Date:         Fri, 1 Mar 1996 07:22:58 +0000
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         tjparker@pacificnet.net (Tim Parker)
Subject:      Re: Good News Story?

At 2:18 PM 2/29/96, bill (w.r.) crick wrote:
> This is good news? New engine at 18K!! Never stranded in 38K! JEEZ!
> The only time my Tercel failed  was a 5 minute intermittant
> problem that occurred at just beyond 100K miles and I was really miffed
> that the  piece of S**t failed so early in its life! Had it needed a tow,
> I would have been really mad! The 'ignitor' in
> the ignition was replaced, and the problem never re-occurred
> This is the only part other than brakes, exhaust that has been replaced.
> Of course at 110,000 miles, its just getting broken in.
> You guys seem to have a bent view of RELIABLE?
>
> Bill Crick

Okay, worse-case scenario:  My EV.  Broken down about 9 times now in 32K
miles (probably at least 50 percent of these repairs were to fix problems
the dealer MGs caused while fixing other problems).  That's about 11 times
as often projected over the 100K miles on your Thaiyoter Terkle.  I've
ridden in Terkles.  Develop a bruise on the top of my head from hitting the
roof and door pillar on bumps.  Not the car for me.  I could probably get
almost 11 of those things in the EV, though I would have to crush them a
little to knock the corners off.  Seems like a good idea 8^).

I'm betting that once the Bently manual for the EV becomes available and I
go at my problems (probably a flukey wiring harness) with a good voltmeter,
it'll be a darned nice van for a lot of "100K" miles (I tend to put at
least a couple hundred of these on a car if I like it).  My 67 bus was
still solid after 375K miles (the EV is similarly solidly built), whereas a
66 Dodge van we had for 225K miles had pretty much rattled all the joints
loose (there were literally cracks everywhere).  Had to really slow down
over railroad tracks cause the rattles were deafening!

I cogitated on my options:
(1) trade in for some American or Japanese Depot Hack.  Even if I wanted
one, I'd lose a hell of a lot of money in the process.  Nobody offers a
stick anymore.  I don't "do" automatics.  Have to take seats OUT to get
much in.

(2) tough it out and figure what's wrong with my electrical system myself.
Rest of van is fine, I don't even have the fan resistor or heater tube
problems others have talked about.  It's also the only "real" van out there
that isn't an absolute PIG.

Deciding to go with option 2 for the moment.

-Tim Parker
93 EV GL
60 Singlecab
29 Model A Ford