Thanks Dennis-

This will be my 3rd since 1996, so not a passing urge by any stretch.
That said, I know what I'm getting into (and I'm still looking, for some
crazy reason!). :)

Also, as I mentioned in the initial message, this is one of the last
remaining vans from a rental fleet sell-off.
That should address the context of the overall situation (e.g. not part of
an estate sale, etc).

Have a great weekend!

*Drew*
Missoula, MT

Searching for our next Westy!

On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 5:28 PM Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> Happy Friday! I'm going back to the beginning of this thread with the hope
> I can offer some relevant thoughts or information.
>
> To begin with are you looking for a Westy because you really want one or
> just looking for something to get through a vacation or seasonal urge? If
> the later you could rent something that may even be more enjoyable.
>
> As with all vehicles for sale and especially for a Vanagon they are for
> sale because they are no longer wanted by someone for some reason. Rare is
> the older couple just passed away and it is being sold as part of the
> estate. And when that is the case someone in the family would probably want
> it if it was worth it. You need to find out why it became available
> especially if being offered by a re-seller.
>
> As for the odometer, VW and VDO changed from the brass to plastic gears
> somewhere around 1974. Hardly is there a VW from later that hasn’t had the
> Odometer fail at some point due to that gear or even the speedometer cable
> or drive. The owner is concerned and has the means would get that repaired
> in a timely fashion. The usual procedure if the speedometer/odometer was
> replaced would be for the new one to be installed with "0" miles and a
> label filled out and applied indicating the date and mileage at that time.
> Long term broken odometers along with other equipment like AC not working
> are signs of minimal maintenance.
>
> As part of that, low miles is not always a good indicator of condition.
> Often low mileage is the result of one or more extended periods where the
> vehicle was inoperative. Vanagons were usually purchased to be used and
> many purchased Westys as they could be used for commuting and traveling.
> Loaded Westys especially Syncros costed almost as much as a small
> motorhome. Buying a dedicated travel vehicle especially with a family of
> any size it would be an RV. Few Vanagons were purchased, taken home and
> parked in a garage.
>
> Whatever you buy at this point, the purchase price is just the down
> payment. If you paid little or got a great deal there will be work to
> follow, especially as the vehicle goes from sleeping to how far and fast do
> you want it to go? If you pay a lot your expectations or requirements will
> also be high and it will take some work to meet them.
>
> Be aware of the "repaired" ones were everything is "done". Some of these
> are owners giving up at some point or resellers looking to make a profit.
> What did it look like before the paint job?
>
> Regarding maintenance, there are the normal service issues and then as
> these vehicles age there are the parts are needed after 20 to 30 years.
> Hoses, coolant pipes, brake and steering lines, suspension bushings, etc. A
> tie rod and ball joint job is costly. The radius rod mounts and control arm
> bushings and you can watch $2K disappear. Opps you also need the rack and
> the hydraulic lines! Oh the brakes need more than a set of pads! How much
> to make it stop and steer?
>
> Seriously, when looking for a vehicle having a knowledgeable pro go over
> the vehicle end to end and top to bottom can be money well spent. You want
> a detailed written report if looking to negotiate. Also, so you set
> priorities and budgets if you buy.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of VW Vanagon
> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 7:13 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Heads-Up - Potential Odometer Fraud
>
> Howdy all-
> I'm in the process of finding an 86+ Westy to start taking my family on
> some Montana adventures.
> (side note: if you have a lead on a solid one, hit me up).
>
> In the process of the search, I came across a listing for an '89 in Maui
> (turned out to be a damaged, spray painted and rust-eaten can on wheels)
> and that, in turn, turned me on to some folks down in CA who are selling
> the last few of their rental fleet.
>
> I texted back and forth with the seller last night and arranged for a
> video call today to check things out.
>
> Throughout the very short call, there were red flags *ALL OVER THE PLACE*!
>
> I won't go into the gory details, but I ran the CarFax report and
> immediately saw that the odometer has clearly been rolled back multiple
> times over the course of the past 10-14 years.
> I asked her about it, and got all kinds of excuses and reasons why it
> wasn't important.
>
> This will be my 3rd Vanagon, and with the previous two I learned to follow
> my gut and *always* to run a CarFax report!
>
> Moral of the story:
> THAT REPORT IS GOLD!
> GET IT EVERY TIME!  :)
>
> The search goes on!
>
> -Drew
>  Missoula, MT
>