Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 20:11:41 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: Fw: Trip report--the big apple loved my big red van
In-Reply-To: <002c01c449a9$5e3d1aa0$d9032a45@ttowerdef17>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Doug, I love my synthetics, but......
I confess I drove my 1.9L 85GL to 205,000 on Dino 20W50 without so much
as a hiccup. Lost the water pump once, but that had nothing to do with oil.
But, I still love my synthetic. My original 2.1L engine in my current 88
GL blew a jug around 86,000 running Dino oil!! I'm reasonably sure the
damage was done due to the PO's driving habits, but it burned a hole
through the top edge of the piston and scored the cylinder wall there
too. After a complete major overhaul and already achieving 50,000
miles, maybe I will get 305,000 miles with the new engine running
synthetics. They are finer oils designed to lube better and reduce wear.
Regards
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Doug in Calif wrote:
>Wow,
>Imagine that! 197K with not so much of a valve job on Castrol 20/50 dino oil.
>
>ahhhhh (sigh)
>
>Imagine the Synthetic camp absolutely hates to hear stories like this
>Better keep it under your pop top.
>
>(Grins and smiles)
>
>sorry guys I just couldn't resist,
>
>Doug
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Jim Felder
>To: Doug in Calif
>Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 1:19 PM
>Subject: Re: Trip report--the big apple loved my big red van
>
>
>Bosch filter, Castrol 20W50, never drive over 70, always use 93 octane, don't walk under ladders, don't open an umbrella in the house, etc. etc.
>
>I was bad one time (before I got on this list) and went to walmart for an oil change because I was leaving for ny in the morning and they were open late.
>
>The oil light buzzer came on under hard braking (it was in the 90s temp-wise), and after being parked for more than a day the lifters clacked.
>
>Never again.
>
>Jim
>
>On Jun 3, 2004, at 3:02 PM, Doug in Calif wrote:
>
>
> Jim,
> What type of oil gets the credit for those glorious 197, 000 miles?
> without even a valve job.
>
> Just curious (grin)
>
> Doug
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jim Felder
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 12:50 PM
> Subject: Trip report--the big apple loved my big red van
>
> Just got back from a trip from Alabama to New York and back, visiting
> daughter, moving nephew from Brooklyn to Manhattan, delivering folks to
> Islip airport, running all over manhattan and back. 2200 miles in all,
> including duty as a NY taxi every day, as well as three round trips to
> brooklyn via the BQE to move my nephew to the upper west side. The van
> was loaded to the roof for the three moving trips, hauling four full
> rooms of furniture and clothes.
>
> I took five relatives with me to NY and back in my Red 1990 Carat,
> which ticked over 197000 on the trip (without so much as a valve job
> ever done to it). We drove 65-70 up and back. I couldn't detect that it
> used any oil at all.
>
> All passengers agreed it was the best vehicle they ever saw for travel.
> The occupants were 13, 14, 54, 53 and 83. We got a "sharp" sign (raised
> index and little finger) from the kids skateboarding as I pushed
> through the crowd at Union Square. At my daughter's apartment, when I
> parked underground I was offered $2500 cash on the spot for my van
> (turned down of course), another time (different attendee) I heard the
> story of the beloved '84 Vanagon left behind in Jamaica when the owner
> came to new york. The next morning when I presented my parking receipt,
> the attendant asked me "are you the guy with the red van?" Word had
> spread. He asked me where he could go online to find one and I wrote
> down the URL for this list.
>
> I saw a nice westy parked behind a restaurant on the way up, and saw a
> gold westy on Washington Square over the weekend in front of an NYU
> dorm, and one or two around town in NY traffic. Other than that, only a
> few eurovans all the way up and back, but no vanagons on the road.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
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