Anyone Have Experience With Volkswagens?

[featherfingers]

Hey, guys and gals! I'm seriously contemplating the possibility of considering the purchase of a VW van.

Here's the one I'm considering buying, if someone doesn't outbid me first:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&item=160127070406

Just wondering if you VW enthusiasts have any words of wisdom or warnings for someone who has never owned one of these things before.

Thanks in advance!

Frankie 🙂

 

[lk70]

I know two very passionate VW owners. They always buy used and their cars do seem to last well. If the former owner is a VW freak, expect the car to be well taken care of. They even have VW festivals around here. Has your potential new VW lived in AZ it's whole life? Damn good sign if it has.

 

[featherfingers]

Hi, IK! All I know about the vehicle is what I've read at the Ebay site. Luckily the owner lives about five miles away from me. I plan on visiting him and seeing the VW in person but I've got pressing issues to take care of at the moment. I'm in no hurry to buy it, really. I basically just want to find out if VWs are easy or hard to maintain. I've got a black thumb when it comes to mechanics.

 

[Cave In]

VW's are good sturdy vehicles, you'll get your moneys worth with one of them.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Frank, if you plan on getting this one, or something like it, the first order of business is to befriend someone who is not only passionate about the product, but fixes them as well. They are nice, but the 'cute' factor wears off very quickly when you're trying to do a hard merge on the interstate at morning rush when everyone else is doing 65 bumper to bumper. No turbocharger! I work at a VW dealer, with many old time air-cooled VW guys, and what I've learned is, it pays to be a real enthusiast, rather than, oh, look what I bought.

Parts are not cheap anymore. They used to be...

It's beautiful, and it's fun, and the second generation Transporters do turn heads. You've got to love them yourself. A properly working casual relationship ain't in the cards.

By the way, it's NOT a Vanagon. The Vanagon's the third generation, from the 80s. Every time a Vanagon comes in for service, our technicians avoid it like bird flu. As should you.

 

[featherfingers]

VW's are good sturdy vehicles, you'll get your moneys worth with one of them.

Thank you, Cave In! That's the kind of answer I was hoping to receive!

Frank, if you plan on getting this one, or something like it, the first order of business is to befriend someone who is not only passionate about the product, but fixes them as well. They are nice, but the 'cute' factor wears off very quickly when you're trying to do a hard merge on the interstate at morning rush when everyone else is doing 65 bumper to bumper. No turbocharger! I work at a VW dealer, with many old time air-cooled VW guys, and what I've learned is, it pays to be a real enthusiast, rather than, oh, look what I bought.

Thanks, Knox. I've got a friend who is not only a VW enthusiast but he races one at a Phoenix race track every now and then. He'd be a wealth of information for me and I wouldn't be surprised if he took a personal interest in any VW that I happened to buy. There's a nice Volkswagen repair shop in town with mechanics who seem to be honest, too. The head mechanic is from Germany so I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing. I definitely want to learn how to work on it myself, too.

I appreciate everyone's responses. Thank you.