Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2007 14:30:38 -0700
Reply-To: Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Are they still making the bus/Vanagon anywhere these days?
In-Reply-To: <024B759A-FB71-438B-9DAE-E914CA5D0361@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
You are being a nay sayer, a realist too.
Yes I know it's a bay, FWIW I liked my '71. I would have bought a '71
this time but I found the '87 first (reasonably priced was a major concern).
As to all the rest... it's all off the shelf these days from the
engine to the electronics, no doubt sitting in a VW warehouse
somewhere. Lot's more too it than that but the parts are all there
you just need to get the body-frame-engine-electronics together and
into the showrooms.
Rob
becida@comcast.net
At 4/8/2007 02:16 PM,Kim Brennan wrote:
>Would you pay $55,000 for a new one? That's probably what it would
>cost for VW to re-introduce the Vanagon to the US market.
>
>The Kombi made in Brazil is not a Vanagon. Its a loaf. Even so, it
>would probably have to sell for $30,000 new in the US. Maybe more.
>
>Brazilian vehicles run on Alcohol, not gasoline. That means they are
>tuned differently, they have different fuel injection parts (to
>handle the alcohol, which tends to deteriorate traditional fuel
>lines.) The Kombi as sold in Brazil is water cooled. The Loaf sold in
>the US never was. The Kombi doesn't meet current safety requirements
>of US new cars. This would include, airbags and other impact
>requirements. I'd be surprised if the Kombi was an OBD II vehicle.
>All cars sold new in the US have to be OBD II.
>
>Many of the same arguments go against the Vanagon.
>
>I'm not being a nay sayer, I'm being a realist. The Loaf and Vanagon
>were good for their era. The fact that they can continue to be
>reliable 20-30 years later, says a lot about their initial design.
>
>But the market and vehicle requirements have changed. Maybe for the
>worse, but those are requirements that have been imposed upon us by
>politicians. Those politicians responded to constituent demands and
>lobbying efforts.
>
>You get what you pay for.
>
>
>On Apr 8, 2007, at 4:07 PM, Rob wrote:
>
>>Dear Volkswagen,
>> It has recently come to my attention that you are still
>>making VW Vans in Brazil.
>> As strange as it may seem I believe there is still a market
>>for the VW 'bus' in the US/Canada, both the standard passenger model
>>& a camper model such as the Westfalia.
>> Just how difficult would it really be to make an export
>>model in Brazil that meets the North American legalities? VW has to
>>already be making enough off the shelf parts to outfit a van for the
>>north American market and has a variety of engines that would work
>>well. It's just a matter of putting the Brazilian plant and the off
>>the shelf parts together.
>> I'd like to urge you to give this idea some thought.
>>
>>
>>
>>Rob
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