Not trying to argue, but yes I have seen what vans from Massachusetts
look like and also vans from Maine and even Canada.  I get customers
coming in here from as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as
Toronto so I have seen it all believe me.  People call me looking for
Vanagons for sale all the time and I have over 12 years of experience
buying and selling vans on the East Coast.  You may be able to find
someone out there who just has to have a pristine people mover Vanagon,
but I can't say that I have ever had someone call me looking for one.  I
occasionally sell them but the value is much lower than what even a GL
with a rear seat/bed would be.  The most I can imagine getting for this
van is $6000 and that would be pushing it.  Realistically I would say
more like $5000 and then it is going to sit a while.

But like Jeff said, the guy can dream and if he is not in a hurry to
sell, he may get it.  You never know.

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Phone: 856-327-4936
Fax: 856-327-2242

On 12/20/2010 10:38 AM, Mark L. Hineline wrote:
> Ken,
>
> NJ isn't the Northeast. Have you seen what cars look like in
> Massachusetts?
>
> You are of course right about the rubber and so forth. But the real
> question is what is the opportunity cost to buying a Vanagon? Sure,
> you can take time off from work, fly to Arizona (from Boston), inspect
> the vehicle, maybe do this a couple of times because the ads are
> "optimistic," buy something like this for $4000, try to drive it home,
> have the hoses fail in Oklahoma, destroy the engine, hire a hauler to
> get the thing to Massachusetts, and then start restoring. I don't know
> if all of that is equal to $7000 or not, but it's getting there.
>
> If someone in Massachusetts or New Hampshire or Maine buys this and
> knows what they are doing, and then puts four or five thousand into
> it, that's not a bad deal. I would much rather start with a body that
> has little rust, no patchwork, and so forth.
>
> I know that you have expertise in this area, and I don't question it.
> But sometimes expertise narrows your idea of what makes sense. There
> are a number of different ways to end up with a nice, reliable Vanagon.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> On Dec 20, 2010, at 7:10 AM, Ken Wilford wrote:
>
>> I agree with Jeff on this one.  I live in the North East.  I have
>> owned
>> vehicles like the one in this picture.  You come across them from time
>> to time, a little old lady or man who bought this van back in 86 and
>> kept it inside, used it very little and then died or went into a home.
>> Low mileage, sweet body, etc.  However, low mileage means less and
>> less
>> with these vans.  Low mileage means that there has been very little to
>> no maintenance done and every part that is rubber or plastic is dry
>> rotten and just waiting to fall apart when the next person buys it.
>> It
>> means that inside the engine, it looks like a rat tried to chew his
>> way
>> out and almost made it.  On top of all of that this is an early GL
>> where
>> the rear seat does not turn into a bed.  So it is only good as a
>> people
>> hauler, not a day camper.  I have had these here and sold them for a
>> couple of thousand dollars, maybe a little more if they are extremely
>> nice, but this isn't the kind of van that even a collector is looking
>> for.  They want something cool, special or out of the ordinary.  Not
>> just a plain jane GL with only option being AC.
>>
>> To compare this with a Go Westy van or other vans being sold is like
>> comparing apples and oranges.  The vans for sale there have been gone
>> through and restored.  That is an expensive process but when you are
>> done you should have a vehicle that is almost like a remanufactured
>> car.  It is ready for the road or to show.  The vehicle in question
>> will
>> need extensive work done after the next owner takes possession because
>> it just hasn't been driven daily in years and years.  It may look good
>> now but start using it every day and within six months all of the
>> stuff
>> will start falling apart.  BTDT on these low mileage vans.
>>
>> We are entering a new age with our Vanagons.  It is the age of
>> restoration.  If you want a nice van, buy a restored one, or restore
>> yours.  If you want to be burnt buy a low mileage van that has very
>> little to no service history.
>>
>> Just my advice.
>>
>> --
>> Thanks,
>> Ken Wilford
>> John 3:16
>> www.vanagain.com
>> Phone: 856-327-4936
>> Fax: 856-327-2242
>>
>>
>>
>> On 12/19/2010 11:06 PM, Jeff Schwaia wrote:
>>> Poking around the Samba today. saw this '86G:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1056160
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Only $11.5k!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sure, it's nice, but $11k?  Good luck.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Advertiser's name is Foolish Frog.  Kind of fits.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>>
>