Hi Everyone..

I'm in the market to buy a Vanagon Weekender.  I've always loved these
vans, and my lifestyle would really appreciate having a comfortable
bed and car camping vehicle.  I do a lot of rock and alpine climbing,
backcountry skiing and mountain biking throughout the year and this
usually involves me driving someplace for the weekend, staying
overnight then coming back.

I like the idea of a weekender because it's less to go wrong, and it
seems like I could cook just as easily with a coleman inside.  The
main draw is the storage space, pop top so I can stand inside and a
comfy bed.

Now the questions:
   1) I am thinking of purchasing an 86+, mostly because it seems like
a Subaru conversion is a little easier on these.  Although I hope to
buy a van that doesn't require a new engine immediately, I do plan on
doing a conversion for the power / fuel economy / power when the time
comes.  I also plan on taking this on myself, so anything I can do
before hand to make it easier would be nice.  It also seems like the
2.1L might last a bit longer before needing replacement.  Is holding
out for an 86+ a worthy goal?

  2) Can cruise control be added to a van without it?  It doesn't seem
like a common option, but something I would really miss on the long
drives I take.

  3) What should I plan on spending for a van in decent condition in
the Pacific NW?

  4) Finally, if there's anything specific I should know about the
weekenders or vanagons in general, feel free to pass it on my way.

An '85 Wolfsburg Weekender with 136k miles is in the paper for $4,800.
 Apparently in good shape and has had many things replaced recently.
Is this fair / low / high?

Thank you all, I've done a lot of reading through the archives so hope
none of these are terribly common questions..

-Nic