Uh, Don, what are you valuing your labor at?

I can't do what you have done, motor swap etc. I have neither the knowledge,
talent, tools nor place. So I have to hire it done.

By the way if I had spent only 20k up to now I'd be a lot richer than I am.

________________________________
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Sat, October 20, 2012 10:09:29 AM
Subject: Re: Purchase price is just the down payment

  I think $20 Grand is a bit much to put dependability and enjoyment at.
While mine is no 'gold-plater' by any means, it's semi-respectable looking,
liveable, and I drive it all over without any worries...Total cost so far
is about $4000 and a week or two of my time making improvements.   $3k was
what I bought it for, $300 more for some Westie stuff inside and I went off
on a 3 month trip within a couple of weeks of buying it....without any
major issues.  $600 later on on a whim to put a bigger newer motor
in...that is about it in 3yrs of owning and driving perhaps 60k miles with
only one alternator failure....

   I could see paying Go Westie about $20 K for one of their total
restoration Westies...(not $60k like they sometimes want) but just to get a
decent Vanagon, one that works well, I don't think you  need to budget any
twenty thousand dollars, unless you are very particular and quite timid
about your vehicles and driving them.

On Sat, Oct 20, 2012 at 9:15 AM, turbowesty <turbowesty@gmail.com> wrote:

> Just getting caught up on the various threads. I agree with all that's
> being said here. My stock answer is that "one of these will cost you $20K.
> You can pay for it up front and enjoy driving it or you can get a
> fixer-up'r relatively cheap and spend the money AND time to get it
> trustworthy."
>
> That was a comment someone on the list made when I started looking and
> asking here and I believe it to be a good summary. YMMV.
>
> Regards, Peter Kraiker
> nextchapter.kraikerphoto.com
> Toronto, ON, Canada
> '82 L Westfalia 1.9 TD 5 Spd (Babe)
>
>
> On 2012-10-18, at 10:24 PM, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
>
> > I try in 5 or 10 minutes to explain that they are 20-25 years old or
> more, they are not a "normal" car
>