If you’re going to join a cult, it might as well be a weird and quirky one like that surrounding old VW vans. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice EuroVan could be a good entry into the club if the admission price isn’t too high.
Good parenting is important for the development of functional and well—rounded people and those seeking the same attributes in automobiles. In the case of the 2006 Aston Martin DB9 we looked at yesterday, that parenting was overseen by Aston Martin’s then-owner, the Ford Motor Company. Its influence can be seen under the DB9’s bonnet, in the cabin, and in the way the car feels like it’s of a piece and not merely an assemblage of unrelated parts from other manufacturers. At $32,000, it also proved to be a bit of a bargain, what with 75 percent of you giving it a thumb’s up in a Nice Price win.
Do you have a bread box in your home? Yeah, that bit of space-eating kitchen clutter seems to have long ago fallen out of favor, what with modern store-bought bread being pumped full of preservatives and, hence, not needing its own home within a home.
A similar story befell the like-proportioned Minivan. Once a staple of suburbia, the form factor is now the exception rather than the rule when it comes to comfortable family travel. That’s not to say that minivans don’t still have their fans, and in the case of VW’s Buses and Vans, like today’s 2002 VW EuroVan MV, those fans tend to be all-in.
There is a lot to like here. After all, the EuroVan is based on the T4 Transporter, which VW designed to be spacious and capable as a carrier of all the things. In the MV, there’s versatility, too. The rear-most seat folds down to allow for a somewhat bumpy bed, while the middle seat faces backward to accommodate a fold-up table.
The front two seats are captain’s chairs, which, in this van’s case, have been accentuated by neck and lumbar pillows. Beyond that, the gray patterned mouse fur upholstery looks good throughout. In fact, the cabin overall seems to have held up well over the van’s 22 years of life and a startling 238,000 miles in travel.
The mechanicals are noteworthy as well. The Porsche 924 was a favorite whipping boy of the Top Gear team because, as they were keen to point out, its engine came from a VW Van. Maybe if the 924 had an engine from a EuroVan, the British Trio wouldn’t have been so dismissive. This van’s engine is VW’s powerful (201 horsepower) and lovely-to-hear 24-valve 2.8-liter VR6. That’s a good find, no matter what the car. The only transmission offered by VW in the U.S. van was a four-speed automatic, and that proved to be the model’s Achilles heel.
Fortunately, this van’s gearbox was replaced just 30K back and, at the same time, was fitted with a bigger cooler to keep things on the up and up. Other updates include the replacement of the alternator and plugs, a new wiper motor, fresh rear brake pads, and an Optima Red Top battery. Modifications seem limited to a 2-inch GoWesty lift kit, Borla muffler, and a sweet set of white-painted Fifteen52 Turbomac wheels fitted with Nitto Nomad tires. Those do look to be a bit too big for the van’s britches… er, wheelarches, but according to the seller, all the van’s original parts will be included in the sale.
There are some aesthetic issues to be considered here as well. The cleat coat is failing everywhere, and the rear bumper looks extremely janky. For some, that might just increase the appeal. There’s nothing wrong with the van that would affect the performance or safety, so the looks should be considered a long-term fix, if a fix at all. The title is clean, and the van comes with a $12,500 price tag that the seller claims is “negotiable.”
What do you think? How much wiggle room would you want to give on a cool old VW Van in such shape? Does its current price feel like a solid starting point? Or, like the bread box, does that indicate it’s time just to let it go?
You decide!
Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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