Date:         Fri, 21 Sep 2007 01:05:29 -0400
Reply-To:     Kai Mei <kai@NEWCLEAR.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kai Mei <kai@NEWCLEAR.US>
Subject:      My 1st Vanagon Road trip
In-Reply-To:  <002901c7fbfd$9b5c17b0$f7589904@gpa207joel>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

harrisburg to allentown to nyc: pick up a 87.5 Wolfsburg van. Over
180 miles to acquire van.

Thanks to everyone for the prepurchase info...

The seller was pretty straight up, even though the ad and pictures
were vague enough to feel like youre buying a pig in a poke.
Curtains, yay!

1st off the idle started off ok... during the short inspection. It
jumped to 2k.. This made getting into 1st a huge pain. Stop the
engine. shift. start the engine. Mainly I tried to downshift from
2nd, after I got a rhythm. Not easy to get into 3rd w/o grinding,
even shifing slowwly. The throwout bearing is howling.. I told my
friend there was a bear back there.

I believe the seller had no problem with this before I bought the
van, actually.

Speedo didn't work. Manual trans, Freeway driving over rolling hill
3.5k was easy to maintain... still left me the slowest thing on the
road :(. Actually felt kinda peppy, although not wanting to break it
I drove for economy. Semis gave me a little shove passing, but
nothing bad. Tires are LT tires with at least the proper weight rating.

A/C nice and cold. Central locking, works some of the time, on
differing doors with no discernable pattern.

Everything else seems to work. Noisy cabin and wind noise from vent
windows.

19.0 MPG 95 mi allentown to NYC, 10mi city, 85 hwy.

high idle 2k but sometimes drops to 1.5k.

so far I'm getting from van cafe free shipping during sept, cool!...

Clutch Kit Sachs- Everything you need! Great Price

Key Blank

Fuel Line Replacement Kit

Bentley Owners Manual- Nice addition to collection


  Any suggestions on (inexpensive) stuff I could use...