I am new to the list and need some advice. I bought a 1986 vanagon last
August. It had 186,000 miles on it with a rebuilt(heads)engine. Since I
bought it I've put about 4,000 miles on it. It broke down once immediately
requiring $2,000 worth of work, alternator, all new wiring, new ECU. It was
an electrical grounding problem, plus a couple things that were fixed that
weren't right. I didn't drive it for most of the fall thinking I would sell
it, that the karma was bad. As it turns out I reregistered it in January and
have driven it since. Last week one of the belts snapped and pulled the
dipstick housing and twisted it down under the engine. So that needed to be
fixed. Another $230. Yesterday I was driving along and there was a pop, a
cloud of grey smoke and it died. I got it towed again, it needs a starter,
just to get it started and who know what else. Luckily it has broken down
close to reputable repair shops who do only VW work. It's frustrating as I
bought it from a reputable source and it keeps leaving me stranded. I love
the van but worry it's going to continue to let me down. Any ideas?