Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 16:26:30 -0500
Reply-To: Chris <chris@MCCLURKEN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris <chris@MCCLURKEN.COM>
Subject: Re: through sickness and in health?
In-Reply-To: <CGEHKAABPGGIIBCALNJJGEODCHAA.shiva@edcnet.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Hi there,
You're not the youngest, I'm 23 and on my second Vanagon. As far as
keeping it, only you can decide but some thoughts come to mind....don't
throw money at it. Most mechanics won't figure out mysterious problems.
They don't have the time, and you don't have enough money. Better to
figure out the weird ones yourself. I've been lucky to have mechanics
that do what I tell them. So I figure it out (or think I do) and then
have them do the physical work that I can't do myself for whatever
reason.
Also, you've been across the country in the van so I would think you'd
have your mind pretty well made up? If you love how it drives, all the
space and utility, but hate the problems with the engine...then why not
put in a TDI? As far as I can tell once this expensive option is
installed, there really isn't a whole lot that can go wrong and cost a
lot. And even if your love for the van fades, you can still keep it
around for fun things like running it on veggie oil and other
alternative fuel projects.
If you love it, and have the money to put into it, then keep it and
have fun. I just haven't found any other vehicles that match the unique
qualities of our Vanagons.
Anyway, just my opinion,
Chris
85 GL stock and rebuilt....completely
On Aug 18, 2004, at 13:30, Shiva Polefka wrote:
> Howdy. As a newer GERRY subscriber, i'll provide a brief intro to
> lead into
> my first ever question/post: I expect i'm among the youngest members
> of the
> list at 25, with a two-tone 84GL that i bought with 90k a coupla years
> ago.
> Many trips to, up and down the west coast, one great wandering from CA
> to Bar
> Harbor Maine and back (chasing wind and women back and forth across the
> country), and a recent trip across the Mojave from SoCal to Northern
> Wyoming
> has my van up to 120k. With kiteboarding (think
> wakeboarding+windsurfing) a
> central objective to many of the travels, my brother calls the van
> "kitemobile" which i like, though its picked up a handful of other
> nicknames
> from the affectionate to the profane in its short but storied tenure
> as my
> baby.
>
> Maintenance records were well kept by the original owner, and i've
> done my
> best to improve on both record keeping and general maintenance. Until
> recently its been the best running round-headlighted Vanagon i've come
> across. Recently however, its begun absorbing gobs of money (1k in
> the last
> month) and yet remains afflicted with a mysterious condition i and
> experienced mechanics have yet to figure out . I'm considering
> querying the
> list on that, but first I'd love to read any thoughts on whether
> sticking
> with my kitemobile will prove fruitful: am i approaching a phase in
> its life
> where $2-4k in part replacement and major overhauls is par for the
> course?
> Or should there be some increase in longevity to reap from the
> assiduous
> fluid replacements and TLC lavished on the van thus far.
>
> I realize this is essentially a mystical and unanswerable question,
> but it
> may be that i'm in need of a pep talk, and I'm sure that if it
> compells any
> replies they will be informative. I'd really like to keep the van
> going, and
> if its going i want it going the best it can, but i'm feeling
> uncertain about
> what such a committment will entail. Any thoughts, coldly realistic or
> reassuring, would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance. sp.
> oh, and
> peets beans are the best period.
>
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