Date:         Fri, 05 May 1995 21:22:05 +0600
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         anon869@vt.edu (Christopher Bridge)
Subject:      Re: First year of Disk Brakes?

>> >
>> >If anyone can tell me the first year for disks on the bus, please let me 
know.
>> >
>> >I think it is 1970 but can anyone tell me conclusively?
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >..Markus
>> I'm pretty sure that it is 1971.  Hence the unusal number of them in the 
>> weakly stats.  In 73' the brakes calipers were enlarged.  Most of you got 
>> the T4 engine with it though.
>
>What do you mean "hence the number in the stats" Are you saying that the 
>first issue of disk brakes had problems??
>
>Robb

No, It seems that there are a bazillion 71 busses out there.  I think, and 
this is my personal belief, that 71' is the best year for busses.  No flames 
here please.  My reasons are:  1) Disc brakes!, 2) last year for the 1600 
upright engine.  I'm not saying that T4's are junk, rather, they are most 
defintely a better design than the T1/2/3 engine.  I bought my 71 for a 
couple of reasons, sone of which are inexpensive parts, and ease of 
maintainence.  My previous vehicle, which most of you are now painfully 
aware of, was a 76' Mercades.  I sold it a week ago, and I a not missing the 
6 quart, extremely black oil changes, nor the time I changed a fan belt in a 
record time of 7 hours.  I also like to enter my FLAPS and plunk down 5-10 
bucks for some small part, which they get for me the same day.  As opposed 
to spending the whole day searching around and all the while getting laughed 
at by every local redneck.

So much for my essay on why I own a bus.
The moral to the story is:
The brakes on my bus scare me at how fast they stop.

I hope I havn't discouraged anyone with this.

Chris.   

  Chris Bridge
  
  ''71 Westy (Sportsmobile?)
  Favorite quotes:
  "Virginia Tech- yea, the best 5, or maybe even 6 years of your life."
  "They even throw in the stomach ulcers for free." 
  E-mail: cbridge@vt.edu