I went to visit Mick Hargreaves' 81 Westy that was posted to the list courtesy
of Joel.  It's $1000 with one dead cylinder.  It does start and could be
driven a short distance to a place where it could get a transplant.  The
body needs nothing before you could USE it, needs some work before you could
ADMIRE it.  Rust on the shelf behind the front bumper goes through, and 
there is rust and bent sheet metal at both rear wheel wells.  I was envious
of his windshield, which has no rust around it.  Inside of poptop has
mildew freckles all over, but the van doesn't smell musty at all.  All the
camping gear is said to work with exception of the gas heater.

As I analyzed how stupid it would be for me to buy this car (and that it 
would be stupid is a given, we're just dickering about degree), I was re-
minded how individual and ineconomic our hobby is.  I could probably get
more for my Porsche-powered Vanagon as a pile of parts than as a good
running van, and it would take approximately no time to get Mick's Westy
to the same condition:  some body work, fresh paint, put either my van's
VW engine or my "extra" 2.7 engine in it, and voila -- a $7500 van that
you could sell anywhere in the US for $3500.

I guess if it made any economic sense it wouldn't be a hobby.
B.
Wm Kennedy
kennedy@admin.njit.edu