Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 2010, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 21 May 2010 16:23:09 -0700
Reply-To:     Doug <shirewood@WILDBLUE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug <shirewood@WILDBLUE.NET>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon Woes
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"; reply-type=original

You lured me out of the woodwork, Scott, but only to say here here! I totally agree with you regarding the uniqueness and functionality of the Vanagon. And, although I don't possess your mechanical perspective, I see the design to be well engineered and built.. Thanks Volkswagen Doug E. '84 Van-Go '67 vw convertible Vert-i-go ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 2:46 PM Subject: Re: Vanagon Woes

About how poorly made vanagons are supposedly, according to one of our favorite posters below ... give me a break ! The vans are what .....25=plus years old. Of course some rubber boots are going to be worn out here and there. But you might notice most of the hard parts...the suspension, the trans, the linkages ....and all sorts of mechanical things on them are made very, very well....particularily considering it's a 'people's car' .. not built to Mercedes prices and qualtity for sure, but darn good for what they are.

and I am very critical of many things..so for me, if I'm saying most parts of vanagons are built pretty well....well, I don't say that lightly at all. I am more likely to find lots of fualts with many designs and mechanisms... and vanagons, overall, they ain't bad at all.

wherever wires are subject to constant flex, like overdrive switch wires on volvo's for the button on the shifter, like power window wires on vanagon's driver's doors..... Normal grade wires do not do well with constant flexing. Granted, they could have done something better there, but I don't think VW was all that sloppy or cheap there either.

Also...*all* front wheel drive sideways engine cars are inherantly much harder to work on than vanagons, or cars with inline-mounted front engines. IF maybe from the first ever cars they had sideways front engines they would be easier to work on, but all sideways front engine cars use engine designs that evolved from inline-mounted engines. It is just naturally going to be harder to work on the timing belt that's close to the fender. and it is the nature of FWD cars to pack a lot into a small space... so I'd say 'it's normal' that a jetta is somewhat hard to work on. I don't even touch them myself.. if someone asked me to work on a jetta, it might as well be a Honda as far as I'm concerned...becuase I focus on really great vans..ones that are overall, pretty nice to work on .....that would be water-cooled vanagons of all types...

and if anyone thinks a 2WD vanagon is 'difficult' ...try a Sncro, Until you learn the tricks on those ...those are demanding, let's say.

it's all the the mood/perception you know. if I'm in a bad mood ...I can find fault like crazy with anything. and of course......if we hear someone really bitching a lot about vanagons ... naturally we think ....we'll if they think they are that bad, they shouldn't own one .. or maybe we think ' I guess they get a lot of value out of being pissed off about how bad they think their van is" etc.

so mabye we'll just look at it that way, they guy gets off on being upset about how poor he thinks vanagons are. Such people should perhaps own Fords or whatever. No car is perfect.

and I'd say it's getting more and more indisputable that vanagons over a combintaion of utiility, fun, usuefulness, community, and something you can work on yourself ...that even with two plus decades old design, can still operte in modern times mostly like a modern vehicle, especially up grades. It's like......what Vanagons offer and are capable of ...you just can't touch that.; Nothing but nothing else will do all that a vanagon can .....especially within the price range, and the technolgy is not bad...not too complicaed. They're awesome, and they are only going to go up in value cause there just ain't nothing else that delivers the whole package like vanagons can .....even if they have some faults here and there !

trying to stop here ... but these vans are SO GOOD ..and there are only so many of them ... I hate to see any parted out. If crashed or rusted to a real mess, fine, but otherwise....any non-rusted , non-crashed body is irreplaceable and quite valuble. Please don't rape them to get parts .....like take what is useful to you, trash the rest. They are far too precious for that, if the body/chassis is still good. And like an aircraft...if you take care of the frame/body/wiring etc... they are endlessly rebuildable. They don't have a finite life. They can be refurbished indefenitly - *and that's not even hard to do !! * I hope we don't run out of gas and oil....and driving stays a lot like we know it currently for a long time yet, ...and we'll be enjoying these fine vehciles for a long, long time; Heck, ..really Vangons are sitll on the rising part of the curve ! They are now just beginning to come into their true 'power' and value. The oportunity is there in spades, to treasure, value, and enjoy them for a long time yet, and they are very worthy of that kind of emotional/financial/enrgetic investment. Darn near priceless even, if you can just see that.

Scott www.turbovans.com

Scott www.turbovovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 1:29 PM Subject: Re: Vanagon Woes

Never have had broken wires leading to the door. Of course, the only thing electrical in my door is the mirrors.

---- Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM> wrote: > " Is there anyone on the list who doesn't have broken wires in the harness > connecting the doors with the body?" > > Not me, I fixed 'em a couple of weeks ago. Finally. > > Stephen > > > --- On Fri, 5/21/10, Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM> wrote: > > > From: Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM> > Subject: Vanagon Woes > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Date: Friday, May 21, 2010, 12:59 AM > > > One has to look at Vanagon from under to understand why Germans lost the > WW > II. Nothing made in Germany is simple. When I do maintenance and even > minor > repair on my 1991 diesel Jetta and 1987 Westy my frustrations are > expressed > in words one can hear a mile away during the hottest hours of portuguese > day. Access to practically everything is limited at least. By now my > Westy, > while looking new outside has every boot everywhere rotted, falling apart, > including the shifter ball boot. Both rear door grommets are gone. > Germans must learn how to chrome plate plastics. I am positive that > everybody, except living in a rain forest, noticed how wood inside Westy > has > shrunk, got out of flatnest. Look at wood furniture plastic trim. It > srunked, got out of the securing groove. Is that a heralded GERMAN > ENGINEERING? In just the first year I wrote to VW AG a letter listing 18 > defects. ( both window motors failed, AC lost freon and compressor failed, > propane leaked out, headlight switch, heater switches both melted, > odometer > stopped counting, original Continental tires horribly cracked.....and on > and > on. Is there anyone on the list who doesn't have broken wires in the > harness connecting the doors with the body? One has to read the the > messages > appearing on my inbox list to see that Vanagon is an owner headache and a > blessing for the reapairmen. Till the last Vanagon will be scrapped they > shall not worry about the security of their jobs! > Convenience Vanagon offers carries a heavy price. Read the message below > mine and see for yourself reading the last sentense. Ark > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Johnston" <inmytree1@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:27 AM > Subject: Manual Shifter Woes > > > >I had to replace the shifter ball on my 4-speed manual transmission in my > > 1991 GL. Now I can't get into reverse. I push down and over, and it goes > > into first. I'm following the Bentley procedure to align the shifter. I > > am > > missing a plastic tab on the front shift rod, but didn't think that > > would > > be > > that big of an issue. Anyone else run into this? Any ideas or guidance? > > > > I have to say, trying to get the shifter lined up has been one of the > > most > > frustrating jobs I've done on my Vanagon. > > > > > > Jim > > Wilmington, NC >

-- David McNeely


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.