I also purchased my 85 Westy sight unseen, sort of....  I agreed to purchase
IF it was as shown in the photos AND as described by seller.  It was also
NOT running so I also had to evaluate why it wouldn't run based on the
seller description of the symptoms.

I flew to Nashville with my cell phone, tools, tune up parts and a rebuilt
ECU.  I checked out the van for about 30 minutes and bought it.  It was
exactly as described and extra clean inside.  I spent the next hour
inspecting and cleaning the battery terminals and ground wires.  I switched
ECU's, turn the key and it started right up and idled perfectly.

It ran pretty good on the 1600 mile drive home.  I had a slight hesitation
problem that turn out to be a loose injector wire.  It runs great now and
even better since I adjusted the timing to 5 BTDC.  WOW! Thanks Tony.

Andrew
85 Westy
Gloucester, MA 01930
agmartin@gis.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of Mick Kalber
Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2001 3:09 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fw: buying cars sight unseen

> > People buy cars they haven't seen all over the world. In many countries,
> you
> > buy a car then they build it.

 I bought my 1989 syncro westy a year and a half ago without driving it or
 seeing it in person.  I saw pictures and had a friend look it over (even
tho
 she hadn't the slightest idea what she was looking at or for).  I've had a
 few problems with it, but nothing that I would have noticed before I bought
 it had I seen it and driven it.

 Not the way I usually buy cars, but it seemed like a good thing to do and
 I'm literally a happy camper.

 Mick
 Hilo, Hawaii