Date:         Sat, 13 Sep 1997 01:38:10 CDT
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <JWALKER@UA1VM.UA.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@UA1VM.UA.EDU>
Subject:      Re: What's Your Dream VW Bus?
In-Reply-To:  Message of Fri, 12 Sep 1997 23:30:37 GMT from <cp@ix.netcom.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Fri, 12 Sep 1997 23:30:37 GMT  said:
>If money and availability were not issues, which VW bus (includes campers
>and non-campers - any kind of VW bus) would you buy?
>Which model from which year? And why?

hmmmm. either a 1983 air-cooled Camper.
       or a 1991 Syncro Camper. :)

why? well, the air-cooled cause it was the latest and greatest of the
Type 4 engined buses.

the Syncro cause it was the latest and greatest of all the water-cooled
Vanagons.

that's IF you mean only stock not-modified buses are to be considered. :)

now, if i can make some modifications, i'd like ...

1987 Syncro Camper, with the front differential and the drive shaft removed,
and the front non-syncro fuel tank installed. but the "camper" i want is a
high-roof hard-top, like the Adventurewagens. maybe from Reimo in Germany.

why? cause the rear part of the Syncro transmission, with it's G-gear and
4 highway gears, and rear locking differential, of course, would still be
in the bus. with the 18 gallon Syncro fuel tank just above.

now, removing the front diff (which seems to be a sore spot in used Syncros)
and the connecting drive shaft would remove some weight and potential
trouble spots, (and the four-wheel drive capability!). adding the non-Syncro
fuel tank would give an additional 16 gallons. :)

i figure with 34 gallons of fuel, less weight, still having the low-low gear
AND the locking diff, you'd have about the best 2wd camper possible. and a
range of about 700 miles. :)

>Where's the first place you'd go in it (if it's a camper)?

either Alaska or Baja. depending on whether it was winter or summer. :)

joel