In stock form the US vanagon Diesels were only 48 horsepower. Power to weight and frontal surface area this is worse than the 67 and earlier buses. When the vehicles were built the national was 55 mph. These days you really need to be able to do 65-70 to travel comfortably on the interstates. Even then you can get pushed around. When pushed to the limits these engines do blow head gaskets and crack heads. The low mileage can be a warning sign. Why wasn't it used? When a vehicle like this is put to regular use age instead of mileage will become a problem. A lot of the rubber, plastic, and hydraulic parts will fail. Unless you really want this vehicle and/or plan on upgrading it I would keep looking. Dennis
-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Eric Caron Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2013 11:22 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Diesel good idea? I'm looking at a add for a 85 diesel camper in Organ. says it is clean with 50,000 miles. I've read these motors are way under powered. I could live with that but I don't want to live with more reliability issues then the gas engine. Can someone let me know if these motors tend to last? I realize that because I have others drive for me this slow car would result in endless ribbing! "Eric, do you think you could have your guide dog pull us up the hill?" Sigh, just like the old air cooled days! Eric Caron seriously searching |
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Vanagon mail messages have been archived.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.