Date:         Tue, 12 Oct 2004 14:43:35 -0700
Reply-To:     Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Subject:      Re: Highway speeds
Comments: To: wlail@OU.EDU
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

"I suspect, however that its new owner ( and my close friend) will drive it
into the ground within a couple of months.  I just
> don't think these buses were designed for driving at high speeds"

I have a different opinion Warren. It is my belief and experience that a
properly maintained 1.9 or 2.1 will run all day long flat out as
almost all German engineered vehicles will do as all were designed with the
high speeds of the autobahn in mind.

A new vanagon has no problem maintaining speeds of 80+ mph all day, day in
and out,  with a full load on board.

If you are "nursing" a tired motor without lots of cash ready to fix broken
parts of course 3800-3900 is a good safe range to keep the bus at.

I personally find many VWs (as well as my Porsche) run especially well and
feel "right" at about 71-72 mph for some unknown reason.
I believe this is right around 4 grand in the stock vanagon. If you listen
to the engine you will hear the air box resonance at that speed as well
taking advantage of resonance air induction which Porsche also uses to gain
a 2-3 psi boost in intake pressure.

Doug

.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Warren Lail" <wlail@OU.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 8:15 PM
Subject: Highway speeds


> FWIW, I have always driven Vanagons, air-cooled and waterboxes, at between
55 and 62 mph on road trips.  Those slow
> speeds (and low rpms) are, I think, easy on the engine, easy on gasoline,
and give me time to enjoy the ride.
>
>  I recently sold my 87 GL ("Long John") to a friend who decided to drive
it at speeds between 70 and 80.  Long John is a
>  very nice bus, has been very well-maintained, has 154,000 original miles,
and has been extraordinarily dependable.
> I suspect, however that its new owner ( and my close friend) will drive it
into the ground within a couple of months.  I just
> don't think these buses were designed for driving at high speeds.
>
> I would like to install oil pressure and oil temp gauges, but I'm not sure
where to begin.
>
> I must say, I went through hell getting Billy Bones up and running, but
I've driven mostly trouble free for about 10,000
> miles now.   A trip from Oklahoma to Myrtle Beach, SC in May, and more
than 5000 miles in New Mexico this summer,
> all without incident.  Dependability is a nice thing.  These days when I
go on a trip, what I experience is fun, not anxiety.
>
> Warren Lail
> 88 Westy "Billy Bones"