Date:         Thu, 5 Aug 2004 12:16:31 -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: Diesel conversion
Comments: To: Dave Rogers <bikeguy184@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <20040805024256.53570.qmail@web14008.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Dave,
The big advantage of the aircooled buses, both early and late, ------
THEY DON'T LEAK COOLANT!!!!

GM Bulley wrote extensively about making the AC Vanagons more efficient.
The Air Cooled models of the Vanagon don't bring the same money as the
Water models, so someone looking for a Vanagon could do well getting an
earlier model at a lower price and still have a nice machine.

I have often thought about driving the Ice Haul Road from Fairbanks to
the North Slope, but fear and trepidation over driving it with a
Wasserboxer tends to dampen my enthusiasm. In the Air Cooled Vanagon
there would not be the same threat. The Germans really knew what they
were doing when they designed and built aircooled vehicles --- in their
time. As conditions have changed, the need to be free of potential
cooling problems with water machines diminished, and so they
prolifereated, as they  had their own efficiencies.

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Dave Rogers wrote:

>Yeah John you could sure haul a lotta stuff in them. I hauled canoes, kayaks, dirtbikes, then could stick the seats back in & haul my wife's Brownie troop because that was before we liked kids enough to belt them in. My vans were usuall warmed up a bit with bigger cylinders & performance exhaust but were much milder than yours. They  were remarkable reliable but I didn't do many 4 lanes & I know they wouldn't cut it on the interstates today. I'm sure the newer vans are being used the same way but by younger people than me & perhaps I'll have me one of those water pumpers someday but I'm not likely to convert an air cooled to H2 0 because I try not to work that hard anymore. If they're as good as people are saying & that's what Skip wants, Hey it's only money.
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