Date:         Sat, 23 Sep 2000 23:43:26 -0500
Reply-To:     Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@MB.SYMPATICO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@MB.SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject:      catching up
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Ok, there have been some threads that I've missed and I'm so excited that my
van is running smoothly again that I thought I should catch up.

Someone was asking about daily drivers.  I bought my 85 Westy in 1993 with
77k km (about 45k miles) and it now has 227k km (130k miles or so).  It has
been my daily driver ever since, even in -35 weather (gas heater!), has been
to Halifax twice when I moved for school and once to the Yukon/Alaska
highway.  Everything has gone wrong except the motor, until now.  New gas
tank and new coolant pipes this year (ouch), two water pumps, all the usual
ailments.  A gentleman on the list was thinking about selling his van
because one cylinder was toast.  I just had that repaired, had the cylinder
head machined and new rings put in for about $600 Cdn (maybe $400US.)  The
rings were a little less than $100, so I expect that someone's estimate for
$300 US is pretty accurate (the labour rate was $61/hr, at an import
specialist.)

Anyway, the car runs really smoothly now with a nice idle and no hesitation.
Good compression all around.  I was expecting a little more zip (wishful
thinking) but that hasn't been the case.  I'm not a mechanic and don't do
the work myself, and I use the info on the list to increase my knowledge
base when I take it in for repairs.  Just wanted to say thanks for everyone
who's helped me out in the past (they know who they are!)

Jeff
85 Westy
Winnipeg