Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 15:22:39 EST
Reply-To: Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: '99 SA Vanagon pics
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
From my experience the SA steering wheels should be an easy swap. I have a SA
steering wheel with padded leather that is of the same shape and horn button
as the steering wheel in the photo of the 91 SA Caravell (which is the wheel
I think you're speaking of). Seems the wheel I have is about the same
diameter as the steering wheel used on the USA buses equipped with power
steering. The padded leather steering wheel ran me somewhere in the $300+
range--but I'm guessing the non-leather wheels would be much much cheaper.
I'm also curious about the labrinth of exhaust pipes under the SA bus which
seem to go forward from the engine and take a trip to about half the length
of the bus before taking a 180 degree curve to the back of the bus finally
exiting at the the rear. I wonder if that set up could be developed for the
Tiico conversions and if it is the extra length of exhuast pipe that would
cut down on some of the exhaust resonance, vibration, and noise associated
with the Tiico conversion.
Also on the 99 SA bus pictures, notice the mud flaps that are mounted in the
wheel wells as opposed to the classic USA Westy mud flap (and similar kits
with all four mud flaps) that is mounted on the side of the body about 4
inches behind the wheel well. The 99 mud flaps for my money are much more
functional and are available through VWSA. How one gets them I don't exactly
know. Most of my SA stuff came from sometimes-listee James Cohen which I got
a couple of years ago.
I'd still love to see a pic of the SA dashboard and instrument pod on the
late model buses say 99-02 if anybody has one. Be interested if they are
different or have any upgrades since 91.
I also wonder if it would be cost efficient to import the fiberglass bumpers
from SA. Even the SA metal bumpers off the later models are cool. As I've
seen they are black (not chrome) and appear to be more streamlined than the
USA bumpers. The SA metal bumpers have what look like end caps that are the
same dimension as the bumper, meaning they do not "clip" over the bumper
adding a littl bulk, but join the bumper with the same dimesion and a smooth
look. Once the front bumper has mad the bend around to the side of the bus
it has the option of an "extra" piece continuing on bolted to the bottom of
the front doors like the fiberglass bumpers on the later USA models. This
giving a bit of the added protection on the bottom of the door and changing
the look a bit. The rear metal SA bumpers come around to the side of the bus
all the way up to the back of the rear fender well. I have an old Just
Kampers catalogue that shows the metal SA bumpers as what JK sells as a
"styling kit." I suppose all in all the SA metal bumpers are a suble
difference, but in my opinion a improvement.
Anyway, I don't know how favorable the Rand exchange rate is these days. But
does anyone know if VWSA will do business with a customer in the USA and ship
and all? Doesn't seem like that should be too complicated, but I'm guessing
it is.
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA
In a message dated 2/21/2003 2:42:33 PM Pacific Standard Time,
kimbrennan@MAC.COM writes:
<< So I was looking over those pictures. I sure would like to have that
style steering wheel. Hey, Ron, you were talking about Steering Wheels
(that didn't come) a couple of months ago. Any chance of getting some
of those South African ones (on the assumption that they'll still work
with our North America Vanagons?) >>