Thanks to all who offered advice on purchasing an '86 thru '91
Westfalia. In part due to the information gathered on this listserve, I
was able to make the decision to bid on a vehicle I found on Ebay,
something I ordinarily would be hesitant to do.

After much research and an element of anxiety, I finally found a deal on
an '87 Westfalia. The vehicle meets all of my criteria (4 spd, full
camper, excellent condition, etc.) with the only exception being that
it's not white. But it does have a factory remanufactured engine with
only 16K miles and a transferable warranty, and the price is well below
both Blue Book and what I have seen out here in the SF Bay Area for one
of these, so I'm going for it. I have pictures of all aspects of the
vehicle, in addition to those posted to Ebay, and it appears to be in
almost "like new" condition, at least in the interior.

The van lives in a more or less desert climate, so has no rust (just
some dust). The transmission is apparently still shifting with no
problem, so I may not have to worry about the 3rd/4th syncro hub failing
for awhile. The completeness and condition of the vehicle and the
apparent caliber of the seller, who I spoke to on the phone, prompted me
to go ahead and bid on this, and I got it.

Of course, actual physical inspection could possibly turn up something
adverse that might break the deal, but I don't think that's likely at
this point.

Now I just need to arrange a trip to Colorado to complete the purchase
and drive the camper home.

Again, thanks for all the advice. I will be putting my '82
Adventurewagen up for sale as soon as I can get it cleaned up and ready.

Dan Schmitz

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