You really hit the point on the head with it's over 20 years old.
I drive several of these Vanagons and am constantly fixing them.
So I decided, I'll strip down the white 84, rebuild it completely.
I ordered a rebuilt 2.1.  I sanded, painted and replaced
all the fuel lines, put a new gas tank in etc etc.  Went to start it and
it took for ever to get it to run.  I tried to find the timing TDC and
set the distributor, wouldn't start.  Finally a friend said turn the
timing way off and try it.  I did.  It ran.  But all the time was lost.
So now it's winter and it runs fine but the body work is way behind schedule.  I welded in metal and started sanding getting ready to paint
and reassemble the interior.  Then I needed a CV for one of 
the Vanagons I drive.  Took it off the white bus and used it
to keep the other running.  Ordered replacement and spare CV's from
bus depot.  Wow these things take up a lot of time.  I've replaced 
3 engines now.  All of them on the 84 models.  I don't know how
any one could drive only one especially if they don't have a garage, tools and time to keep replacing worn out parts and track down
wiring problems.  It's definitely a hobby.

When they work there's plenty of room in them to do anything
you want to do with them.  I camp, haul canoes on top use the heck
out of them.  I'm not worry about scratching them or getting them
dirty either.  

John.

>>> Michael Diehr <md03@XOCHI.COM> 12/08/05 10:29 AM >>>
"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!

:-)