Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 17:07:48 -0700
Reply-To: Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Subject: Re: Calif. Emissions equipment?
In-Reply-To: <1305652585-4876284@decorah.k12.ia.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
This really depends on the year you are after. There are no differences (read
_none_)
between all North American Vanagons from 1986 on. Even my Canadian-origin
Doublecab
has the California emmissions stuff (well, there are no California emmissions
stuff,
so it has it all...).
This is not true either for the earlier Vanagons of the later Eurovans,
though. I do
not think there is much difference, possibly none for any waterboxer, but the
airboxers
are different. IMHO, the 1980 *California* model is the best, with the O2
sensor
closed-loop injection (like the early waterboxers) and no EGR. EGR was added
to
California vehicles in 1981, along with the better fuel injection. All of the
California air-cooleds have a different exhaust setup, and parts are
non-existant.
East Coast buses are far cheaper. The reason is not the emissions, but the
fact that
they rust. Some parts of California have rust, too, but typically California,
Arizona
and New Mexican buses are really rust-free, and this should command a
premium.
When
folks in the east say "no rust" it is relative. Vanagons are not too bad in
this
regard -- but having examples from all over, I will say that it is easy to
tell
the
California ones.
California requires the "smog impact fee" to be paid for a non-California-spec
car
registering from out-of-state. The requirement is that the yellow emissions
sticker
(on the oil door in most Vanagons) state specifically that it meets California
emmissions. I have two Canadian vehicles, both have stickers like this, and
both
are "Transporters" and models never sold in the US, let alone California. It
took
the DMV some time to accept these (they assumed I simply changed the stickers)
but
I got a letter from VW specifically stating that they met CARB requirements
and
were
not affected by the fee. The Canadian buses do _not_ have the OXS light, and
oddly
there is no requirement that it be retrofitted (they require changing the
brake
warning light). Might be an oversight.
Malcolm
At 11:01 AM 9/22/98 , Jim Fritz wrote:
>
> Friends,
> After a recent posting asking about buying a California Westy and
shipping it
> back to Iowa, I had conflicting reports about doing this because some
said it
> was a bad idea due to all of the Emissions equipment on it. They said it was
> a pain to keep tuned properly because of this. Others said that the Vanagon
> was able to pass CA emissions standards without any additional equipment.
> Which one is it? I may still look in California for another vehicle and
would
> like the low-down.
> Jim
> 319-382-3705
> jfritz@decorah.k12.ia.us
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