

| Subject: | Re:VW Newbie... |
| From: | Bryan Feddish |
| Date: | Tue, 26 Nov 96 15:51:50 UT |
>> Hello...I'm a 15 year old who is interested in VWs. What I am >> planning on doing is buying a car in bad shape and then fix it >>up.... You forgot to mention where you live as this will probably determine the quality of your "bad shape" bus. One is bad shape from southern CA probably wouldn't come close to one rusted into the ground in upstate NY. I would recommend purchasing a running vehicle, one where the mechanics are good but maybe with cosmetic damage. I say this because you may not be prepared for the expense of fixing the vehicle mechanically. You can always fix cosmetic stuff as time goes on, minor body work, paint, etc. The ones with sinks and beds are campers, most made by Westfalia. These will cost you a bit more. Don't be overwhelmed by all the "neat stuff" inside and ignore the blue smoke coming out of the engine. I would probably recommend a breadloaf bus '68 to '79 as these are cheaper to fix than a Vanagon. Replacing the entire exhaust system on a Vanagon costs anywhere from $350 to $1000. The radiator alone is $300. If you get a pre '72 bus you'll have a 1600 cc beetle motor in it that is very inexpensive to replace and/or repair. Go to a bookstore and buy a book called "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive For the Complete Idiot" by John Muir (sp.?). Not only is this a good book for repairs it has a very good chapter on buying a Volkswagen. Bryan
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