Nate,
  If your in California I've noticed rust is referred to as "no real rust".
   Don't worry, you seem like an easy-going guy so if and when you do a Subaru swap you wont mind if you don't have air-con and no cruise control. Just keep on truck'n.

  Chris C
  90 MV
  91 GL (parts van that has LESS RUST, in fact is fust free compared to family flag-ship Multi-van)

  _____________________________________________

Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
  My advice would be to forget it Nathaniel.

Rust never sleeps. And unless you live in the East, you don't have to have
a rusty van.

Just wait. If you're thinking of doing a Subie, you're in command, because
somebody will sell you their nice van with dead WBX for $2000 and you'll be
WAY happier!

My two Canadian cents worth of Vanagon advice.

On 12/23/06, Nathaniel Poole wrote:
>
> I've got a decision to make. Just bought a '84 non running Westy for $750
> Ca. Guy has replaced gas tank rad clutch brakes bearings, cooling hoses,
> CV
> joints and did a bunch of body work (rust at the side service fittings)
> welded in new metal.
>
> Engine is out of a California '86.
> He spent his summer holidays doing all this work and when the engine
> wouldn't work right he just walked away from it.
>
> The engine hasn't been run in months and it smoked white like crazy when I
> got it running, and I might be wrong but heard a not-very-loud knock that
> made me wonder main bearings (Didn't sound like con rod). But then, I
> don't
> know what these things are supposed to sound like.
>
> It has some kind of big secondary heater underneath it - what is that?
>
> Don't remember seeing a propane tank.
>
> Seats upgraded to nice cloth captain's chairs.
>
> The dirty side is pretty corroded - you can tell this came from upcountry
> and the land of salt. Body is clean and straight although it needs paint.
>
> Dash is rough and carpets - phooey. Poptop great.
>
> My dilemma now is whether to gut this beast or fix it up. I still have my
> '80 Riviera which is in fabulous condition, but I don't like the
> conversion
> -cabinets too small, very basic interior, fixed vinyl seats, no tables and
> more cramped. I could swap the whole interior of this Westy into my AC and
> be happy, although I wouldn't have the 50% increase in Hp. Certainly it
> would be a much cleaner, lower mileage vehicle. Or I could pull up my
> sleeves and fix up the Westy and sell the Riviera.
>
> I have a prejudice against rust, even if it's all under the car, but we
> just
> want a rig to travel across the continent for a year, after that it can
> fall
> apart.
>
> Comments, suggestions?
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com