Wow I haven't had to write in for a while now.  I missed you all!  Well
I am having a moral dilemma.  I have this great vanagon named Stella and
I am very attached to her, so much so that I have had the  head gasket
replaced 3 years ago, a new transmission 2 years ago, new brakes $500
ago, new hoses and a cat converter $787.54 (not to mention 3 weeks ago),
and two days ago I saw the dripping of the anti-freeze again.  I drooped
it off to Euclid foreign Motors in Euclid, OH and the owner said it was
probably the head gasket again.  He also told me that I could drive it
as long as it was cool out, but no extended trips and not driving when
it is hot out.  My options are as he put it:
1)  Sell Stella
2)  Put in a new engine (A VW Re-built)
3)  New head gasket

Now here are the symptoms that I got out of him:
Stella is not leaking bad, but the coolant is not getting back from the
engine, hence the overflow tank empties after driving, he did a
compression check, and he could not identify a leak, but it's dripping
slowly, so it has to be in the compressor.  I asked him if the water
pump is OK and he said yes, (it should be, that was about $250 ago and
if it was after the transmission).  Well I have read up on the head
gasket info on the Vanagon site, now I'm doing it again.

Now I am in luck in one manner, I do know a guy who worked for the
mechanic that is currently looking at Stella, and he has offered me some
very cheap labor, cases of beer!! What a deal, but I am a full time
student and I work in a bar, so I will have a money cap.  My other
probelm is I am moving or Ashland, OR after I finish up classes this May
(no I was not planning on driving out there)

So my dilemma is:
I love Stella, but I am not a millionaire, I would love to keep her.  I
have heard talk and rumors about putting in other than VW engines, but I
know little about that and my mechanic has never heard of any such news.
So any one with any information, suggestion, or millionaires looking to
adopt a grand daughter and Stella, please, I beg you for some input.

Thanks again
Kate