Chris-

The money you've already spent is gone. You're not
going to get it back whether you fix the vanagon
again, buy another one, or go buy a Dodge. We all
learn not to go to the dealer eventually. I wouldn't
let it affect your decision.

What you need to weigh is: what can you buy with 4-5k.
Any vehicle you buy in that price range will come with
its own set of issues. Plus, you probably won't find
another 89 in decent condition at that price. If you
can double that amount and find a really sharp
vanagon, I'd go for it. Someone will buy yours. But if
4-5k is all you care to put into it AND you have a
mechanic who's trustworthy and reasonable, it sounds
like you get a pretty decent vehicle out of your 4-5k:
a nice-running 89 weekender. Caveat: IF the body's in
good condition. If it's rusting out, I'd abandon ship.
Also, I think if i were faced with rebuilding
prospects i'd do some research into alternative
enginges.

Good luck--let us know what you decide.

Jim carter
enfield, nh
84 westy, the Orange Violin

--- Chris D'Amico <chrisdamico@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> dear list,
> i need some advice on what to do with my 89' wolfie
> weekender. long story short. bought vechicle 14
> months
> ago for $5,500. (orange county, ca.). within the
> first
> year i have sank another $5,000 into the car (rear
> brakes, recharge ac, new ecu, repack rear cv boots,
> tune ups, new tires, reseal the tranny, and of
> course
> the dreaded head gasket job that cost me $2200. now,
> 12 months and 20k miles later, the head gasket is
> leaking again.
>
> why am i telling you guys this? because now i have
> invested about 11 grand in my van, and now am at a
> crossroads. i have taken it to another vw shop in my
> area (this shop specializes in vanagons and vw) and
> he
> has given me his opinion, which i think is an honest
> one. his view is this. my heads that were replaced
> weren't original german, and the ones i got only
> last
> about 20 to 30k (sounds kinda hard to believe,
> although the symptoms i am having now are exactly
> the
> same internal leaky head gaskets), so he thinks i
> should redo the gaskets, rebuild the engine from
> scratch, replace most the coolant hoses (which are
> mostly bad...12 yrs old), replace the radiator, and
> weld some cracks in the exhaust pipes. all of that
> for
> about $4000-$4500. sounds like alot, but it is alot
> of
> work. i wish i could do the work, but i can't.
>
> if anyone could give me some advice i would
> appreciate
> it. do i start over with another van? that doesn't
> sound so good to me. like the rest of you on the
> list,
> i love the vanagon and i honestly don't think there
> is
> a comparable vehicle on the road in the catagory
> today.
>
> sorry so long.
> chris
> 89' white wholfie weekender.
>
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