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Date:         Thu, 30 May 2002 09:40:32 -0700
Reply-To:     Donna Stewart <DStewart@CHRM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Donna Stewart <DStewart@CHRM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Medium length travelogue, and misc.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

You all should have seen me driving my parents' 1973 Thing back from the BugORama on Sunday - the wind was fierce and took both hands on the steering wheel. Wind against my Vanagons doesn't bother me that much but I guess I'm used to it.

Donna, 87 Wolfsburg, 90 7-pass

>>> Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET> 05/30/02 09:27AM >>> Try 45/50 or even 50/50 tire pressure. The ride will firm up a bit, but, at least in my experience, you'll have better control. Another thing you may consider would be to go to either Michelin Agilis (I have no experience other than anecdotal) or Yoko 356 D range tires.

I've used Lee Pathfinder 27x8.50 14s and liked them, but the Yokos ride softer and are quieter; they also seem more stable, but that's pretty subjective, since they're on my GL and the Lees are on my Westy.

Karl

----- Original Message ----- From: "Ben McCafferty" <ben@KBMC.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 7:24 AM Subject: Medium length travelogue, and misc.

> Hi all, > Wow! Sounds like I missed quite the bit of excitement while I was gone! > Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Reading some of the > remnants of the list war over the weekend, I was thinking about how nice > it's been to meet several list members while on the road, and how hard it is > to flame someone I've met. Maybe we should have a big get together every > year for the whole list, so everyone knows everyone else personally...I've > thought on more than one occasion that the road-ragers you see out there > would probably really enjoy having a beer together if they weren't in > anonymous cars. Anyway, enough of that. > > I traveled from Denver, CO to the Indianapolis 500 and back, with a nice > stop in Hillsboro, IL. Hard to believe, but I've put 20,000 miles on the > van since January! Since I'm a geek, here are my usual stats: > > 1990 Vanagon Westy Syncro, 220,000 total miles, with newer engine, tranny, > VC, driveshaft. BFG TA 27x8.5x14, 45 psi rear, 41 psi front. Castrol 20W50 > non-synthetic, Mann oil filter. > > Total miles: 2376 > Total gallons: 141.1 > Average MPG: 16.84 > Average MPH from Denver to Hillsboro: 63.8 (no A/C used) > Average MPH from Hillsboro to Denver: 68.3 (A/C used 90%) > Average MPH overall: 66.0 > Total oil consumption: 1/2 quart > > I guess my overall impressions of the van's performance were that the work > I've done in the past year has paid off. Running 75 MPH on cruise, with A/C > on (outside temp 70-90 degrees), I never had even a hint of "above normal" > operating temps (water temp guage stayed centered on the LED or below). > Some of you may recall that last fall I did a thorough flush, Autobahn > coolant, new t-stat and new fan temp switch that comes on at a slightly > lower temerature. Also, my overall mileage was better than my long trip in > January, so it looks like the VW gods are smiling at the moment. :) > > A continuing source of frustration for me is the van's terrible performance > in crosswinds. When I switched to reinforced sidewall tires, the difference > was night-to-day better. Steve S. thinks my springs are his, though we're > not positive. On the way east, we had 20-40 mph gusts, and the word that > came to mind over and over was "unsafe". This condition is the one thing > that makes me want to sell my van. I don't feel like there's body lean or > sway--it's more like "twist", like the front is moving left and the rear is > moving right when hit by a gust. The van was getting moved around a half a > lane width at a time, and it just isn't an acceptable situation. I wonder > how much other (non-vanagon) vans suffer this same problem. > > Does anyone have suggestions on a way to really beef up the suspension to > eliminate or greatly reduce this problem??? > > We stopped in Hillsboro at my uncle's home--he's heavy into the mountain > man/rendezvous scene, so we spent some time shooting muzzle loading rifles, > and pounding iron on the hand-fired coal forge. > > The race was magnificent, as it always is. There was a flyover by a B-2 > (stealth) bomber, which I'd never seen before. The Seals also did a jump > into each corner of the 2 1/2 mile track. Sunday was a perfect day for > racing--75 degrees, sunny, light winds, and about 500,000 people on hand for > the start!! I was really amazed with how different the race is than it was > 10 years ago (when I last went). Very nice. Also visited the hall of fame > museum, which has lots of past winners' cars, and many others on display > (Duesenbergs, Mercedes, Ferrari, etc.) from decades ago or more. You should > see the 800 cubic inch engines that develop a whopping 100 horsepower!! > Some of them even have rockers and valves that sit outside the crankcase,

> i.e. no lubrication. Track tours were unavailable on Saturday, though I did > learn that the speedway is now offering rides in a 2-seater Indy car around > the track. Cost? A mere $1000 for 2 laps, $1900 for four. > Overall, Indy is a gearhead's dream. :) > > Made the trip from Hillsboro back to Denver on Tuesday (925 miles), and had > a real decent drive with limited winds. > > Anyway, hope everyone is well, and look forward to some tips on suspension. > Best, > bmc :) > "Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...." >


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