Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 15:04:13 +1300
Reply-To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Vanagon name
In-Reply-To: <BAY19-DAV10F284FBBC70D70502B2EFE0AF0@phx.gbl>
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>>That's the Liteace, the small toyota van which first appeared in the
>>latest 60s or possibly realiest 70s.
>
>Wasn't the Liteace/Van Wagon introduced in 1979? I mean, look at it. It's
>NOT a late 60's Japanese design!
NO. It was introduced for one model cycle in the US. The first
Liteace was sold in the late 60s or by 1973 at latest... there are
still lots of that model on the road in Fiji, for instance (no, I
don't have images). They first appeared in NZ in the 1978 generation,
and have been sold here since. It was a truly evolutionary design;
the second-generation was, like VW's Bay, a heavy facelift of the
first generation, and retained that van's floorpan and side panels.
> > That thing Toyota built was a piece of junk in the design world.
>> Way to small. engine between the seat was terrible. But the price
>> was right, so they sold them.
>> Eric
>>
>
>You are kidding aren't you Eric?
>
>Anybody driving a Vanagon calling any Toyota a piece of junk has his mindset
>is some other world. Anybody driving a stock Vanagon calling any other
>engine setup TOO small has got to find reality in some other universe.
>
>I love my Vanagon, but rely on it for everyday transportation? Hats off to
>anyone who does but I'll take a Toyota anything for everyday transportation.
>
>It's like I told my Dad when he was thinking about replacing the Jetta my
>mother wrecked. I asked him if, at the age of 68, did he want to work on it
>or drive it. He bought the Camry. 7 years later, it's still going with
>little or no maintenance.
>
>tim in san jose
>To start at the end, not even the Toyota brand would continue to sell a
>model for 25 years just because the price is right, nobody buys junk today
>( exept Vanagonees ;-))
>The engine that sits between the seats are a really nice piece of machinery,
>and even though working on it through the mailbox opening is a bit awkward
>and often limits the maintenance they start and run every time you want
>them to
>The size of the car- well, it has to fit your ego as well as your butt but
>still, after 25 years of sale they seems to fit the needs of a whole lot of
>peoples
Right-on, Tim and Calle. This van IS small, but that suits a lot of
owners, including lotsa businesses. The US missed out on the VW-sized
Hiace (similar layout to the Liteace, but more body variants)... ask
Toyota USA why. For various reasons it's the best van made anywhere,
and almost anywhere outside northern North America is present in
large numbers.
>In 1990 my wife bought an Acura Legend and I bought a vanagon. The
>Acura has about 130K miles on it, and it's on its third engine. The VW
>has 190K miles on it and the engine's never been opened.
>
>I haven't driven anything but a diesel westy or a gas Carat for the
>last 14 years. I'm sure there are many others on the list who have done
>many more Vanagon miles than I have.
>
>So what's the hats off for?
Not to Honda... which makes nice-looking cars which are extremely
rust-prone (even in unsalted areas) and engines which are perhaps
delicate (qualification: but it makes the best motorcycles). I find
Hondas' controls unergonomic too. But Hondas ain't Toyotas.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
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