Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:07:01 -0400
Reply-To: Marc Perdue <mcperdue@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Marc Perdue <mcperdue@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Still Friday, sort of OT...why I like BMWs
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Regarding Dennis's comments about a BMW wagon being a money pit . . .
Probably true, but let me help clarify some things about me and why I would
make that choice:
1) I have a VW Vanagon camper for one reason, to go to and camp out at
old-time music festivals. It was never really intended to be my daily
driver, but it serves that purpose pretty well, barring deferred
maintenance. After I put the correct Michelin tires and KYB shocks on it,
the van handled pretty well considering what it is. One of my daughter's
friends commented that she loved the fact that I drive the van like a
sports car. Contrary to what others have said, the Vanagon can hold its own
pretty well in the handling department given the right setup and
understanding that the limits of adhesion and rollover are in very
different places than other vehicles.
2) Outside of my camping and music-playing life, I LOVE to drive. I don't
drive competitively, but I love to throw a rear-wheel drive car into a
curve and blast out the other side. I do, however, respect the limits of
adhesion, and of my cars. My preferred vehicle use to be a Honda Civic, up
to the point where my chiropractor declared that they are too small for me
and that they were hurting my back. Now, it's an E28 BMW, specifically
either an '85 BMW 528e or an '88 535is. Note that it's another mid- to
late-80s German vehicle with a Bosch fuel injection system. I also LOVE
working on them, though once you sort them out, they don't need much and
aren't expensive to maintain. I sold my 535is not too long ago to thin the
fleet and because my wife and I were commuting together. My 2 older girls
each drive an '85 528e, one with 260K miles and the other with 73K. Yes,
you read that right. The rubber and plastic are still just as old though.
3) My wife currently drives a 2002 Volvo wagon. The BMW wagon would be very
much like it in that it's not that easy for a weekend warrior like myself
to do the maintenance on it, but it would be way more fun to drive. It does
come with many creature comforts and safety features. So I'm thinking I'll
keep my Vanagon and do something close to a restoration on it, doing a lot
of work myself, because I enjoy it, and get the wagon so I can haul my
family around safely and comfortably, and I'll pay the cool older BMW guys
down the road to keep it properly maintained. It's money out-of-pocket, but
my job pays well, I just sold my house, and I'd prefer to be spending the
time with my new wife and son. Choices.
Regarding the purchase price being a down-payment, I couldn't agree more. I
can get a decent BMW for $1-2K, but it will cost about $2-3K to get it
sorted out properly. I know that up front and willingly accept that cost.
My Vanagon has been similar. I bought it cheap knowing that it needed a new
transmission. I have since replaced most of the drivetrain, including the
engine, but that's what you do with these vehicles. The BMW engine is
bullet-proof; not the Vanagon's. The BMW has electrical gremlins, usually
ground issues, and leaky sunroofs, and faulty heater valves, and cracked
dashes. The Vanagon exhaust is a leaking nightmare, as is the cooling
system. However, I am as much to blame there as anything . . . getting
divorced, paying the mortgage on my old house, which I didn't live in,
meant serious deferred maintenance. Now it's time to fix that, I think.
I appreciate the collective wisdom of this list and your patience with
people like me who, being pressed for time in our busy lives, tend to come
asking foolish questions before checking out the Bentley. Getting my
questions answered here allows me to fix the van more efficiently and have
more time to spend with my family and I am very grateful for that.
Take care, have a great weekend, and remember not to spend ALL of it
working on your vans!
Marc
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