Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 08:29:30 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Different reactions when not driving in the Vanagon..(somewhat
long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
This is probably more of a 'friday' type post, really, but I'm gone
tomorrow to have some travel fun, so today it is. Some here may recall I
picked up a 97 GM Safari AWD van, smaller-sized American van, almost a year
ago. Sure, I would rather have a Syncro with a Bostig or a Subaru in it,
but I do not have that kind of money and I needed a 4wd for work. I found
these GM/Chevy vans to be plentiful, cheap and surprisingly effective.
For $2k, rather than $20-60K like a Syncro might go for, this great little
AWD Van has been doing just fine for me ...
My 84 Vanagon tin top with westie interior is on "injured reserve" duty
right now till I gather the funds to pay for a rebuild for the 5sp tranny.
I have been mostly driving the GM van lately, after being advised here that
continued driving of the Vanagon, with it's transmission howling louder
and louder, is likely to add a lot of expense to the rebuild..
Here's what I've noticed, my impressions, the difference between being
a Vanagon guy and an American Van guy...
.My own Vanagon is slightly out of the norm, it being without a Westphalia
pop top, having a 2.0 liter ABA Jetta inline motor, and having the 5sp
manual trans. The 97 Safari AWD, on the other hand, is very normal.
Stock, pretty much, in perfect shape with an auto transmission and a
driveline similar to a Syncro, with the viscous coupling-style AWD
supplying 60/40% drive to the wheels all the time. I've been tracking my
gas mileage with a smart phone app called "Fuelly"...My Vanagon has given
me 25 miles per gallon over 18K miles of use recorded, the Safari has given
me 18.8 miles per gallon. The VW give me $0.13/mile...the Safari costs me
$0.16/mile. (I find the Fuelly App for the smartphone to be really easy to
use and quite informative.. http://www.fuelly.com/dashboard check the
link if interested.
I have 'learned' to drive the automatic transmission Safari. With a bit
of practice, I'm now used to 'driving around' the way the GM engineers
decided the GM vans should shift...I do much prefer the manual transmission
in the Vanagon...The GM van is far superior when it comes to ride quality
at speed on the pavement. It is quiet and powerful with it's 4.3liter V6
(a 350 Chevy V8 with two cylinders lopped-off) The towing capacity is
5000lbs, and most of the Safari's parts are interchangeable with Chevy and
GM trucks of the same era....inexpensive parts and available everywhere...
Driving the Vanagon is more fun. People in other vehicles often smile
and wave at you, but not everyone....When traveling in the country the
"Locals" seem more inclined to accept the Safari van...I get the casual
"one finger-wag, above the steering wheel" greeting from farmers and
ranchers, from tradesmen and from south of the border migrant workers,
while driving the vanagon, what I often I see is the" locals" seemingly
thinking "What the heck is that Tourist doing here?" On the other hand, I
get big "Ho-Hums" from the In Crowd when I drive the Safari...Common little
trucks...not special at all....other than how they actually perform for the
bucks...
| 
