Date:         Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:16:40 -0700
Reply-To:     Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagonginity lost...
In-Reply-To:  <BLU0-SMTP282F1ACE843E8740356B37D1CB0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

First of all, it's my pleasure to welcome another Peter to the group, never
can have too many. I also needed to mount a license plate to my front
bumper. Now you didn't mention what year of vehicle you purchased, but
mine's a late-80s meaning fiberglass bumper so (shhhh, don't tell anybody) I
drilled holes and mounted my plate, ta-da.  I'm sure folks will answer your
other two questions about which I have no opinions. Welcome!

-Peter with the non-westy

On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 5:27 PM, Peter Kraiker <bybike@gmail.com> wrote:

> I just thought I'd let everyone know that after about 8 weeks of educating
> myself I took the leap and bought my first westy... flew to Montreal on
> Friday, spend the morning with the PO (definitely not the dreaded variety!)
> and then drove her home to Toronto... my first taste of being passed by
> almost everything else on the highway! lol, loved it.
>
> I have 2 new questions, one more pressing than the other:
> Hot Q #1. how the h3!! do i persuade it to stop heating my feet or face?  I
> have all the levers all the way to the left and I'm still getting a steady
> stream of warm air from the heating system. I'd like to just have flow-thru
> cool air this time of year! She came with the original manual and I can see
> what the various levers are supposed to do, i would have expected the 2nd
> from the bottom to let cool air thru when moved to the right, and it does
> open up side vents (near doors, 1/2 way down the dash)... still heat coming
> out of either the window or floor vents though :(
> Cool Q#2. I will want to add a bike rack... she has a very strong bumper
> with a towing ball... I was thinking of getting someone to weld a receptacle
> for a hitch bike rack but don't know the load it could handle (I want to be
> able carry 4 bikes). The other option I'm considering is a rear hatch rack,
> the local Rack Attack doesn't have anything to fit a vanagon though.
> Suggestions?
>
> Bonus question #3: the front bumper doesn't have any holes for licence
> plates (and in Ontario we need front plates). I hope to get a playful
> euro-style plate for the center, so I am looking for a way to mount a
>  current plate on the passenger side of the bumper. There used to be a
> bracket which I gather is NLA, suggestions? Currently it's just strapped
> onto the grill :(
>
> Peter Kraiker
> http://studiofstop.com
> ('82 Turbo D Westy)
>