FS: 1990 Vanagon Westy 5sp 2.4L - $24k

[skoullias]

This is not my vehicle, nor am I associated with the seller.

First flag. Vehicle is listed for sale on eBay in Pompano Beach, FL; and on Craigslist in Santa Fe, NM with VIN WV2ZZZ70ZMH053297.

Second flag. Running a vin check clocks this as a 1991 model at 247,614 miles, although listing states vehicle is a 1990 model at 175,000 unspecified units (however, accuracy of this vin checking site has not been verified, and no detailed audits or even chain of custody records are available).

Third flag. Seller wants $1k down on eBay through PayPal, and the balance via wire transfer (however, upon emailing seller, seller has responded that they would accept full payment through PayPal if buyer covers fees).

Fourth flag. This is a "California", marketed here in the US as a EV, and is not a Vanagon (though, it does appear to be Westfalia outfitted vehicle). According the the VW T4 model wikipedia page, the early 1990's diesel engine is indirect injection, not turbocharged. This information illustrates an unfamiliarity with the vehicle, and the listings are inconsistent.

Fifth flag. Vehicle is an import and listed as legal in the US, but hasn't been titled/tagged. Seller has not confirmed availability of chain of custody, import, or registration eligibility documentation.

I'm posting this here with pictures that I downloaded from eBay and uploaded to tdiclub for posterity. Caveat Emptor! Contact seller directly at ubrinfo at gmail dot com or 518-536-0176 for more info.

 

[skoullias]

 

[Moesauction!]

He imports them from outside U.S, and has pretty good luck selling them.

Buying anything site unseen can be troublesome, and a 1000 deposit takes all the drama out of the sell, also cashiers checks are not certified funds like folks think, As a seller i understand his policies. Just makes it complicated for folks that are sacred of the transaction.

 

[skoullias]

Do you know the seller? Would you vouch for them?

Their eBay selling track record was pretty spotty... they had sold two cars in the past year, one receiving a negative review. Also, seller was (despite repeated requests) unwilling to provide any proof of documentation, even back-peddling when the documentation stated as available in the post wasn't even necessary, and suddenly recalling that they did have other, more important documentation that wasn't included in the listing. At the time of this writing (although vehicle supposedly sold on eBay more than a week ago) there is no buyer feedback. This could mean anything, but it doens't speak to the sellers reliability.

And who lists a car in New Mexico on Craigslist and in Florida on eBay? I could understand if the vehicle was making trip between the two spots, but both listings had the vehicle as garage-stored.

Also, and I don't know about how deep your pockets are, but simply handing $1000 to someone with a spotty record and no documented physical address via wire transfer seems naive (to be charitable).

He imports them from outside U.S, and has pretty good luck selling them.

Buying anything site unseen can be troublesome, and a 1000 deposit takes all the drama out of the sell, also cashiers checks are not certified funds like folks think, As a seller i understand his policies. Just makes it complicated for folks that are sacred of the transaction.

 

[oilhammer]

That is not a "turbo" diesel, either. Just the naturally aspirated 2.4L IDI diesel I-5. It is clearly not a US spec vehicle, though. Doesn't mean it hasn't been legalized for sale/use here, though. I'd love to have it! I like my T4 a lot, despite its gas engine and slushbox transmission. Sad I am going to have to sell it soon.