I'm the proud new owner of a gem: '87 Westy, 2WD, one-owner (literally from
a "little old lady"), in near-perfect condition, sold to me UNDER Blue Book
value. (I don't mean to make many drool, but fortune smiles upon me: of
course, she also didn't want to sell it to just anyone!) She purchased this
Westy new and has made EVERY repair when it was needed. It's on its third
engine with 311K miles total and was her primary vehicle for 15 years. It
has also visited nearly every state (except New England I believe).

Immediately, I subscribed to this list and love reading
questions/comments/suggestions. My question to all: in order to keep this
jewel in such good condition, what would you suggest I do?

For example, I have been told:

"steam-clean the engine and check all electrical connections,"
"crawl underneath and look for leaks now! Become familiar with what your
undercarriage looks like,"
"purchase a repair manual,"
"take the VIN to a dealer and see if recalls have been done" - by the way,
CAN YOU DO THIS TO THIS AGE VEHICLE??
"find a mechanic NOT associated with the dealer"
"find other vanagon owners nearby" - ANY IDEA HOW?

With the vast experience available, where would YOU suggest I start??

Love, Light & Laughter,
Jay
new owner of '87 Westy (I'll put up pics next week if interested!!)