Hi Tony:

My wife is also in a wheelchair, and I use a vanagon for her travel needs.

If you contact the owner of www.vanagain.com - he had a used wheelchair lift
available for $300, (I think). If it's still there and unsold, he may
negotiate a bit.

The vanagon is a pretty high-maintenance vehicle, and if the engine has
100,000 miles on it - it will likely need the heads to be done or the engine
replaced soon. It is a good vehicle if you live in the US, where it doesn't
get to -30 below like here in Canada.

You can expect around 20-22 MPG or so.

If you buy a vanagon, the best model for you would probably be the 7
passenger, but not a Westfalia, because it has the Westy has the kitchen
inside which takes up some room.

If you can get one with air - that's good, but make sure you check it to
ensure it works.

The automatics are more reliable than the manual trannies.  I'd never buy a
manual, but that's me.

Make sure it has tires rated for the vehicle - often they are sold with
lighter weight tires than the spec, which can be dangerous.

I think you can do much better than the price you were quoted. If you stay
subscribed to the list for a few weeks, you will see many vans advertised
for less than the price you quoted.

For more information on technical issues etc, go to www.vanagon.com, and
read all the faq's/problems.

Let me know how it goes, K?

Marshall Ruskin
84 Westy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Gould" <tgerr85@yahoo.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2001 3:42 AM
Subject: feedback on '90 vanagon 4 sale

> all,
>
> I am the dad of a 15 yr old wheelchair user -
> interested in purchasing a vanagon w/power lift for
> the chair into the side door.  Saw an ad for a '90
> w/150,000 miles -- original engine/auto trans w/front
> and center air....$5990  It is located here in So
> Calif....
> - any feedback on reliablity - what to look for (i
> know about the headgaskets, possible incorrect
> water/coolant issues, blow-by on the rings/guides
> etc)....reliablity?  other issues/whatch-out-fors?
> Thanks,
>
> Tony
>
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