Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1999 00:26:11 -0700
Reply-To:     "Julio T." <julio@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Julio T." <julio@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
Subject:      air-cooled heat
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Hi everyone its me the newbie again.  I'd like to thank everyone for their responses on my previous questions on air vs water pumpers, and how much weight the top bunk in a westy could hold.   Now I seem to be confused in the area of heat, as pertaining to the air cooled vanagons.  I keep hearing people say that their is no heat in air cooled vanagons. and although I did own a '63 beetle, it had no heat parts installed in it, as it was a show car and only driven in the summer months, so I have never experienced a cold winter, and they do get cold here in vancouver BC. trying to heat myself in a air cooled vw.  Now Ive also heard of people saying that if you do get the heat working that it can get too hot, and that they had to take off their jacket while driving. So what is the truth about the heat?  also how is the front window defrosting work in a vanagon? Is their a cold air fan or anything?  Keep in mind I have absoulutly no experience with vanagons, but I do positvely drool everytime I see a vanagon westy of any year.  The other question I had was that some of you guys have told me that the cooling system on a water cooled vanagon can be a problem, but also that you have to watch out about burning out valve # 3 or something in an air cooled westy.  Does this mean that in an air cooled westy I could not say do something like drive from vancouver to california straight, which is like twenty for hours, with only stopping to go to the washroom, and switch drivers.  Also I know westies were made for camping, and all the westies I have looked at have many,many miles on them, but what do you guys honestly think of the power in a westy. for example in my beetle with a 1200 it was great around town, but maxed out at about 50 miles an hour before feeling like I was in a space shuttle launch with all that vibration.  I loved it for the city but for the whole time I owed the car I never once took it on the freeway, I always drove the longer way so as to drive on city streets.  And Up tiny little hills it was like forget it, I ll felt like my engine was going to explode doing ten miles an hour up a hill.  I dont want to make anyone mad, Im not slammin vw or anything, I just want real honest opinions on if these vans could be driven across the country through the rocky mountains and such, I am mainly refering to the air cooled vanagon westys but am also very interested in the water cooled acounts anyone might have. Now I know people have driven them long ways but were they cursin the whole time.  In a general pole do you fellow list members have true confidence in your vanagons releibility to go on long trips. I currently own a 93 gmc jimmy 4dr 4x4 that is for sale so I can buy a westy.  Now in this gmc, i would feel completely confident driving across north america, but its a boring vehicle with no character.  I also have complete confidence in my wifes 95 vw golf, I would drive that any distance, but its too small.  I have always loved vw's and am proud to say that I loved them on my own with no outside influence from friends or family, in fact when I bought my beetle, I thought my family was going to dishone me.  Them all being G.M. nuts, my brother is a mechanic at gm for the last 15 years and he is the one that persuaded me to buy the jimmy.  But I cant live this way, I neeeeeeeeeeeed a westy, I cant no longer live with out one.  What Im trying to say with all this jibberish is.  Im trying to find support and wonderful stories of happieness and content of vw owners and their vanagons, to re asure my passion for a great vehicle.  Thanks to all who reply, and also sorry to those anoyed by this message, for taking up so much bandwidth.

Julio T
93 jimmy (for sale)
'63 beetle
'95 golf

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