Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:39 -0600
Reply-To: greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: Heart vs. Head
In-Reply-To: <80378330-6D2C-492E-AD98-804C7193D572@helix.ucsd.edu>
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Hi Mark,
I remember the trials you had with Peregrine, and I am only gonna say
this once. "Go with the Vanagon."
I bought a 1987 wolfsburg weekender last April and have put about
65,000 miles on it since then, driving it daily for service calls and
camping in it on weekends when my Baywindow Westfakia isn't
appropriate. It's been far from trouble-free, but overall I am way
ahead of what I would have invested if I'd bought a domestic or Asian
import.
Yes, the Japanese make a durable engine, I won't argue that. But the
rest of the vehicle is so vanilla that it becomes just an appliance to
get from point A to point B. There's precious little distinctness in
them; nothing to separate them from the herd that does things the same
as everyone else.
On occaisions when I have had issues with my 'gon, the list has
TOTALLY been there to help me out. You're not gonna get that with ANY
other kind of vehicle out there, excepting maybe a baywindow.
My brother just bought a 1995 Honda Oddyssey for his wife. It's
nowhere near as useful as a vanagon. You can't sleep in it, you can't
haul plywood with it. You can't even find it in a parking lot, because
there are WAY too many vehicles shaped exactly the same or darn close
to it.
<curmudgeon mode>
About a year ago I chewed out a newbie on the Full Moon Bus Club for
asking the group if they should sell their bus. I got miffed whem it
out they had already posted it on thesamba. But really, did they
expect ANYONE on the FMBC to tel them they would be better off without
it?
Which is where I am headed now... If you expect a balanced opinion
from the Vanagon list, you have another think coming!!! There are many
truly great people on this list, but precious few of them are
"balanced", if you know what I mean. And don't get me wrong, I am
totally OK with that. I thrive on it. I suspect you do too, or else
you wouldn't be here asking questions.
</curmudgeon mode>
Research your purchase VERY carefully, and take the plunge. The right
vanagon is out there somewhere.
You're not going to get advice like this from a Hondayotazukibaru
forum, if they even have such a thing, and they won't invite you out
on weekends to such amazing events like High Country Bus Festival,
EveryBus, BusFusion, or the True Canadian Winter Bus Campout.
Now skeddaddle, before the curmudgeon comes back and tells you that
it's your wallet, you make the call.
Happy Trails,
Greg
Quoting Mark Hineline <hineline@HELIX.UCSD.EDU>:
> In a month or so I'm going to sell my 2001 VW GTI (1.8 liter) so that
> I can buy one of two vehicles. The heart wants a hardtop Vanagon (it
> actually wants a Syncro Westfalia, but the heart isn't writing the
> check). The head says no, get a mid- to late-80s van produced by a
> Japanese automaker. First syllable rhymes with "boy." Second and third
> syllables rhyme with "quota."
>
> The head argues: good heat and air conditioning. An engine that will
> last hundreds of thousands of miles. More power in proportion to mass.
> Same relationship between the driver and the sheet metal in front of
> the vehicle. Radiator and engine are in the same county. Fabulous
> turning radius. No real need for the added interior volume.
>
> Heart says: yeah, but you'll still want a Vanagon.
>
> Anyone have any arguments that the head will listen to?
>
> Mark Hineline