My '89 vanagon needs a transmission. Reverse works ok. my mechanic said that there has been a problem with the “kit” that is used to build these. he said if we could find a built one or used one, her would put it in. my question is this… considering this will coast approx. $2000 total, is it worth the expense to keep this car moving or is it just a continuing money pit?
Vanagon’s are a money pit if you use a mechnanic. If you fix yourself a labor of love.
$2000 is nuts, or is this a camper version?
If it’s a camper I’d consider fixing it but could not see sinking 2 grand into a base Vanagon.
If you have a local salvage yard in your area that specializes in foreign car stuff you might check with them to see if the price could be brought down.
Some yards will install for a nominal fee and guarantee what they sell or possibly steer you to a shop that works in conjunction with them.
If the price could be brought down considerably, I’d say maybe.
Sell it and move on.
Manual or automatic? How many miles on the van? Synchro or not? What shape is it in? Are you dealing with a VW specialist?
Without knowing the answers to these questions I think most people, myself included, would vote “money pit.”
Unless you are a competent mechanic with some spare time, I would say “move on”. These vehicles were never too reliable and an old one is even less so.