My story involved flying clear across the country from one coast to
the other. I saw an '82 Diesel Westy on Samba. The pictures (only of
the exterior) were very impressive. The owner guaranteed there was a
'slight roughness' with the engine that a couple of hundred could fix.
It was my first diesel Westy and I felt I had to accept his diagnosis
of the engine.
        I bought a one-way ticket out.. To make a long story short
the inside was trashed and the tires were too and the engine was
'missing' the third main bearing and the throttle shaft bushing was
letting air in. (those engine things I discovered only after I bought
it and headed back East.
        The 10 day trip I promised my wife turned out to be 24 days.
I averaged 35 mph and one quart of oil every 300 miles. I had a
complete electrical failure in a sleet storm in the middle of Kansas.
        I made 1000's of friends along the way though. they all gave
me an indication that I was # 1 in their life when they waved at me.
        I arrived home and then had a complete engine seizure at my
mechanics garage, 18 miles away.  Talk about close calls.
        Subsequently I gutted the beast from stem to stern. It's all
new inside and out and sports a 1.6TD jetta engine.
The great deal $2,800.xx (beat down from $4k) gave me a rust free
shell that I could pump $15k into and that's doing most of the work
myself.
        I was so set on a diesel that I virtually gave away my '84
super clean Westy. On the plus side I now get 30 mpg instead of the
18 mpg with the 1.9 Automatic. Problem is, my SO now won't drive a
standard. I wonder if anyone has ever dumped an automatic into a
1.6TD Westy and how much trouble it would be?

                                David (dsl82wedsty)