Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 13:51:30 -0500
Reply-To: Tim Demarest <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tim Demarest <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
Subject: Re: chill out andy!! LOL..:<) Re: '86 full Westy for
sale...$2000...
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.44.0503090958010.15501-100000@neota>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Actually, we all need to chill out on this one...
Andy, you are right to warn prospective buyers that they are getting a
classic, *not* a maintenance-free 21st century machine. Some expectation
control is good, so you don't have an irate buyer beating on your door
eight days after they drive it away.
But.... it's not because it's a Vanagon... it's because it's *OLD*.
1970's technology, assembled no later than 1990 (at least the ones imported
into the US), and suffering the twin beatings of time and mileage ever
since. No ABS, No airbags, primitive fuel injection... yeah, modern cars
are safer, burn cleaner, and many get better mileage (sadly, there are
still plenty that get worse mileage, most of them SUVs). Don't blame it on
the Vanagon, any car with the same age and ancestry is going to have
reliability issues, and require some of TLC to keep it on the road.
Tim
At 10:18 AM 3/9/2005 -0700, Andrew Fox wrote:
>You're right Chris i do need to chill out, just thinking about vanagons
>makes me mad as hell. I hate them, i think they are a useless waste of
>money and time and are unsafe and bad for the environment. I wish i
>did'nt feel that way but I do. I firmly believe my feelings are based on
>facts though. I dont have any problem with owning a vanagon as a car
>collector, they are very fun cars though as long as you can be honest
>about its shortcomings especially when addressing newbies.
>
>Just to set the record straight, the newer american vans get as good or
>better than gas mileage than vanagons. In my case the 98 ford E-150 gets
>19 mpg that's with a 4.2 L V-6 and many times the power of the 2.1L
>waterboxer/auto tranny which gets 17 mpg on a good day. People with the
>big diesel vans report mileage in the mid 20's and if you really want to
>be nice to the earth the dodge sprinters get around 30 mpg with the inline
>5 cylinder diesel. Note that all of these vans are bigger and weigh more
>than vanagons and get as good or better mileage. Also i ride a bike to
>work and around town only use the van for trips so my $2000 will last me a
>few years for gas. The honda comercial a few years back when the beat up
>air cooled bus plastered with save the earth stickers pulls up to a civic
>hybrid at a light comes to mind here...
>
>Andrew
>
>
>On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 JordanVw@aol.com wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 3/9/05 11:32:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> > afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU writes:
> >
> >
> > > hey you dont have to agree with my opinions (unless you want to buy my
> > > van) and im not a member of the list im just using it to sell a van. I
> > > firmly believe that vanagons are not practical for real life use, i think
> > > most of you are car collectors and that's fine i just dont want some poor
> > > sap to think "hey look theres a car you can drive around every day and
> > > sleep in". Yeah if you spend thousands of hours and dollars and
> maintence
> > > maybe, then youll have an unrealiable unefficient deathtrap to drive
> > > around and sleep in, hello you can sleep in a station wagon or tent or
> > > youth hostel or friends house too. So yeah i think vanagons are
> > > rediculous but to each his own i just dont want to sell this vanagon
> thing
> > > to unsuspecting regular people without letting them know the truth and i
> > > think all of you should be more forthcoming in expressing what vanagons
> > > are really about to everyday people. Its a car for car collectors, it
> > > is'nt practical at all by todays standards.
> > >
> > > Andrew Fox
> > >
> > > Oh yeah and you who think this van is such a fabulous deal and will
> but it
> > > sight unseen are nuts! Its only in VW la la land where 20 YO cars sell
> > > for tens of thousands of dollars. The rest of the population out there
> > > see it as a 20 YO beat up van, if you want to find a deal dont look here
> > > or on thesamba look in your local classifieds where the normal people go
> > > to sell their vans.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > andrew, buddy, chill out there..your'e gonna have an annurism... :<) all
> > this "anti- vanetism" is just shooting yourself in the foot.. LOL
> > just cool off alittle, keep your bad experiences to yourself, and your van
> > will sell much faster.. dont you think? eh?
> > then you can take the proceeds and use it for gas money for your Ford.. :<)
> >
> > chris
> > who, also owns a big ass E250 Ford van with a 351W gas hog motor.. 12mpg
> > wheeeeeeee!!!! :<) i dont drive it more than i have to.. surely not for
> > pleasure!!
> > but it can haul vanagons quite well :<)
> >
> >
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