DOH! That would be "prospective" purchaser...

Perspective is a little hard to come by in winter in Maine.

KD

> From: Kevin Davis <kdavis@qsilver.net>
> Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 20:16:31 -0500
> To: Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>, <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Subject: Re: Are syncros more trouble...
>
> To begin with - FWIW and IMO - so please extinguish the flame throwers in
> advance.
>
> OK. So now my .02 worth - and remember, you get what you pay for.
>
> From a perspective purchaser's experience - I've been looking for a Syncro
> Westy, '87 or later, for several months - like 6 months. I am in the market
> for an excellent condition vehicle. $18k is as low as I've seen truly
> excellent condition '87's advertised. The '90's and '91's routinely are listed
> at $22k to $24k. They  apparently sell near the asking price. The really rare
> '90 - '91 vehicle that is in excellent condition with exceptionally low
> mileage routinely has an asking price in the $25k to $27k range - again, they
> seem to sell for near their asking price. I have verified this with
> purchasers.
>
> Low dollar Syncro Westy's tend to need several thousand dollars worth of
> repairs before they are put back in "excellent" condition. Again - I have
> verified this by asking sellers lots of detailed questions about the condition
> of their vehicles.
>
> IMO what they are "worth" is what people are willing to pay.
>
> All of this being said, Bill Kasper scored the deal of the century. I've seen
> the pictures.
>
> Kevin
> Camden, ME
>
>
>> From: Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>
>> Reply-To: Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>
>> Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 10:00:47 -0800
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: Are syncros more trouble...
>>
>> on 3/5/01 9:38 AM, Craig Spaeth at spaeth@GORGE.NET wrote:
>> [snipped]
>>> I would just make a list of why you want the Syncro and see
>>> if
>>> the 2wd would take care of those reasons. If it comes down to the fact that
>>> you
>>> just want the coolness of owning a Syncro and it is worth it to you...I say
>>> go
>>> for
>>> it. The are great rigs. I am a skier and spend a lot of time in the snow and
>>> still
>>> can't justify the Syncro at this point (especially since we really like the
>>> Westy
>>> and a Syncro Westy becomes quite cost prohibitive.) Eventually we will
>>> probably
>>> end up with a Syncro Westy just for coolness sake but that day is a long way
>>> off.
>>
>> craig, and the list...we were searching for a simple westy, preferrably '86
>> or newer (we wanted the 2.1L) in good condition with no rust.  so i searched
>> and searched, daily, for a month.  went all over the web looking for these
>> things, and found it was a rare westy under $4K that fit these parameters.
>> most were in the $5-$8K range, and every one i called on had issues
>> (non-insurmountable ones, to be sure, but they weren't perfect little
>> runners!).
>>
>> then we stumbled on our syncro westy at a dealer's in north carolina.  i can
>> tell the full story now, because i have the title on my desk next to me *S*.
>> they advertised in the autotrader.com, and i got there first.  needless to
>> say, we decided that it would be ok to have a syncro westy for the price of
>> a non-syncro westy, and we sent money for a downpayment.  the day our money
>> got there, i found out the following week, someone called and offered them
>> nearly twice the advertised price.  they declined, holding the contract we'd
>> signed in an ethical manner (made ME happy, i will tell you what!).  so, the
>> deals *are* out there, it just takes perserverence and search-engine
>> skill...among other things!
>>
>> to make a long story short, it's now getting on a truck and going to be in
>> our driveway sometime after next saturday.  needless to say, we're looking
>> forward to it.  we wouldn't have paid anything like the $12000-$20000 most
>> syncro westys seem to get, because we didn't have that much money and
>> couldn't justify taking a loan out for the few times per year we'll use the
>> 4wd.  but as long as we could get it for the same or better price as a
>> regular westy, we jumped quickly.  yes, we'll have more expesnive
>> maintenance, etc., but in october my wife will be working and our income
>> will magically increase...so we'll be covered for the big problems, and the
>> minutae will slowly take care of themselves.
>>
>> btw, SO MANY people on this list have been a help, and a joy to correspond
>> with.  someone wrote a lovely note about what kind of list this is, and i
>> certainly feel like we've been brought in with open arms.  i can only hope
>> to return the favors granted to me in advice and the like as i learn about
>> our new vehicle.
>>
>> take care,
>> bill
>> '87 syncro westfalia
>>
>>