I'm the second owner (since 1987) of a two-tone brown and tan 1983.5
Adventurewagen GL with 137k miles. It's trimmed out with all the standard AW
goodies plus a few that were added to the line in later years.

Last month, during a storm respite, it successfully covered 150 miles of
really bad roads in Death Valley. A friend in our party even said the road
to The Racetrack was in the worst he has encountered in his previous six
visits.

Even better was then drive into the park from its' dirt road North entrance.
I was zooming along a long straightaway at 57 mph and didn't see an upcoming
dip fast enough. I went sailing through the air with all four wheels off the
ground, just like in the movie "Bullit". When I touched down the front
license plate bent back under my bumper. The landing force then re-inserted
an ejected tape which turned on its' power, and my stereo started booming
out Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty". It was a surreal experience!

Garrett Adams
83.5 Adventurewagen GL