Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:08:55 EST
Reply-To: Dvdclarksn@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Clarkson <Dvdclarksn@AOL.COM>
Subject: Want to talk me out of buying diesel Vanagon?-No but here's my
.02 worth (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Okay, I'm not here to talk you out of a vanagon diesel; only to speak from
experience. Let's start with the facts. 67 BHP off the showroom floor. Top
speed from my 82 diesel Westfalia (or Westfailure as my better half referred to
it) was 67 mph. I rebuilt a Quantum engine and the turbo and the injector pump
for transplantation to cure this. Take that Vanagon! Transplant rejected.
Lesson learned: buying your grandmother a pair of running shoes does not mean
that she will then be able to run a 4 minute mile. Am I a bit jaded? Maybe.
Do I miss my diesel Westy? Yes. Do I love my wife for bringing home a 90
Westy and saying, "I'll buy this for you if you'll sell that damned diesel."?
Yes. She is the glue that bonds me to reality. I had a bumper sticker on my 82
diesel Westy that said, "0-50 in 11 minutes". That was of course a joke. It
would only reach that speed in 11 minutes downhill with a tail wind. What are
the upsides of owning a diesel vanagon? I averaged 28 MPG. I got to pull up
and fuel up alongside the Big Rigs. That's a big 10-4 good buddy! I had the
option to run on bio diesel and have everyone following in my fume trail
reminisce about their last visit to a fast McFood establishment. I learned how to
sniff out diesel refueling points anywhere on the planet. Diesel may become the
way for us all if we decide to divorce OPEC. We can make it out of bamboo,
switchgrass and other sources that are readily apparent to the open minded fuel
consumer. It is the original flex-fuel. Yes, used french fry oil will burn
in your diesel but you'll need to strain the burned fries out so they don't
clog your injectors and heat it to a non-gelling temperature so it flows freely
through the fuel system. I've done the homework here and eventually sold my
82 diesel Westy to an open minded Hippy Chick (the old Deadhead uses that
term with great affection here BTW) who vowed to give it life eternal on bio
diesel. My 82 diesel and I had many wonderful times together. Some spent on the
side of the road waiting for a wrecker. What kept me motivated and spending
the megabucks on it were the stories of other VW diesel enthusiasts that said
once you get them running properly they'll go for 300,000-400, 000 miles. I
don't doubt that. Mine was just a lemon and I couldn't make lemonade despite
my best intentions. I really tried! I threw money at it from all directions
and still maintain a 200-300 page file documenting my efforts and intentions.
My mechanic told me in so many words by referring to it as the space
shuttle-"You can spend 500 million dollars on it and it still won't get off the
ground!". His kid's can afford to go to college now thanks to my generous
financial endowment. Buy what you like. Follow your bliss and fare thee well. I hope
you get a real gem. Just know going into the journey what to expect. If a
Vanagon diesel is in your future you should not be in a rush to get anywhere
quickly. You need to be patient and understanding that 67 horses don't move 3850
lbs. anywhere to quickly. Probably the worst hp./weight ratio of any vehicle
on the planet. There is a certain charm and mystique to these contraptions
though. Enough said. I now don my flameproof underwear and await your
responses listees. As always YMMV and this post is all in good humor with no intent
to offend anyone that is going to prove to be oversensitive about their dear
vehicle. I am the foremost expert on my opinion. I'm talking about my
experience with my vehicle not your kids,your wife,your mother or your dog. Let's
keep it fun, informative and real. I love this list.
In Vanagon We trust,
David Clarkson
90 Westy (246k) and former owner of an 82 Westy (AKA the "dearly departed")
**************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.
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