<snip>
The average car costs what, $150-250/mo+ to buy new, depending on how many
thousands you put down. Yet try to justify spending $1000 per year to
maintain a Vanagon.
<snip>

If you were to purchase a new vehicle that could do even most of what a
Vanagon, and especially a Westy, can do, it would cost you a lot more than
$250/mo.  You'd experience a big depreciation hit the moment you took
posession and it would start to wear.

I've always subscribed to the notion that a used vehicle is cheaper to
maintain than the costs incurred in buying a new one.

After I obtained my '84 Vanagon (used), I bought a new full sized sedan for
just over $25,000.00.  I used the sedan up and eventually sold it for
$1500.00.  I had maintenance bills a bunch during ownership, also.  The
Vanagon's maintenance hasn't cost anywhere near what the total cost of the
sedan was and I still have the Vanagon.

Oh, and my '58 Austin Healey Bugeye (Frogeye) Sprite with over 300,000 miles
on it hasn't cost much to maintain, either.

Mike
Houlton, Maine
'84 GL 7 pass
'85 GL Westy