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Date:         Sun, 3 Dec 2006 20:34:47 -0800
Reply-To:     Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Aircooled rules
Comments: To: Nathaniel Poole <npoole@telus.net>
In-Reply-To:  <C1987219.1A91%npoole@telus.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

On 12/3/06, Nathaniel Poole <npoole@telus.net> wrote: > > 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 > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. >

-- Jake 1984 Vanagon GL 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" www.crescentbeachguitar.com


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