

Ya gotta go with your gut when dealing with these things. Good luck!
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[tjet]

From a mechanics point of view, I would much rather work on a Vanagon than any Eurovan or MB.

I even carry a spare engine in my van if a parking lot engine change is needed (extended road trip). Can't do that with a Sprinter...

[UngaWunga]

That doesn't really scream "reliability" now does it... lol

[tjet]

Haha, no, but things can go wrong on any vehicle. I bring it on trips that may leave me stranded (off road, etc).

I also keep a floor jack in the van (which is required for a motor swap)

[Abscate]

[djkeev]

[Simpdog5]

An extra engine; that's funny (and I guess smart if you have the spare room!).

Been doing lot's of thinking and I'm leaning towards selling the Sprinter. Spending an inordinate amount of time on the information superhighway researching...so much good info out there (and thanks to all of you for offering advice as well!).

Here's one which I found that looks pretty beat but at the same time is inexpensive and has low miles. Feels as if the engine and tran is in good working order, the tent is an easy fix as well as the interior fabric. This van could be cleaned up fairly easily......again, that may be my naivete' talking. Wonder if it's worth a look?

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/1986-volkswagen-vanagon/6379123085.html

[kamzcab86]