Date:         Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:12:16 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Potts new Vanagon(s)
In-Reply-To:  <226053116.318136.1282835406837.JavaMail.root@sz0063a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  I dunno, I had a couple of air cooled busses..a 57 was my first one and I
logged thousands of happy (and stoned) miles in that one, but it was no
match for my inline four gas 84 vanagon.  Two different critters
altogether.

  The old bus, or almost any aircooled one, they
are...'enthusiast-vehicles'...Not what you might choose if you just
realistically assesed how it performs and what kinda attributes it has...
Especially an Air cooled westie, I guess.  Pretty slow on the highway and
the motor is a bit over-taxed trying to maintain speeds that won't get you
run over from behind.

  I watched a lot of my friends own these busses.  Especially 'love/hated'
by the female friends without any mechanical inclination.  These things were
always in the shop.  New motors needed often...maybe because of how they
were driven, or maybe just because...But my adventurous female friends loved
having those cute little campers, all neat and 'buttoned-down with the fancy
Westfalia curtains and stuff...  Many of them now drive newer SUVs, Honda
Elements and the like, and they always 'wax-nostalgic' about their "old
bus...never shoulda sold it..."..etc.

  The vanagons on the other hand,  if you consider them for what they do,
they will compare favorably with any vehicle, including brand new modern
ones. Yes, they have some issues, especially those with standard stock
motors, but they work really well and you don't have to "love em" in order
to use one every day or own one as your only vehicle.  You can't say that
about an air cooled bus anymore..If you transplant another motor into a
vanagon, you have an outstanding vehicle you can use without undue thought
or worries..

  I chose a Vanagon after really looking around.   Not because I couldn't
buy some modern thing like a Sprinter or something but because a vanagon is
exactly right for my needs.  I have some other vehicles that sit idle
now...I always seem to take the Vanagon everywhere...

  An older bus...never really considered that for a daily driver this time
around.  Yeah, back in highschool or when I was a hippie...it was fine, but
nowadays, ..not for me.  I am not a 'collector' or a Bus nut, but just a
vangaon driver...

  Don Hanson


On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 8:10 AM, J Stewart <fonman4277@comcast.net> wrote:

> I was one for a while back in 2007, had a '75 Westy and an '84 Westy that I
> put a 2.1 into. When it came time to decide which one had to go, no contest.
> Power, comfort, safety and H-E-A-T won out. Plus I got a really sweet price
> for the '75-it was yellow and I think the popularity of "Little Miss
> Sunshine" helped it sell.
>
>
>
> Jeff Stewart
>
>
> ----- "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>
> Interesting.  How many "Bus" pilots have both Bay and Vanagon, do you
> think,
> Greg?   Is Bay/ Vanagon less common than say, Splittie / Bay  - which would
> keep one entirely in the Air-Cooled world.
>
>
> Pete
> '79 Westy "Aardvark"
> '87 Westy "JoesVan"
> WWW.Busesbythebeach.com
>
> . Eventually I plan to convert it to watercooled inline 4 in order to
> > make a bit more reliable power to attack the hills with, but for the time
> > being the 1.7L 411 motor I have in it seems to be doing OK.
> >
> >
> > Happy Trails,
> >
> > Greg Potts
> > www.pottsfamily.ca
> > WWW.BUSESOFTHECORN.CA   <--- NEW .CA DOMAIN!!!
> > 1988 Wolfsburg Weekender hardtop Vanagon
> > 1987 Wolfsburg Weekender hardtop Vanagon
> > 1973 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
> >
> >
>