Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 00:39:23 -0500
Reply-To: "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: greenhorn questions: Answered
rom: Katherine Maas [SMTP:katherine_maas@HOTMAIL.COM]
Katherine Sent On: Friday, February 19, 1999 12:24 PM
A Message To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Regarding: A bunch of greenhorn questions
Answered: Inserted text by gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com
I'm relatively new to the list, have been learning alot by reading
everything. I have a few questions I haven't seen answers to yet on the
list. Can anyone help me out?
Oui. Moi.
1. What's a Wolfsburg, as compared to any other type of van?
Nobody is truly certain. If you search the archives you will find lengthy
discussion threads on the subject, where people try to nail down the EXACT
"extra" features available on each model year of Wolfsburg Edition (nicer
wheels, plusher upholstery, more conveniently placed brake fluid reservoir)
. Eventually we all agree on a couple things: Wolfsburg Editions had nifty
badges, and higher prices than the other Vanagons available at the time...
2. What's a CV?
Curriculum Vitae. It is kind of like a resume for academics and
consultants. It includes research you have worked on and publications you
have written. Oooops, wrong mail list...
Let's see on a Vanagon, that would be the "Constant Velocity" Joint.
Invented in the 1960's(?) by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, these joints help
transmit the rotating power through the "half axles" from the sides of the
transmission out to the drive wheels. CV's are one of the coolest
inventions, next to Jell-O in my mind because the overcome a really
complicated problem: how to transmit rotating power between two
horizontally fixed flanges, that must have tremendous amounts of
unrestricted vertical travel. Your transmission is fixed to the vehicle,
but the rear wheels move up and down about 15-20 inches (or there abouts)
as you bounce over speed bumps, potholes, and hard-shelled animals.
To understand this problem, grab one end of a ball point pen in your
left-hand thumb and forefinger, and the other end in your right-hand thumb
and forefinger. Hold your hands at about the same height, and roll the pen
over and over. Pretty easy, right? Now, still rolling the pen, elevate your
right hand about 3 inches. Comprenday Vooooo?
The joint is pretty simple, a bunch of steel balls, and some grooved
"races"' in which the balls run. They are filled with a special grease
(with an unpronounceable name) that is mined on the planet Molydenus. They
are covered with a "durable" rubber boot to keep out filth and grit. The
boots eventually crack. The grease inside eventually gets contaminated with
metal particles. Servicing the joints is nasty inmate-quality labor. Ugh.
My maintenance plan for CV's runs contradictory to my "preventive
maintenance" edict...And If past events are any predictor of the future,
62.9% of the listees would disagree with me on this, but I say, FORGET
about servicing them. They make a LOT of noise for months before they fail,
so there is little chance you will have to tarry by the wayside with a bum
CV. If you've got a regular run-of the mill van the half axles are pretty
cheap, ($149 per) and most carry a decent warrantee. Costs about Harrison
and two Jacksons to have both sides swapped out.
3. Is the head gasket problem something that ever gets fixed for once
and for all, or is it something that requires a periodic revisit (a
chronic problem)?
The head gasket problem goes away completely for many owners, those who
sell their vans and buy Hondas...Just kidding. If dealt with properly, it
*can* go away. There is gobs of material in the archive on this. Basically
it comes down to getting the heads off, and either replacing them or doing
some "JB-Weld Magic" to them, and using special coolant from there out.
Like most things in life, If you take care of it competently and
meticulously, it won't bite, if you half-a** it or you neglect it, you are
insured a closer look at the neat paint job that road crews do to demarcate
the shoulder from the travelling lanes of the road.
4. What does a "rebuilt" engine really mean? How reliable is a rebuilt
engine?
Basically, it means the motor has been taken apart, had some number of the
parts replaced or machined, and reassembled. There are varying degrees of
"rebuilt" depending on what was replaced and machined...Reliability ranges
from "Not at all" to "Far better than the VW Factory". "Reliability" is in
direct correlation to the competence, experience, tools, methods, and
materials of the rebuilder. Beware of the motor recently built by a local
Exxon mechanic, or owner/driver who after putting all of that sweat into
the van, is (for some reason) motivated to sell the motor he just
rebuilt...hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Great motors come from AVP, MSHP, and a couple of others. VW makes a decent
motor. Search the archives. There is nothing inherently wrong with a
"rebuilt" motor; motors have service life cycles, and are designed to be
rebuilt periodically. My dad's 1958 Ghia went through 4 rebuilds before the
car went home to be with Jesus (who drives a '61 hot-rod Lincoln) and the
little lambs, (who drive Geo Metros) in Heaven. Our current Westy had a
very Shifty rebuild about 15k ago (before we bought it) and will need
another in the VERY near future. No big. If you can emotionally and
financially swing it, buy a Westy that is overall in great shape, but the
motor is worn slap out. Buy and have installed an AVP motor and rest easy
that you won't be standing on the side of the road with your bottom lip
poked out.
5. I have been told that when test driving a Westi, you can tell a lot
about its condition. I have been test driving a few, but am no
mechanic. I listen for abnormal engine noise, see if the brakes are
mushy, is the hand break tight, is the clutch loose, how does the
steering feel, how smooth is the shifting (which is always rougher than
my 1989 Camry). Any suggestions for other things to pay attention to?
Two things:
First, you can receive more information about the vehicle from
non-mechanical clues than you imagine. Ask yourself these things before you
write that check...
Would I trust this person to safeguard an equivalent (to the cost of the
car) sum of money for a couple of years? No? leave.
Does the van "feel", smell, look, and sound cared for, or neglected. We all
have a couple "little" things we ignore on our cars, but does every door
c-r-e-a-k open, is the floor of the refrigerator stained from spilled food?
Are things unexplainably broken or missing? Leave it. (One of the things
that SOLD us on our current Westy was the owner's meticulous care. While in
Europe one of the front drip-rail chrome ornamentary covers had fallen off.
She found a dealership in Austria and had it replaced before she traveled
on.)
Is the rest of the seller's life neglected and patched together? Again, not
saying that an un-manicured lawn means an unreliable van, but if this
person doesn't care enough about his/her home to clean the leaves out of
the gutters, or the Miller High Life bottles from the back of the Westy,
what makes you think they took any better care of their van? Receipts only
tell you that a repair was made. Do you see mostly receipts for repairing
broken things, or receipts for PREVENTING failure? (e.g. are these for
"replace front wheel bearing and spindle" or "repack front wheel
bearings"...one indicates reactive maintenance, one indicates preventative
maintenance)
Second: Unless you are made of money, don't buy a VW without having a
dealer or COMPETENT VW mechanic perform a paid pre-purchase inspection. VW
charges about $65 for this, and it can give you tremendous leverage in the
negotiation process to show the current owner a detailed third-party review
of the rattle-trap he wanted you to pay $13,000 for. Be patient. Look for
the right van. It took us almost two years to find ours.
Thanks for any help you can give, Katherine
A pleasure...
G. Matthew Bulley
Minister of Innovation and Efficiency
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Cary, NC USA
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free
________________________________________________________________________
____________
Get Your Private, Free Email by using the company's e-mail account on your
computer at work
| 
