Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 16:02:44 -0400
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Gary Norris <rnorris@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: Re: Vanagon parking misfourtunes and a Syncro question...
Chris Wyatt wrote:
>
> my van had attempted suicide by taking off down my driveway, flinging
> itself off the 18" embankment and head first into a black spruce about
> 6 feet away. So there it sat, rear wheels on the driveway, nose
> I would appreciate any advice for dealing with collision repair folks, as
> I have never been in this situation. Will I get to keep the replaced
> parts? I'll try. Meanwhile, set your parking brake, cram it into
> reverse, chock the wheels, put a dead bison on the downhill side,
> whatever it takes!
The first time I took my Syncro anywhere was to our local Sam's
wholesale club. My mother, wife and I were walking across the parking
lot after parking on a very slight incline. We heard a loud crash and
looked around to see what happened. It took a few seconds to realize
that the large blue van that had hit the bumper of a sedan was in fact
my Westy. I ran to the driver's side and drove the car back into the
space. The sedan had one of those 5mph bumpers and it bounced right out
to shape without a mark. My Westy did not fair as well and the bumper
was bent in and down. I straightened the bumper as best I could. It
looks okay but, now I have this wrinkled bumper to remind me to always
set the parking brake...
Question to any other '87 Syncro owners:
My Syncro does not have a differential switch. I thought that all
Syncros '87 and up come equipped with a switch. Does anyone else share
my switchlessness? AND It is possible for me to retrofit a switch?
--
*********************************************************************
_________________
| | Gary Norris:
(|_________________|) '86 Volvo DL
|\ \ | / /| '86 Cabriolet
| \ \ | / / | '73 Thing
| - \___________/ - | '87 Syncro Westy
| 0 | | 0 | rnorris@wam.umd.edu
|___|__|_____|__|___| "Never put off until tomorrow, what
|__| |__| you can get someone else to do."
|