Date:         Fri, 7 Sep 2007 09:41:09 -0500
Reply-To:     joel walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         joel walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: PHRYDAYE Rambling... oh, didn't she ramble, ramble,
              she rambled til the Navy cut 'er down ... ;)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

> it's the "middle child" but I feel it is secure in it's Icon status.
> So why
> all the bad talk exactly? Are they really that bad?

who, perzactly, is talking bad about the bays?
i've never heard it ...

oh, there are some who bad-mouth the 1968-1970 buses for their
drum-drum brake system ... but all the splitties had the same system.
compared to the 1971-later disc-drum system, drum-drum sucks, but they
do work.

and there are some who trash the type 4/914/411-412 motor as being
worse than the old beetle engine, but lemme tell ya ... it's easier to
work on, in my opinion: you can replace the push rod tubes and seals
without having to take the cylinder heads off! :)

and there are some who dislike the fact that vw started welding the
middle panel on the rear of the bus, instead of bolts like the
splitties and 1968-1971 buses, which meant you have to drop the engine
to get to the oil pump and crankshaft pulley ... inconvenient, but not
horrendous. just meant some more work.

but as far as 'bad', i don' think so ... i remember my three bay
windows fondly. even the suckass 1973 that i picked up from a really
bad DPO ... even though it had problems, it was still a good bus. i
learned to dislike the dual carbs, but that's just me. :) i loved the
overhead engine hatch ... saved my butt one day in a heavy rain ...
hit a big puddle and steamed up the engine (from the exhaust hitting
the water). engine stopped cause steam got into the distributor cap.
was able to get out of the puddle by putting the bus in 1st gear and
using the starter. then went back with paper towels, opened up the
engine hatch and laying on the folded down rear seat, dried off the
cap and wires and engine as best i could. put it back together and
went forward and cranked it up and away i went. :)

i had good times in my bay windows. loved the visibility (waaaaay
better than a splittie) and ride (also better) and brakes (i only had
the disc front brake models. well, cept for the 68 double-cab ... but
you just drove that bus like it was a jet: half-a-block-ahead vision.
;)
and the sliding door. great fun. better seats. more room. what's not
to like?

i personally think that if anybody is bad mouthing the bays, it's just
jealousy from splittie owners (i remember that i was angry at vw in
1968 when they changed "the look"), or vanagon owners who don't know
any better.
it's likely that eurovan owners look down on the vanagons for not
having all the nice features than the vr6 engined eurovans have. but i
don't care. :)
i like 'em all ... not toooo terribly crazy about the 5-cylinder
eurovans, cause the vr6 made it a much more fun bus, but it's ok, too.
sliding door is much better than the vanagon's, and the rear hatch is
a real hoot. :)

would i have another bay window bus?

sure. but i'd have to lose some weight. i suffer from a bad case of
Dunlop's Disease (my belly Dun-Lopped over my belt) so the bay window
steering wheel kinda rubs my belly button and i have to suck in my gut
to go around corners. ;)

unca joel