Date:         Sun, 30 Jun 1996 17:23:28 +0200
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         GlenSwanson@dk-online.dk (Glen Swanson)
Subject:      bus is painted, found a motor and failed the MOT

re the 1961 221 bus is painted, I found a new motor, and we failed the MOT.

        I got the bus back from the painters and everything looked great.
My wife and I spent about eight hours at the shop putting back locks,
handles, bumpers and what ever else needed to make the vehicle look proud
as the day she rolled of the sales lot.
        Many thanks to all those who helped me sort out the disassembly of
the window frames and the paint codes. The colours are quite spectacular. I
was always so sceptical of the combination mango green, sea gull grey and
arctic white, but no more. My reaction each day is simply "wow."
        Last night the danish type two club was having its summer picnic,
so we loaded up the girls and drove down. I was quite nervous as this was a
pretty hard core bunch of enthusiasts. There reaction could be brutal. Here
on the list, I can brag and strut about, but chances of anyone ever seeing
my van are minimal. This one the other had was reality. Fortunately
everyone was quite amazed at our find. A true straight and solid vehicle
and of course the shimmering paint.
        One thing that really surprised my was that it turns out that at 64
000 kilometers my vehicles motor had been switched by the original
dealership for a new 34 hp motor. I was puzzled as to how this could be as
all the numbers matched with the sales documents and receipts I have. We'll
it seems that when VW dealers replaced motors they would restamp the
original number into the new case. Now according to all my records this
means that this new motor has less then 35000 kilometers on it!
        I had been please enough to hear that it only had 100,000
kilometers but this was quite a surprise. Before knowing this, we had
already decided to pull the "original" motor and replace it with another.
The Idea was to try to preserve the low mileage, and use a slightly larger
displacement to carry us through the to the next milleneum. Anyway to cut a
long story short, I ended up buying complete new NOS 1500 H motor for the
bus. As a bonus I also got a rather used but still quite usable second
1500cc. But look at the irony I'm faced with, in my pursuit of reserving
the low mileage motor I'm replacing it with a NOS motor.
        By the way, the NOS motor and the used motor cost about100 big Mac
burgers, when calculated using the Economist's comparative index.
        Anyway, there will be no time to do the engine swap by Tuesday, and
if the final state check goes ok we'll have our danish plates on and be set
for our holidays. I have to return to the motor authorities as I failed the
MOT last Thursday. Just my luck, the old guy was training the new kid on
how the job was done right. They went over our vehicle with a fine tooth
comb. In the end they found that the battery hold down belt was not secured
(i.e. it was open) and the hand brake cable was stretched. In my excited,
nervous state I drove out that morning with the brake on! That mistake cost
me a $35 fine.

Glen Swanson
1956 de luxe sedan  daily driver
1961 221 transporter