Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 15:00:50 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
Organization: The Cobalt Group
Subject: Re: Vanagon Love
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
John Fried wrote:
>
------------------------------------
>
> I joined the list this past Monday and, after reading all the posts, I'm
> starting to come to a few conclusions:
>
> 1. I must be very naive. I used to think I could just USE our new '85
> Westy for fun and enjoyment -- now I almost fear I'll be spending more
> time repairing it than using it!
Not likely, but you will spend more money on it than you will on the
trips you take it on!
>
> 2. I'm going to have to build a garage on my house so I have somewhere
> to work on it at night and when it rains -- also so my wife will know
> where to find me when I'm not at work.
You don't have a garage? Make sure it has 10' ceilings so you can jack
it up in there!
>
> 3. I really do need to get a cellular phone.
Duh!
>
> 4. This list will be an invaluable aid in my new profession as a VW
> mechanic.
You can't make a living as a Vanagon mechanic, you better add British
cars as a side line!
>
> Seriously, are these busses really that unreliable or am I just hearing
> from the "vocal minority" who have had problems. (No offense meant) What
> is the reliablilty factor for an '85 Westy?
About the same as any other 15 year old car. Remember, there are lots
of hoses to fail, and mechanical parts to wear out. By now most all
will be worn out or close to it. System reliability depends on the age
and quality of the components.
My wife and I both love ours
> and look forward to many years of camping with it, but if it becomes (or
> already is) a "money pit" it may be a short-lived love.
We all think it is worth it, and still much cheaper than a car payment
for 60 months.
Last weekend at
> EveryBus we talked with many other owners -- many who have lovingly
> restored some nice busses -- but I never thought to ask about general
> reliability of our bus. Quick, somebody tell me I'm not getting
> paranoid!
Old air cooleds are much simpler and cheaper to maintain and restore.
Consider yourself lucky you have an '85, that was the last fairly
"simple" year for the Vanagon. After that everything got more
luxurious, complicated and expensive.
Take the cooling system hoses for example. Ken Wilford rightly preaches
that we should replace all of them now, or suffer the consequences of a
blown hose on our next vacation. Unfortunately, the complete kit is
$430! There are four hoses I would immediately replace on
your '85. They are numbers 11, 12, 13 and 17 on Ken's chart:
http://www.vanagain.com/1.9lchc.htm.
These are the hoses nearest the exhaust heat and usually fail first, at
least they did for me on my '84. $60 for the set. Replace the others
working from the engine out as you can afford them. If you live in a
major metro area with an ozone problem, go to the bank and buy the whole
set!
>
> John
>
> P.S. I've not seen these famous Friday posts -- yet -- and this is not
> meant to be one of them (although I'm prepared for whatever may come).
> (^_^)
Friday anything goes, any topic, serious or funny. So jump in!
--
Stuart MacMillan
Manager, Case Program
800-909-8244 ext. 8208
Fax: 206-269-6360
Getting your share of the Net yet?
http://cobaltgroup.com
http://UsedEquipNet.com
