Official whine about Vanagon vans and parts for sale

[davlance01]

[davlance01]

[plummerdesign]

This post is simple and to the point.
By and large, the OEM replacement parts available are not well made. The ‘OEM’ switches and controls from ‘Classic’ are not going to last decades like the ones from the factory. Although we DO have some fine, newly engineered parts from vendors who take pride in crafting durable goods, most of the ball joints, bearings, CV boots, mounts and wearable parts just fail too soon. It is our fault for wanting affordable repair parts to keep these ancient vehicles running safely.
I recognize this as a given and something to accept, even begrudgingly. It happens in the most benign places too.
Like the wonderful Vanagon Headlight Relays. This kit is sweet and allows for better current flow to upgraded lamps.
And not to forget the Vanagon Hard Start Relay Kit, a great way to help a new starter live a long life. Both are fantastic upgrades with something in common…the relays.
And well… the relays fail.
Seems weird to have had to replace them over the course of just under 2 years on a vehicle I seldom drive. The relays do give warning by becoming erratic. Lights won’t stay on intermittently. Starter fails to crank out of the blue. But this warning becomes reality all the same. I’ve been blessed to have purchased better relays for replacing these. But why should NEW relays fail so quickly? Because the parts we have in 2021 are not the same QUALITY as the Bosch units from 1984. It is not the fault of the relay kit assembler as they only have what parts are available.
Come to think of it, the Bosch dishwasher in my kitchen is just now 2 years old. It runs maybe twice a week. It was purchased as the best possible replacement for a Maytag. This month the Bosch pump and heater unit died. According to the forum posts, this is rather a common occurrence. I will order a new OEM part. Just like the one that failed. I see a pattern here.
The future is replacing replacement parts!
: )
_________________
It is old and green and it makes me grin.
1984 Westfalia 1.9

[Yellow Rabbit]

I just scrolled through the first couple of classified pages here. Are people really paying these prices? It seems nuts to me.

[CanStan]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2464959

People keep trying, but I refuse to believe we are at a point where a nice, yet very average Vanagon Westy is selling anywhere close to $58,000.
I think there are a lot of very comparable vans out there for half that price. Even less than half of that price. This van is definitely decent for sure. But nothing ultra special.

And once again, if you're going to ask 2 or 3 times market value, you need to put 20 minutes into cleaning the van up and making it presentable. Don't post a photo of the odometer where all I can see is hair and dust. The engine is filthy. All that black plastic and rubber is easy to clean. Crack out the Armor-All and shine things up a bit. You have to put in some effort. That thing isn't going to sell itself.

My guess would be that this van sells for well under $25,000 in the end.

[Yellow Rabbit]

That price is crazy. I’ve got a really low mile van as well. I’m not selling, but if someone offered me about half that I’d seriously consider letting it go.

Seriously on photos. So many posting show filthy vans filled with the owners crap. That, or poorly lit photos that make you wonder what they are hiding. The other one I don’t understand are scans of film camera pictures with a 10 year old date in the corner or vertical screenshots of a picture on their phone showing black bars top and bottom with the cel phone data bar along the top.

[candyman]

[Squidfish]

[jimf909]

$58K for a fair to good 86K mile Westy is nuts.

But for $39K, $19K or 33% less, someone bought a clean, one owner 56K mile van on BaT which was an unusually high price for Vanagons.

This is more interesting than the $58K van above...
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-volkswagen-vanagon-westfalia-25/

_________________
- Jim

[CanStan]

[jimf909]

[4Gears4Tires]

IMO, BaT is at least 20% over market rate. That is the upcharge for being selected for auction, writing out so much detail, and taking so many photos.
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'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[dobryan]

[jlrftype7]

[4Gears4Tires]

[dhaavers]

[jimf909]

[4Gears4Tires]

For sure. I'm still sad about a few vehicles that I was outbid on. Like this one https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-subaru-sambar/ By the time I decided to go up to 12.5k the auction had already passed that. But, because we lost that auction I decided to buy a Vanagon so it wasn't all bad.
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'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[jimf909]

[campism]

He's asking two grand for an incomplete non-running tintop in KY but someone should probably check it out for glass and body panels.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/447638043205334
_________________
'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic, tragically crushed by a falling hickory tree in my own driveway and now gone, leaving me Vanagonless and with no plans to replace it, alas.