>1)how does $4500 sound as a price?
On the high side. You could do better, but you won't find many 13 year
old cars with only 37k miles.

>2)Are there shortcomings specific to an 84 that would've contributed to
>consumer report's horrible review of the vehicle? 
Not really although 84 was a split model year and the first year of the
water-cooled engine. In 86 they went to a slightly larger engine (2.1l
vs 1.9l) with a different fuel injection system and improved routing for
the coolant pipes and hoses.

>3)The head gaskets look to be in good shape, could somebody give me a >liklyhood (in a percentage) that these are going to start leaking and >become a costly repair?
It's difficult to predict how long head gaskets will go before leaking.
Depends on how the vehicle was cared for and who knows what else.

>Any additional information is welcome...
Check the rating on the new tires--they should be load range C or light
truck tires. If they are regular passenger tires, that's probably the
cause of instability in sidewinds. As far as being underpowered, you'll
get used to it. All of the VW vans are underpowered compared to cars.
Remember this is a truck, not a minivan. However, handling is excellent
with the proper tires and inflation.

Hope this helps.

-Mark McCulley
87 syncro Westfalia