Date:         Mon, 20 Feb 1995 16:42:49 +0000
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Harry Yates" <hyates@bcit.bc.ca>
Subject:      Re: Anyone have a Eurovan Diesel?


> have 96k on it).  I couldn't care less about HP, as long as I can 
> *eventually* get up to highway speed limit.  Anyone driven one of these 
> through the Rockies?
> 
> Rich


Hi Rich.  I haven't drived the Eurovan diesel, but am also intrigued 
with them.  I am also a diesel freak ('87 Golf diesel).  I have had 
excellent success with my Golf Diesel (169,000 km) with amazing 
reliability.

The part that scares me about the Eurovan Diesel is parts/prices.  
The engine that is used in the Eurovan is ONLY used in the Eurovan.  
This is an exclusive engine.  It is hard enough to find people, and 
sometimes parts for a Vanagon, and it will be even harder for a 
Diesel Eurovan.  The percentage of Eurovan Diesels is very low, and 
this could be a problem as years go by.  I could see parts prices 
also being exclusive due to their rarity (ie. very expensive Syncro 
parts !).  

I had a 1986 Jeep Cherokee Turbo-Diesel that I just loved.  It had a 
2.1 litre engine with 5 speed from Renault as a factory option back 
then.  It was fantastic.  We had it four years, and it even took us 
all the way to Inuvik via the Yukon, and Yellowknife, in NWT with a 
trailer.  Performed wonderfully.  However, parts were getting 
expensive when we sold it in 1990 for our Syncro Westy.  There were 
only 1760 turbo-diesels sold in North America, and a lot of Jeep 
shops hadn't worked on them.  I am afraid the same thing will be the 
case with the diesel Eurovan.  

Harry.  
------------------------------------------------------
Harry Yates      Internet: hyates@bcit.bc.ca
'90 Syncro Westfalia
'87 Golf Diesel