Most of us diesel Vanagon owners don't feel the same way, obviously, or else they would not have remained owners very long. It is a slow car, and I guess in some areas of the country that is a deal-killer, but not in mine.

The car has some really reading characteristics. If all Vanagons were diesels, the archives would be about a third their current size. It's good on gas. It's easy to work on, remove, repair, and maintain.

It can easily be improved, as I recently did. Mine is a five speed which is a plus right there, and I drove it in NA form for 160,000 miles before adding a turbo early last fall. Now it is much faster, much much better on hills and acceleration. It gets the same mileage it ever did, and the conversion to turbo was not expensive.

Jim

On Fri, Feb 13, 2015 at 1:10 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

> Neil and others thinking of a normal diesel vanagon....I would certainly > suggest a test drive before you consider getting one to drive daily. In my > opinion, based on the one and only ride I've had...in a very well-maintaned > one a Canadian friend used to own, they aren't powerful enough to take on > public roads without real danger to you and all the other traffic, > especially on two lanes, where the others can't just go past > > On divided highways you're going to be passed by Big Rigs with their hazard > lights going... > > The diesel engine is durable, but it is very very slow in a vanagon...I was > appalled, and scared riding in one > On Feb 13, 2015 10:08 AM, "Neil N" <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Doing my best. ;) > > > > Not to get OT, but my blue '88 Westy has been > > my daily driver, the '81 is awaiting MIG surgery. > > (yes I've got new perches for the trailing arms!) > > > > This diesel I'll be viewing might prove to be a better daily driver. > > > > But I understand; they all need work it seems. > > And from my POV, that work usually ends up being > > restorative in nature. > > > > Neil. > > > > > > On 2/13/15, Larry Alofs <lalofs@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Neil, > > > I get the impression that you are starting to build up a vanagon > > > collection. > > > > -- > > Neil n > > > > Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca> > > > > 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy> > > > > 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical < > http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/> > > > > Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay> > > >