On Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 8:35 AM, Tom Buese <tombuese@comcast.net> wrote:

> Yep, & the Sprinter model now comes w/ the $1600 poptop option that
> only the Ford & Chevy models had before.

where do you get that figure from? LOast time i called sportsmobile they
wanted $5000 for a poptop on ford or chevy. I would be surprised if the
newly developed sprinter one is that much cheaper.

 I'm not sure that Westfalia is still doing
> a sprinter, but they were even nicer for a measly $100k from what my
> local dealer told moi.

Westfalia is still doing the sprinters, absolutely wonderful. however,
airstream is not importing them any more, so now they are not available in
the u.s.
100k is  a little off though. they listed for 80k, were available from
discount dealers for 60k, and the last ones sold in 2006 for 50k new. now
you pay nearly 60k for a lightly used one.

there are currently two 4x4 options for the sprinter. one is salem kroger,
about $15k, and they use american pars for the 4wd drive train, just like
they do on the fordand chevys they convert.

second option is the "factory option" which is not actually factory, or
about as factory as quigley is to a ford van. the kit is developed by a
german company. the idea is that MB sends the half assembled vehicle to the
4x4 outfitter, in this case i think its oberaigner, and then back to the mb
factory for finishing and off to the dealers. In south africa a different
company does this for mb with an imported german kit. this south african
company is now building a plant in NC next to the sprinter assembly line and
will offer this service starting, hopefully, june. their published tentative
price is a whopping $20k, but they seem to be regretting that that price
went public or something.... the owner freaked out on a forum when
confronted with his own price estimate.

florian

 florian