Date:         Tue, 1 Apr 2003 10:07:30 -0500
Reply-To:     SStones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         SStones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fw:      Re: gutless
In-Reply-To:  <007c01c2f85b$983de220$6c48bb42@Pangea.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 08:32 AM 4/1/03 -0600, you wrote:
>| It would be nice to know if any one has owned a
>| vanagon new how they feel about their purchase then and 15+ years later.

I have loved my vanagon since it was brand new in 1985. As I've written
previously, it has left me requiring a tow once, but I can forgive it for
that, it was 15 years old or so, alternators eventually die.
It has done things for me that I wouldn't dream of doing in my other
vehicles. It has forded swollen river beds at well over 2'. It has gotten
me across ditches where roads have washed out and many 2WD pick-ups were
U-turning to seek other routes. It can easily clear the parking lot
kerb/blocks to get me back on my way when some chevy minivan has dropped a
tie rod and is stuck blocking the parking-lot exit with a line of cars
behind it (Not a common occurance, but my Golf would have had to join the
line).
It is a vehicle that will do a lot for you and expect a lot in return. I
had a blown headgasket back in the late 90s, whether or not that would have
happened if I had ever replaced the coolant is anyone's guess. If VW were
to re-release the vanagon set up exactly as it was in 1985, even with the
WBX, I would buy one in a heartbeat. The WBX may prevent the vehicle from
being perfect, but in my opinion it is still a far better vehicle than
anything competing with it. And it expects you to be a better vehicle owner
than the owners of many other vehicles. It's a give and take relationship,
for many of us it is worth it. Heck, I think that if they'd re-release the
vanagon with a good I4 engine that it would be a far better idea than this
amusing new micro-bus thing. Let them release the amusement vehicles under
the Audi badge and have VW put out a proper utilitarian vehicle again.

How many people on the list would buy a brand new one of whatever era your
bus/van is, if it were released for the 2004 model year? What would you
like to see different on it?

S Stones.
1985 Vanagon
1987 Cabriolet
2001 Golf
2003 Ch**y Z24