I have a 1984 VW Vanagon that needs some work...It was diagnosed
by a local mechanic that there is coolant leaking into the cylinders
which was why I had no heat (sporatic) and that to fix it right
I'd need new cylinder heads. Apparently, due to the miles on my car
(135,000+) its not uncommon to have heating/cooling problems and
that THE way to fix it is to replace the cylinder heads. He
estimated that it could top out at $1,500 to do the whole job. 
Does this sound accurate, and is it true that this is indeed a 
common problem with water cooled vanagons & this kind of mileage? 
Two years back I had a mechanic on the east coast tell me that the
entire engine should be replaced (but also thought this was a common prob)
I didn't believe him (ie: ripoff?) and drove it across the country to
the the pacific northwest without a hitch (well, a new clutch...)
but now I need help because it won't start at all anymore, just
turns and doesn't catch...
 
any help/info/advice would be greatly appreciated!