Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:56:54 -0700
Reply-To: Gerald Masar <azsun99@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gerald Masar <azsun99@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Some 'new van owner' rap (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Some of your mods may gross out purists, but they are for YOUR use in YOUR van, and
that is what counts. Enjoy.
As far as the swivel seats go, bear in mind that the drivers seat will only swivel
part way, because of the steering wheel.
Jerry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 11:37 AM
Subject: Some 'new van owner' rap (long)
Posted a few NVC things, thought I'd spend a bit of bandwidth with actual on topic
content..
My vanagon is an 84, bought in the Northwest with all the seats still in, a GL, I
think they are called. Found it in Gig Harbor, Washington, and drove up in my old
Beetle to check it out. I live in the Columbia River Gorge about 1.5 hrs east of
Portland. The PO has done a few engine conversions, including the one I got, which
has a 92 1.8 liter Cabriolet motor and a 5sp tranny from a diesel vanagon. A very
nice conversion, it all fits under the lid, the wiring is neat, no real issues (so
far, smiley face)
I've owned VWs through out my life, and a few Porsches. I have a water-cooled
Porsche 928-based PCA and SCCA racecar right now that I did most of the work on, other
than the motor and the electronics, so I have some experience with the general type
and with Bosch. I must say, working on the vanagon is pure pleasure after the
complexity of my racecar with it's 8 individual throttlebodies, 4 camshafts, 32 valves
and over 50 relays!
I kept the van unchanged for a month or so, figuring out exactly how I would
'personalize it' to suit my own uses, and then I "dove in".
First, very dark 'limo' tint on all the windows behind the front doors. Next, I
found a used interior on the Samba, went and picked that up and installed the pieces I
wanted..Just the fold down bed/seat (with the watertank under) and the cab with the
sink/stove/fridge. I've been a boatbuilder in my past life, so putting the interior in
was easy, as well as doing the plumbing and the external connections through the
body..I wired in a second battery under the drivers seat, using a heavy duty
solenoid-type switch, and added a couple of bright 12v lights and some power points to
run my laptop and recharge some other electrics.
I know this will freak out some owners of campers, but I put the propane tank right
in the cabinet under the sink after ventilating it with some airholes. I HATE
built-in under the car tanks..a total pain, in my humble opinion, and much more
dangerous under there than inside where it at least won't be bashed on boulders or
curbs or have it's fittings broken by flying rocks or debris...I like to be able to
drop off an empty propane tank and go on about my business, then return and pick up
the full one..
I wanted a minimalist-interior to leave me room for toys, dogs, bicycles, tools and
lumber. So far, it has been just right, though I would like to do those rotating
front seats soon.
I am a bicycle racer, so I installed a couple of front fork mounts onto the front
face of the rear seat. I carry the bikes inside and still have room to change
clothes, with the dark 'Limo-tint' keeping me from grossing out the pedestrians. For
camping bike trips, I have a Yakima rack mounting on the back hatch (better clearance
and less aero drag)..room for three race bikes and 9 wheels. I have a prop to hold
the hatch open with the bikes still on.
We recently went (maiden voyage in the vanagon) to southern Utah (about 3000 miles
round trip) to a Stage Race. Spent about a week traveling, racing and camping..two
bike racers and two Chesepeke retrievers aboard with all our gear..The vanagon worked
wonderfully the whole time..Exactly the right vehicle for that kinda trip, which is
what I was hoping when I got it.
With that load I was pleased to pull about 70mph without much stress, except up long
sustained mountain passes, where we were sometimes reduced to 4 gear at about
65-max..I would just downshift as we 'unwound' to around 55 and then hold it as we
went back through about 60mph in 4th.. With that load, we averaged about 23mph on the
trip, not bad considering the speed and the load..Certainly an improvement over my F
250 diesel ford at about 14mph and over $3.00 a gal for diesel now.
So far, I've had some overheating (my fault didn't use the radiator bleed screw, not
yet having my Bently book) and some fuel injection issues.
The vanagon started intermittently running super rich. During the 'throw parts at
the problem" approach I used to remedy the problem, I replaced the fuel pump, the
filter, the distributor cap and rotor, the O2 sensor and the Coolant temp switch...the
last was the cause, I think...
Next on the 'to do" list is to get a bit better traction. Tires first, then probably
a Limited Slip and then a locker tranny for 'really stuck' situations. I do some
snow, when I have to, but I also do a lot of sand driving in Baja and the California
deserts.
So there you go, more than you ever needed to know about Don Hanson's "new"
van..Great rig and this is a great bunch of enthusiasts here..Glad I found you all.
Don Hanson
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