At 07:49 AM 07/01/2003, you wrote:
>---------------------------- Clip ------------------------------------
>That goes back to exactly the comment I've been using for five years.
>"If you don't spend the purchase price at least again on your newly
>purchased Westy or Vanagon within a year of purchase it'll be a rare
>thing".

>Stan Wilder

How to have a safe a reliable VW van. Find a candidate with the best
chassis, paint and interior that you can afford. Do a thorough inspection
of the service records and mechanicals. Consider the cost of fixing all
weaknesses and your budget and make an offer. Then fix everything. Expect
at that point that you will have twice the money in it that most buyers
would offer, but your cost per mile for transportation and great utility
services will beat the hell out of anything else you can do, and great value
will result from many years of functional use with reasonable maintenance,
reasonable maintenance being three times the time/money as most PO's spent
in wearing out everything the first time around.