Sounds to me like a rip-off price. You can get a completely overhauled
engine with a warranty from Bob Donalds (Boston Bob) for LESS money than
that. Don't know the story on the heads, but $1200 sounds more real,
depending on what all is necessary. I bought a completely rebuilt engine
from my local WBX Guru for $1500. Had rebuilt heads, new valves, guides,
and seats, new cylinder barrels, with matching rings, pistons, rebuilt
rods, new camshaft, new oil pump, new water pump, and new bearings
throughout. The labor for the R&R was $500. I had a bunch more stuff
done, like new clutch and pressure plate, all new hoses and fuel
injection lines plus some other stuff that brough it up another $1000.
So the absolute grand total with the new engine installed and all the
extras I wanted came to 3 grand. Not bad considering.

I basically paid 3 grand for the van in the first place, and had an
unexpected engine failure shortly after purchase so there is no way I
will ever get my money out of it except through use. I'm going to drive
it to dust!! But I am going to enjoy it in the process. I like the van,
and past a certain point, considering the ever increasing age of the
van, and the way the car market works, it simply becomes a labor of love
for the vehicle, because the money spent in maintenance will never be
recovered through re-sale.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Tom Nevin wrote:
>
> My mechanic estimates it will cost $3,500 to get my
> van going again.  Most of this will be spent on
> replacing the heads. This is the first major repair
> needed on my van since I bought it used with 35,000
> miles on it many years ago.  The van now has 106,000
> miles. The few classified ads I have seen indicate the
> van is worth somewhere between $3,000 and $14,000
> (after repairs, of course).  Any ideas what a red '90
> vanagon with 106,000 miles is worth in the SF Bay
> Area?
>
> Tom Nevin
> '90 Vanagon Wolfsburg
>
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