After almost 8 months on the "injured reserve", my 84 vanagon is back in the 'rotation' again and I am quite happy. I kept it off the road most of that time to minimize possible damage to the transmission internals, and that seems to have been pretty smart. I just finished reinstalling the transmission after an AA Transaxle rebuild (5sp manual trans) and it is remarkably quiet and smooth, just like new (I imagine) The major components of my 5sp were OK, but the bearings were pretty far gone...all is good now. There's a real pleasure (I actually have fun driving good vehicles) in the experience of driving this pretty well-sorted Vanagon. I've recently been using a GM Safari AWD van for almost everything... I picked the Safari AWD automatic up as my winter-time worker vehicle and while it is a fine vehicle, especially given they are relatively inexpensive, it is nothing special to drive... Quiet, semi-powerful, luxurious with full leather and heated seats, etc etc......the conventional older (97) mini-van GM simply doesn't 'connect' to the roads....it sort of isolates you in the cabin...like you are watching a video or something. Everything in a normal mini-van seems to be designed to isolate you from the outside world as you motor along....not so the older vanagon with "power nothing"...You are right there, involved, and the Vanagon does it pretty well, given it's general configuration and versatility. Also noticeable is the "Vibe" one receives, normally, while driving a Vanagon.. Something about them seems to make people smile, They make ME smile..and probably YOU, too....unless your's is broken right now... |
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Vanagon mail messages have been archived.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.