Date:         Wed, 9 Mar 2005 21:12:53 -0500
Reply-To:     Peter McHugh <pmchugh952@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Peter McHugh <pmchugh952@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      vanagons r' junk
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

r we vanagon owners sane or insane?  i'm ok if ur ok.

this thread is an interesting one.  someone commented about his "family
questioning his sanity".  that one hit home.  perhaps all but the luckiest
of us have dealt with that "questioning" attitude" from friends and family?

here're some thoughts:

the vanagon design puts real stress on the fluids-based systems, i.e.
cooling system and air conditioning.  i've owned a '91 carat for 15 yrs. and
220K mi (original and only owner).  most of the $$ spent in mtce. (and i'll
admit it's been a lot) has been spent to restore/replace leaking heads and
repair the failed cooling system.

the heads issue is well known to all.....too many inputs and outputs to a
50-year-old design cylinder head simply doomed them from the start.  how can
anyone expect a device with so many holes to perform well over time??  more
mass, better metallurgy, better fluid dynamics, who knows??  maybe we'd have
had a real winner.  but such as they are, recurring problems.  so deal with
them, right?  every 50K, get ready for some trouble.

the A/C?   same issue in a way, fluids running from front of the vehicle to
the rear.....lotta volume...lotta distance....lotta junctions.  i often
thought of the window-insert A/C unit my mother-in-law gave us after we were
married.  what if you separated all the components.....by 15 feet.....
connected them with hoses and wires and then expected good performance?
whaddya think?  possible?  not likely.  the VW boys didn't do that badly
though:  my system failed multiple times, not because the A/C design was
challenged but because of a cooling fan that drew too much
current.....series resistor fails, receiver/dryer fails, A/C fails....cost =
$1000.  $1000 once, $1000 twice: third time i suggested to the vw boys,
"fellas, do ya suppose there's something else going on here????"  (i recall
someone making the critical point about vehicle repair expertise being in
short supply?

same scenario with the engine cooling system.  less than optimal metallurgy,
less than optimal physical capacity/design, system fails.....cost = $800 per
head each time.  of course they don't go at the same time so you get to
enjoy the experience every 25K mi....or less????

ok, my point?  i love my van; it's the best.....for all the reasons we
listers well understand.   but i think the van's worst weaknesses, cooling
and A/C may keep us from spending the additional time/$$ to keep the rest of
the organism healthy and this may lead to an accumulation of issues that may
cause some of us to give up over time??

just thoughts.  recently rebuilt my bellhousing, clutch, etc., put in a new
steering rack (but i think it's the lines that need to be replaced - frank
c., i'll be calling you soon!!); will be replacing the rear hinge on the
slider this wknd and am in desperate need of a replacement rear hatch (if
they only told us to wax the damn things in the northeast because the salt
rots the metal below the wiper!!)

but, hey guys, my friend with the ford 150 who's babied the thing for 6 or 7
years just lost his #1 piston....broke the rod!!!!  huh?  it's a total.  he
went out and bought a new dodge ram.  he's a non-mechanic....at that level
anyway and the cost to repair exceeds the value of the vehicle.  so r we
vanagon guys that crazy??  value......cost.......???

they'll bury me in this thing!

best, pete

'91 carat, 220Kmi and proud of it.  that's my driver and i'm stickin' to it.