Dennis -- what other vehicle will give you as much driving pleasure as a
Vanagon, even a plain-Jane 7-passenger?  The only thing better in some
circumstances is my Wife's Lincoln Continental.

There is nothing like a Vanagon!

John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Haynes" <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 10:57 PM
Subject: Re: Those dreaded 9 words...

>I think you are forgetting a few things. If the vehicle needs an engine,
> then most likely the engine conversion is only the down payment to keep
> it going. If doing a TDi, you also need to consider the transmission
> gear change costs. Hear in the Northeast USA, a diesel conversion may
> soon be worthless. Most of the Northeast states are heading towards
> following the California standards. As for Vanagons holding value, only
> the campers and crew cabs are doing well. A 7 passenger Syncro is often
> worth more as parts.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of David Marshall
> Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:19 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Those dreaded 9 words...
>
> Well... few things to look at.  What do you use it for and how long do
> you
> really want to drive a Vanagon?  If the answer is that you use it for
> everything and want to keep it for five plus years then dropping 8K on
> an
> engine conversion is worth it.
>
> I am assuming that you do not have any payments on the van now, so what
> is
> 8000 over five years... that would be sixty payments of around $150
> assuming
> some interest.  At the end of those five years, what do you have?  I
> think
> the answer should be a TDI Vanagon that runs well and it's worth
> 10.000+,
> Now, buy an 8000 car, drive it for five years - if it will last that
> long -
> and what do you have... a 2000 or 3000 car.... I'd rather not loose
> money
> myself!  To me, a Toyota is a cookie cutter vehicle, nobody loves them,
> takes them to shows where other people ooogle over them - where's the
> fun in
> that?
>
> David Marshall
>
> Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
> 4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
> Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
>
> Internet: http://www.fastforward.ca
> Email: sales@fastforward.ca
>
> - Engine Conversions and Accessories for classic water-cooled
> Volkswagens
> - Electrical harness fabrication and customization
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> Michael Diehr
> Sent: December 8, 2005 8:29
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Those dreaded 9 words...
>
> "Honey, I think we should consider selling the Vanagon?"
>
> Pardon?   "Shelving" the vanagon?  No honey, it's got shelves in it
> already.   And besides, why would we want to work on the interior
> when the engine is dead....the engine...the engine is dead....it's
> dead.  Uh oh. That's not what you said, is it?  What did you say
> exactly?
>
> It could happen to you.  The fear.  Those words...echoing in your head.
>
> How do I convince my sig.other that spending $4k to $8k on a engine
> rebuild/fix/swap actually is a good idea.   This is, after all, a 20
> year old car with 150k miles on it.     I think she's still mad over
> the 24 hours spent broken down in the middle of nowhere on our last
> vacation.   She's also concerned about global warming.    And
> societal breakdown.    So I'm thinking maybe start with the TDI
> conversion running biodiesel (reliable and good for the environment)
> and then negotiate from there?   Maybe the idea that the vanagon
> could be up-armored a lot easier than a Camry, and we'd probably look
> silly driving a Camry with mohawks and crossbows?
>
> Help me out here!
>
> :-)
>