I think Ken at VanAgain.com has these parts.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Delanty" <laurasdog@WEIRDSTUFFWEMAKE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2003 10:48 AM
Subject: Nice day at the coast...but blown shift linkage.

> Well, yesterday was well over 100 degrees here, so we left early
> in the morning and took a really nice drive to the coast, out to
> Mendocino and Fort Bragg.  We spent most of the day at the
> Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, which is one of my favorite
> places on the planet...
>
> The weather was perfect, we munched a picnic basket full of
> goodies at the coast while we watched the waves beat on the rocks
> for a while, watched sea lions out fishing and having fun and
> generally had a great time. The gardens were wonderful as always.
> The dahlia garden is amazing this time of year, and the fuchsia and
> begonia house was absolutely intense. I've never seen it so
> incredibly packed with plants and such an explosion of color before.
> Anyone that's planning on being in the Fort Bragg area needs to
> make a trip a trip to the botanical gardens. It's a very special place.
> I'm happy to have been a member for almost 15 years so far....
> http://www.gardenbythesea.org/
>
> As we entered Fort Bragg, some folks in a very nice looking
> green and white split window bus honked and waved at us, and
> later we got a wave from folks in brown and white splitty. I sure
> wish I still had some of my old splits.
> Saw 2 Vanagon Westies, but couldn't coax a wave out of
> either one...
>
> On the way home we stopped and hung out in the redwoods
> for a bit, and also stopped at a great fruit stand and bought
> a nice big box of perfect peaches and some fresh apple juice.
> Mmmmm...  Gonna make some peach pies!
>
> Anyway, the day was perfect, EXCEPT, that on the way out of
> the fruit stand, when I went to put it in reverse the gear shift lever
> got all stupid feeling. It just kind of flopped around, and it no
> longer required pushing down to engage reverse. Just slap it
> over to the left and pop it forward and it's in reverse. Acckkk!
> Also 1st and 2nd gear got really hard to find. Something bad
> had obviously happened. I was able to drive it home O.K, but
> it took a little patience and finesse to get it into 1st and second.
>
> Sooo... now it's home and I've got it apart and it's not pretty.
>
> The problem is at the shift lever. One of the plastic pieces,
> the "Lower Ball Half  (Bentley 34.6) is exploded into little pieces
> and is quite clearly no good...
>
> Are these plastic parts still available?
> I don't see them listed with any of the regular van-a-vendors,
> and the dealer isn't open today. (I'm scared to even check
> the dealer anyway!)
> Does anyone have a good used one to part with?
>
> Any words of wisdom would be appreciated!
>
> Steve
> '86 Westy "Escape Pod"
>