Welcome and congratulations!

Sounds like you found a wonderful Westy that fits your needs. Hope you have
many fun holidays in it...... BTW, where are you located?

Florian
...driving another charcoal grey '87 GL fourspeed Westy

On 8/18/06, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> And it's a beauty!  An '87 GL full camper in charcoal
> grey with grey interior, it's a van I've been seeing
> in town for a few years and which I have long admired.
> I never spoke with the owner or left a note, but
> while on the way to do some errand last Sunday I saw
> it parked on a main thoroughfare with a For Sale sign
> in the kitchen window. I bounced in my seat and said,
> "She's selling it," and swooped to the curb for a
> look.
>
> For a van in such good shape and so obviously well
> cared for, it seemed unlikely that I'd be the first
> person to call about it, but I was.   The initial
> inspection showed a van in great condition with a
> spotless interior, no dents or scrapes, no rust and no
> leaks.  A test drive, my first ride in a Vanagon,
> revealed smooth but leisurely 4-speed performance that
> will require a change in my approach to driving, but
> I'll adjust.
>
> It's not perfect; the A/C needs to be charged, the
> canvas has a couple of worn spots, and the hatch
> struts require broomstick assistance, but there are
> some thoughtful mods like the closet door mod to clear
> the rear table, and the like.  The pre-buy inspection
> revealed green coolant instead of blue, and there's an
> intermittent no-start issue that will require further
> diagnosis, but overall I don't think there's a better
> van out there for the money; certainly not for a van
> that moved from across town to within 3 blocks of my
> house before going on sale.  It came to find me.  How
> could I not buy it?
>
> The seller has owned it since '92 and she bought it
> with 23K miles.  The odometer is broken but her
> meticulous records in a spiral-bound "life book"
> document every fill up, every repair, probably every
> strange noise.  The sale includes a Bentley manual and
> every record since new, and the van has all screens
> and even the Munchkin ice cube trays.  My wife, who
> has been a witness to the development of this Vanagon
> fascination for the last few years, is even beginning
> to be interested in it herself, planning what supplies
> and accoutrements will fit where.
>
> At this point I'd like to thank everyone on this list
> for all the wisdom you've shared, which has permitted
> me to know what to look for and make what I'm sure is
> a good choice on my first Vanagon purchase.  I'm sure
> I'll have plenty more questions as the miles and days
> of Westy ownership accumulate.  We'll see you out
> there.
>
> Stephen & Karen
>
>
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