Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:09:18 -0700
Reply-To: Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: VW engineers, was: Re: [VANAGON] Rear Shocks, Syncro vs. 2wd
In-Reply-To: <F9B61A07-D7EA-48C5-907A-7384AE8F7D22@SHAW.CA>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
So far, this sounds like it presumes that everyone sitting in the driver seat experiences the same thing.
My van had an emergency near PHX several years ago. Towed to a recommended shop. Long story
shorter, the shop owner and I had cause to compare what we saw of the dash/gauges while sitting
in the driver seat. He couldn't see the entire top half of all the gauges in the pod without the wheel
interfering, and I could.
We are both just over 6' tall, but I have arms and legs that are very long, and he just the opposite.
He was very long through the torso and me short there. so our heads rested about 4" differently
sitting in the driver seat.
What is an engineering/design "compromise" for some volks, is not so for others.
bob
On Dec 11, 2011, at 11:43 AM, Alistair Bell wrote:
> Compromise exactly. The stock suspension set up was compromise too. That's why we try and modify things to suit our purpose.
> The steering wheel could have been made adjustable, I know of one owner who did install tilt set up. Is it safe though? :)
>
> The compromise with the steering column was purely financial.
>
> alistair
>
>
> On 2011-12-11, at 10:16 AM, mcneely4@COX.NET wrote:
>
>> ---- Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA> wrote:
>>> How about something as fundamental as being able to see the gauges?
>>> The steering wheel blocks my view of half the speedo and tach. I guess I shouldn't complain, those VW engineers know better than me what I should and shouldn't be able to see :)
>>
>> Alistair, you are correct, there are things that could have been done better, most likely due to compromise ("Dammit, Wolfgang, we need to make the steering wheel interfere less with the line of sight for the instruments." "Well, Hans, unless we increase the distance between the dash and the seat, which is not practical to do, the only way is to make the wheel bigger. But then it will occlude the bottom of the windscreen." I guess it is all compromise, including essential mechanical features.
>>
>> And, I have added an oil pressure gauge, something I think all vehicles should have, but what do I know?
>>
>> mcneely
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