Date:         Thu, 17 Feb 2005 02:52:42 +0000
Reply-To:     joe trussell <vanagongl@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         joe trussell <vanagongl@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      '85 Westfalia story (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

So I mentioned I'd found a Westy at the Public Auto Auction Lot here in
Denver, and it's what got me looking for one...

I was just driving by and saw it--It was dirty and dusty and looked like it
needed a right rear wheel cylinder and a good cleaning; it had an antifreeze
leak coming from somewhere, but I couldn't tell if it was a hose or a
head...In looking at it, I noticed that it had Bilsteins all the way around,
so I figured that whoever had it had taken care of it.  I talked to the
auction folks and they introduced me to the charity donation company that
owned it.  I offered the donation company $1200 on the spot, and they said
"no, $2900."  I thought about it for a couple of days, then called them
back.  I told the auction folks to let the donation company know that I
wanted to offer $2900.

These guys couldn't find the thing anywhere.  They didn't know what I was
talking about.  The Auction manager told me that this donation company was
infamous for simply taking cars without letting the auction people know, and
that they had apparently taken it to another lot.  Nobody could tell me
where, though.

After a week and a half of speaking to every auto auction place in Denver
and trying to find somebody at the donation company who knew what was going
on, I finally got through to the Director of the company.  She was quite
surprised by my story, and tracked the van down for me--it was at Colorado
Auto Auction and that it was going with a reserve of $2500.  She connected
me to them, and I asked about it.  Then they asked me for my dealer number.
This wasn't a public auction.  They wouldn't give me any info and I couldn't
bid.  But I knew it was there.

I was disgusted, because I don't really know anybody in the business, so
there was nothing I could do.  I wanted it to go to a good home, though, and
not end up on a bad used car lot.  It really was a nice Westy.  So I called
JBD Imports and told the owner about it.  I figured if anybody could get it
into shape and get it to a good home, they could, because they only sell
really nice ones that they've taken the time to check out and get into
shape.  I never heard back from the JBD guy after the weekend of the
auction, so I forgot about it.

Then, today, I was looking through Autotrader and saw my missing
Westfalia--for sale from JBD for $6900.00.

Joe T.
'85 GL "action van"
'85 Wolfsberg Westfalia

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