Date:         Sun, 3 Dec 2006 12:22:49 -0800
Reply-To:     Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
Subject:      Re: Aircooled rules
In-Reply-To:  <763390.37808.qm@web37408.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I've thought of moving onto a wet westy more than once, but after much
thought I really don't want to. There is no doubt that the later models are
more luxurious, with lots of power options and stuff. Mine has a steel dash
and vinyl seats and a rubber floor. In many ways it's a big brother to the
old buses, but with a far better chassis. You can clearly see the lineage.
It's a bus with the problems worked out.
The thing about puddle vans is that at some point VW decide to make them
more mainstream. They became for more comfortable and luxurious, and in a
sense making a break from the past. Nothing looks like the old busses, but
the later vanagons do tend to look like a lot of the minivans (Westies
excepted of course).

Something happened in the early eighties. I used to drive an '80 toyota 4X4
pickup. All vinyl and rubber and steel inside, with the beloved solid front
axle up front. Leafs on 4 wheels. I beat the sh*t out of that truck , and it
never gave up the ghost. Drove in mud to the headlights, all the sheet metal
dinged and bent, railroad ties for bumpers. A truck. And then toyota put a
car suspension in front, cloth seats inside, lipstick mirror, doubled the
price and now most trucks are more luxurious than high end cars a generation
ago.
It seems that VW followed the pack on that one.

I guess the allure for me with the first generation is that it is the last
gasp of the old world, before everyone turned middle age, soft, and needed a
latte holder in their vehicle.

And I would gladly race my aircooled against a puddle van :)



On 12/3/06 9:31 AM, "Mike Rouby" <mikerouby@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> Well, if there is a Diesel Vanagon list which was only really produced for a
> year in the US/Canada, (82-83) never came with air conditioning, and had even
> LESS hp than the aircooled models... then you're right - we do deserve a list
> of our own.  They made more AC Vanagons than Diesel ones for a start!
>
> Our AC Vanagons are the vehicles some people wish to ignore.  The "Classic" VW
> world would like to think only the 1950-1979 Buses really deserve VW aircooled
> recognition, while the Vanagon crew would have wished the aircooled models
> never existed in the first place (blaming things like fuel tank design on
> aircooled compromises) and citing the usual aircooled inefficiencies (lack of
> power, heat, etc.).  Many of the "Classic VW" crowd don't even realize they
> were aircooled models of the Vanagon - and would sooner think that all
> Vanagons are watercooled and not worth their recognition.
>
> However, those who 'appreciate and prefer VW of yore' prefer the AC Vanagon.
> Pinnicle of Type 2 design, it still incorporated air cooled design and
> robustness of Type 4 engine technology with modern safety, drivability and
> design of the latter Vanagons.
>
> For starters, AC Vanagons are relatively simple to upkeep.  I forgot the last
> time I had to change the antifreeze, replace the water pump, or dealing with
> head gasket leaks, coolant pipes or corroded head stud issues.  Just a basic
> EFi and usual upkeep.  And yes that includes living with the lack of power and
> strong heat, although one should point out the Vanagon offers the best heat
> delivery of all non-watercooled VWs.
>
> Now there is a Type 1 engine versus Type 4 debate within the VW aircooled
> world which also helps alienate the AC Vanagon as a black sheep too.  But
> anyone in Britian will tell you (since they also had a Type 1 1600cc aircooled
> option in pancake style ala Type 3) that the Type 1 in Vanagon fitment tended
> to crack heads even when new with a vengence.  Goes to show that the Type 1
> isn't all that wonderful after all.  There was a reason why the Type 4 engine
> was developed.  But that's a different subject....
>
> This long response is case in point why we probably should have a AC Vanagon
> list IMO.
>
> Mike
>
> Wil Haslup <whaslup@GMAIL.COM> wrote: Nathaniel Poole wrote:
>> So there's a diesel vanagon list. I see there's also a syncro list, a wet
>> westies list, a subaru vanagon list, a type 2 list... How come there ain't
>> no aircooled vanagon list, the *elite* of the bunch? Somebody said we were
>> the orphans of the vanagon world - I prefer to think we are the misfits, the
>> rebels, the vanagons you don't want dating your daughters. Spit-in-yer-eye
>> vanagons. SO how come there ain't a list?
>
>> Nathaniel
>
> 3 years worth of production, problems with heat and comfort in cold
> climates, lower HP = fewer folks are willing to deal.
>
> Probably just hasn't been anyone interested enough to start a Yahoo group.
>
> You asked the question...sounds like you might have found your next
> challenge.  ...yet another VW group to join, c'est la vie!
>
>
> --
>
> Wil
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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