Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2001 23:09:54 -0800
Reply-To: Michael Moery <mikemoery@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Moery <mikemoery@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject: Re: Diesel Vanagon Answer
In-Reply-To: <116.61c8407.28fbe443@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Amen, Sean!
My '82 Westie diesel is the best! I can't imagine any other engine in
the Vanagon than the diesel!
-Mike Moery
'82 diesel Westy (Ol Bessie)
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Sean Lynch
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2001 11:04 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Diesel Vanagon Answer
First off, I'll admit to having a bit of a Vanagon bias.
Having four of 'em is a pretty good tip off.
I have an '80 aircooler with A/C and rubber floors.
I have an '83 GL aircooler with no antenna hole or
speaker fitments.
I have an '86 GL with the works.
I also have this battered '82 GL Diesel.
Of the four, the diesel has the highest mileage, the most beat up body,
panel cancer, a mashed rear bumper,
and a slightly rumpled passenger front corner. It has
the lame black steel wheels, and cheezy whitewall tires.
It's painted in that less than desirable brown/tan scheme that nobody
really seemed to like. The rear end is almost perpetually covered in
soot, no matter how frequently/infrequently I wash it. It has speakers,
but no radio. Somebody broke the OEM antenna, and it has an uberlong
mast poking out of the driver's front corner, which wobbles about and
taps against the rain gutter when at speed. The sway bar's broken on the
passenger side. The engine's started to leave small oil spots if left
parked long enough. Changing the oil is always a messy process. I almost
learned the hard way about the importance of installing a camshaft
splashguard, and that a runaway diesel is a VERY BAD thing. It's
terribly slow, and rather noisy at speed. Passing anything other than
parked cars is nearly impossible.
Why VW decided that a 2.5 ton box only needed a 48hp motor is beyond me.
I worship this van.
Of all my Vanagons, my diesel has been the faithful one. I use it as my
daily driver. I used it as my rolling command post during my service in
the 2000 Census. I put 300+ miles daily on that van during the Census,
and she never let me down. In three years, the van's only given me one
minor scare (the runaway), and had one noteworthy failure (passenger
wheel bearing, which went very slowly and gently). The chassis has
nearly 250K on it, and just got a completely new braking system
installed, on account of old age and corrosion. I have bought new
sheetmetal and bumpers for it from Bus Depot, and as soon as I finish
overhauling my '80s motor, the diesel goes to the body shop for panel
repair and a respray in her less-than-flattering scheme. Painting it
will be the most expensive thing I've done to it, exceeding the total
outlay I have so far in the van.
In my opinion, a diesel Vanagon is one of the most faithful friends you
can ask for.
- Sean L.
Still the romantic when it comes to his DSELBOX...
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