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Strong engine, runs great, but needs a new transmission ($3500-$5500). Often the transmissions on these buses are replaced after 100K miles, so it's amazing that it lasted this long. You might get by for some time, but a new (rebuilt) tranny is in your future. DRIVE is fine, but REVERSE is very weak. Just had a transmission service, and conceivably another service down the line could buy you more time -- but don't delay this repair.

Odometer reads 262K, but previous owner says the engine was replaced at 102K. Mechanics say engine is strong, suggesting 160K, but previous owner has no documentation. He's a VW mechanic, so may have done it himself (or his friend did it -- see below.) It has been on synthetic oil for many years, which may be making a difference also. It can easily pass nearly any other vehicle going up Boulder Canyon.

This vehicle has been stalwart for the two years we had it. Lots of great mountain trips.

You may want to connect with Indian Peaks Auto in Boulder for pre-purchase inspection, as they know the vehicle. I have a VIN Car History report I can email you, as I don't see how to attach it here.

21 AUGUST UPDATE: The AutoCheck report came through this morning, and I learned a few things. (Therefore, I recommend AutoCheck over VIN Car History.) Minor accident in 2006. I contacted the Durango Police Dept, and they sent me a form to fill out in order to receive the details, since we have the case number. This form has to be sent back via snail-mail, with a check for $8.50. I will do that today, in order to expedite things, but it's bound to take a week or so before I hear back. I'm also including some additional photos, as I realized I had not shown the pop-top. It's a little worse than I remembered, probably due to leaving it improperly closed for a while about six months ago. Still, all seems patchable.

You can see from the history report that the vehicle has lived its whole life in Colorado, which accounts for the lack of rust. It looks as though it sat for a while with 102K miles, so I suspect that's when the engine was replaced -- according to the previous owner. If that is correct, then the engine now has 160K on it. The gearhead (1) I bought the vehicle from had bought it from his friend, also a gearhead (2). Based on all this, it seems likely that the engine work was done in 2005, and that's when they started using synthetic oil. Gearhead 1 said his friend, Gearhead 2, was very particular about the synthetic oil (MOBIL ONE).

24 AUGUST UPDATE: I think I forgot to mention that the brakes are new.

Auto Services in Colorado

Wreckmasters Body and Frame ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Truck Body Repair & Painting

Address: 315 S 14th St, Colorado-Springs

Phone: (866) 595-6470

Wizard Transmissions ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Auto Transmission

Address: 2271 W Evans Ave, Aurora

Phone: (888) 690-3854

Tire Warehouse ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Tire Dealers

Address: 4095 S Santa Fe Dr, Englewood

Phone: (303) 934-2929

Tapp`s Garage ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Consultants

Address: 8000 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora

Phone: (303) 752-2880

T & R Towing & Auto Repair ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service

Address: Lochbuie

Phone: (303) 659-6747

Stu Ritter Mercedes-Benz ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers

Address: 1250 S Inca St, Aurora

Phone: (303) 698-2431

Auto blog

VW diesel incentives could be fuel for prosecutors

Wed, Sep 30 2015

In the 2000s, Volkswagen was among the companies that lobbied the government to get buyers of diesel vehicles a tax credit. The automaker even brought some of these models to Washington to show them to politicians. The incentive eventually passed, and about 39,500 customers of the 2009 Jetta TDI and Jetta SportWagen TDI got a $1,300 benefit – for a total cost of around $51 million. Now, according to Reuters, that politicking might come back to bite the automaker when prosecutors finally get cases to trial. The US Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, and attorneys general in at least 29 states are already investigating VW, and politicians are pushing for criminal and civil actions against the company. According to Reuters, there could be several legal routes available, too. One option is to bring tax fraud charges, and that would require proving the automaker knew it was making untrue claims about the diesel models. There's also the option of bringing a case under the False Claims Act, which prohibits fraud against the government. According to Reuters, a maximum penalty under the law would be three times the tax credit and another $5,000 for each vehicle that received it. The company is also facing a class-action lawsuit from disgruntled owners. To aid its defense against all of these claims, VW has hired the same firm that worked with BP during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Outside of the US, prosecutors in Germany have just started to build a case against former CEO Martin Winterkorn for alleged fraud. In addition to these potential legal penalties, VW could be fined around $18 billion by the EPA for the emissions infractions. The agency's investigation is getting the added backing of its Canadian counterpart. Although, the actual settlement is expected to be far less.

VW clubs pay it forward to fix elderly woman's vandalized '69 Bus

Sun, Jan 11 2015

Not long after Thanksgiving, surveillance cameras caught four boys in Arizona throwing rocks through the windows of a 1969 Volkswagen bus belonging to an elderly woman called Ann. A few nights later they returned to the scene of the first crime and repeated it, smashing windows they missed before. Ann had no other car and no way to make a living, but when Jesus Aguilera – a member of the Arizona Bus Club Â– came across the incident on a Facebook page, he got to work. When he was finished, the AZ Bus Club and the Tucson Mob Squad had donated thousands of dollars to pay for new glass and get it installed, and now Ann has a magic bus she can drive again. Now, the vandals just need to be caught... Check out the video above for the story. News Source: AZ FamilyTip: Jav Volkswagen Minivan/Van Classics Videos crime vw bus

German carmakers recall 630,000 diesel vehicles in Europe

Fri, Apr 22 2016

Mercedes, Opel, Porsche, and Volkswagen will recall over 630,000 cars in Europe, according to reports Friday. No diesel car has been able to get under the legal emissions limit in real-world driving, according to a German government investigation. While only Volkswagen Group has been using a specific "defeat device", other carmakers have been playing with their exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems. Depending of the manufacturer, the systems have been cut off at a certain temperature. In a specific test cycle the systems operate to fulfill the legal requirements, but in everyday use the limits are exceeded. According to the magazine Der Spiegel, the supplier Bosch is behind this programming and has provided it to all German automakers. The mentioned carmakers have announced recalls, but many other manufacturers are also mentioned by name in the report, including Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Dacia, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Nissan, Renault, and Suzuki. PSA Group, which produces Peugeot, Citroen, and DS cars, declared yesterday that its offices were raided following an emissions investigation. Related Video: News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Getty Images Government/Legal Green Recalls Mercedes-Benz Porsche Volkswagen Opel Emissions Diesel Vehicles diesel emissions investigation

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