Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 21:10:06 -0400
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: any words of wisdom for a virgin to the world of westy's?
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTikVvnQUjiBzHh_ydJoHtlINTn4XVkQlqodlJlXp@mail.gmail.c om>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Dear Peter,
At 07:15 PM 5/10/2010, Peter K wrote:
>airfare to visit. I do get the "avoid round headlights" level of info I have
>(so '86 or later),
The US-spec headlights on the 2.1l ('86-up) Vanagons are truly
dismal, whereas the European-spec ones are excellent. Other than
living with it, you have three choices, a) $$$ get a set of E-spec
lights and mounts; b) $$$ get a South African Vanagon grille which
has 7" round headlights plus the inner square high beams or c) $$ get
a pre-'86 grille and a set of round headlight mounts. With either of
b and c you can use either standard round sealed-beams (good) or
E-spec round lights (excellent).
As to the vehicles themselves, there's not a lot of difference
really. The '85+ sliding doors are improved over and completely
incompatible with the earlier ones. The 2.1l exhaust system is
noticeably improved and simplified over the 1.9l in the area of
mounting and support. The 86+ have a bit less ground clearance and
there are some limited-edition versions that are lowered a full
inch. 85+ are much more likely to have power steering. The camping
equipment and furniture are largely identical for all the
water-cooled years, with some variation in the overhead lighting
for the kitchen. Canadian versions have a) the electric cord
permanently attached at the van end and b) lack the drainboard that
folds down over the stove burners (but no problem mounting one). The
2.1l engines have a bit more power at the top end and possibly a bit
less torque at the bottom. The '84-5 furniture is tan, later ones
are gray. One's warmer, the other crisper. Late-model fridges have
electronic starting which IMO is unnecessary and one more costly
thing to go wrong. All years the fridge is very small and has all
the vices and virtues of an absorption-type refrigerator.
> I don't know enough to be able to assess what leaks or
>malfunctioning parts are the ones that will have big $$$ signs attached.
I'll mostly leave that for now. The biggest factor is previous
careful maintenance, and most Vgons fall short in this
regard. Cooling hoses were of such high quality that many of them
are still original, so several hundred dollars in hoses is a likely
expense. Front suspensions often have been neglected. Tents that
have had a lot of use/weather exposure will probably need
replacing. Pop-top and luggage-rack seals ditto.
> And
>rust... well, where is it really bad and if I see it I should stop dreaming
>vs just an indicator of some body work and paint?
That all depends on how you look at things. Structural rust is
uncommon, seam rust is a problem. On Westys the body panel outboard
of the kitchen often has very bad rust problems. Ben Huot in
Montreal routinely fixes rust problems that the California and
dry-west people would have written off long ago -- they tend to vomit
when they see Ben's pictures. Not sure how the rust is in Pacific
Northwest vans, but look out for moss on the windshield and any other
available place. <g> One good thing is that the original VW wax
undercoating is superb.
Hope that helps a bit, and welcome aboard. Ben Tan
<syncro@gmail.com> and I are the moderators; please come to us with
problems, requests, list questions etc.
Yours,
David
