Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Sun, 25 Feb 2007 12:23:05 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Which Type 2 to recommend?
In-Reply-To:  <792004.56099.qm@web33502.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I should like to add that above all, the succesful ownership mof a VW camper requires commitment . you buy a bus not to bail -out when it has problems, but to see it thru the tough times for the purpose it provides- an overall economical camping and general purpose vehicle.

The economy comes when you know how and where to purchase, and how or where to have the work done.

They all need work. Most sons of my friends hate work. Hard greasy work. Ask Ben.

Yet I know some long -time Vanagon owners who don't work on their Vanagons , busses. They also have good incomes.

Some of the cars I have bought were from young people who did'nt have the resources or knowledge or interest.

My neighbors across the street tell me my Vanagon won't be popular 10 years from now.

That's what a friend and I said about busses 15 years ago. Now they cost even more to buy and nice ones sell for thousands. We newver imagined that the split busses we owned would be selling for over $10,000.

Robert

1982 Westfalia 2.0 Jetta powered.

--- Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> Steve, > > Tell him to : > > 1. Buy the boy a good metric toolbox. > 2. Several good books on auto mechanics and VW > shop manual for vehicle . > 3. Send him off to the local VW shop when he > needs service and pay the bill. > > First evaluate if the boy has a mechanical > aptitude by having him remove and clean and > regrease the bearings in his bicycle! > > > I'd get him an '80's early '90s Golf or Jetta, > not a type 2 bus. They are cheap to buy, > popular > with youth, and reliable.New parts are > available. > > If the boy is really adept then go for the one > that grabs you. > > I went for the busses back in the '80's because > I > could'nt afford the Vanagons. > > I knew a VW shop owner that had one blown > air-cooled engine after another in his shop, > bus > and vanagon. > When I was shopping for a vanagon, I considered > the leaking head gasket of the water boxer > versus > the sunken valve seats of the air-cooled > gutless > wonder. > > I settled on the Vanagon Diesel and put a Jetta > gas motor in it's place. The most recent motor > put in was in 1999, and it's still going strong > with over 200,000 miles on it. > > In my 27 years of VW ownership, this 2.0 liter > Jetta motor from a 1995 Jetta has been the > best. > None of my air-cooled's ever went seven years > and > counting. > No, most of them burned up after less than > 50,000 > miles. > > And I read every Idiot book, did all the > regular > maintenance, changed oil often, etc. > > > I think the air-cooled engine is OK in a > Beetle. > In the heavy bus, you are headed to rod city. > > In just 5 years between 1990-1995, I went thru > three engines, all new rebuilt . > > You have been forewarned. > Sure my experience is stepping on the toes of > the > air-cooled religious. > They must all have the ZEN. > I must not have the ZEN. > > All I know is tht with this four-banger Jetta > engine in my Westfalia, I have asked more if it > I > thought possible, like towing Vanagons. > > I don't tow them anymore, I want to baby the > engine now over 200,000. > > And someone told me recently that VW's have the > higher maintenance than all cars on the market > today. > Really? Is that a bad or a good thing? > > I would think that the rest low-maintenance > -no > maintenance vehicles all end up geting crushed > someday because they are maintained. > > That's especially true of the older ones. > Older VW's are still around because maintenance > made it happen. > > One the pre-80's you have to grease fittings, > adjust brakes , adjust valves (except > hydraulic), and adjust your attitude. > > I sold my old bus to someone and they resold it > after 1 month. The lady begged me to sell it to > her against my advice that it was slow. > > She told me she wanted her money back, that she > could not keep up with commuting traffic. > > If you live where you don't have to get into > heavy trafic- fine- they are great to putt > around > in. > But for long distance trips, you can pretty > much > plan the number of trips or years you can > travel > before it's overhaul time. > > Everyone touts the Subaru conversion. fine. > there are however some good VW engine choices. > > My plug here is for the inline four- these are > the best engines VW built and they typically > outlast the car. > > SUre , you can beef up the aircooled with a lot > of money. If money is no object, go for it. > > I have alwyas been my own mechanic because my > service is affordable. > > Teach the young man mechanics and he's doomed > to > a life of fixing his own cars. > Don't and he's doomed t paying someone else > lots > of money to do it. > > At least VW's were designed to last and to work > on. > Vanagons have better brakes and suspension than > the Type 2, and the wiring diagrams ae easier > to > read. Having work on busses and vanagons, > Vanagons ae easier . > > I have aquired a 1970 Aircooled Bug recently. > if > you are going to get a young person started on > a > VW, this is a good place to start. I converted > my > 1962 Bug into a camper and drove across the US > . > The Bug is a fun car. That was one of my best > adventures. I took out the passenger seat and > made that side a bed. > > The bug makes a cheap camper, and, > they are easier to push. > > Robert > > 1982 Westfalia 2.0 Jetta Powered > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET> > wrote: > > > Friday, while I was at my buddies' shop > > prepping for my dive into my parts > > Vanagon for removing the cruise control in > > order to switch it over to my '89 > > Westy (unnamed, as of yet), a fellow boomer > > appeared on the scene. He was > > ingenuous and inquisitive; obviously > attracted > > by my '91 Caravelle, my son's > > '84 Westy and my '73 Sportsmobile, all of > which > > are sitting outside, > > awaiting various work when my time permits. > > There were lots of questions about Type2 and > > T1, T2 and T3. > > Seems his raison d'être of his curiosity is a > > step son who has 'lots of > > money' and wanted to do a post high school, > > pre-college trip "West" in a > > Westy. Having never owned a VW, he had lots > of > > concerns. What was the best > > purchase for this novice teen with no > > mechanical ability? What should he > > buy? What to look for? Where to find the > best > > deals? etc...etc. > > > > Like Westy sightings, this may be a daily > > occurrence to you folks in the > > "more advanced" States of these United, but > > out here in the hinterlands of > > Southern Ohio (where it is NOT so flat that > > you can watch your dog run way > > for two weeks) we seldom get these kind of > > encounters of the Type 2 kind. > > Following a quick recitation on the VW Type2 > > Splittie to Eurovan pedigree, I > > mentioned thesamba classifieds and forums, > and > > this List regarding working > > resources within the Type 2 community. I > > headed him toward the VList's > > buying guide should he decide on a T3. > > > > The dad is a tent camper, somewhat > mechanically > > adept, and is trying to > > insure his step-son a "summer of discovery" > and > > I applaud him for that. He > > is concerned that the purchased vehicle be > safe > > and sound and not be a money > > pit for a short term owner. I explained my > > personal bias toward the later > > model w/c vans. Even though the entry price > > will be higher, the overall > > costs might be lower, especially considering > > resale values. > > I also invited him to attend one of our > > scheduled camping events that will > > be fairly near his hometown of Fairfield > (OH). > > By doing that he could better > > evaluate the various Type 2's and talk to > their > > owners about their > > experiences. He had lots of questions about > > the VW community and I ensured > > him that there are as many different types of > > people driving and camping in > > these VWs as there are in any given group... > > even if we do tend to be a > > little out of the mainstream when it comes to > > our vehicular proclivities. > > > > Anyway, I was just wondering about the List's > > input on this subject and how > > some of you would answer his questions and > > address his concerns... any > > ideas? > > -- > > Stephen > > Chillicothe OH > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Finding fabulous fares is fun. > Let Yahoo! FareChase search your favorite > travel sites to find flight and hotel bargains. > http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097 >

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