Date:         Thu, 19 Aug 1999 11:13:44 -0700
Reply-To:     Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Westy Traction
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi All,

I used to have a 1983.5 Wolfy Westy and I lived in
Yewtah in some back country.  (Price, Kanab,
St.George)
The van came with the stock Continental 185/70R14.
These were great on the open highway dry & wet.
It performed very well on dry dirt roads but I never
dare to adventure on the gray schmectite clay know
locally as the Mancos Shale in wet conditions.  I once
stuck a Dorf 4X4 with chains on all 4 on a wet Mancos
road.

Anyway I got royally stuck in the Snowbird sky resort
parking lot attempting to follow a Subaru with my
brand new Westy. There was about 12inches of snow and
the road had not been plowed. (probably cause they
didn't want anyone parking there?)  It took about 6
people to rock and pushit out.  I am proud and manly
enough today to share with you'all, that I did a
stupid thing and they all laughed and still jab me to
this day.  My last words were "Watch This Molly!" to
my then girl friend now wife.

This was the same area & parking where I would park my
old 72 Type 2 Westy, with Michelin tyres, and not have
any problems geting away. I also did Saline Valley and
the Kaiparovits Plateau with this van. (poop Brown
with a Porsche Super90 engine and last seen in Provo)

SO from experience the old busses had better
off-road/snow traction then the newer proportioned
Vanagons.  Or the Continetals really sucked off dry
pavement and Michelins are wonderfull.

I solved some of that by getting a Syncro.
Yea Right! watch this get stuck deeper :-)
My 0.02$

Joel Cort
New bucket carrying member of the Wasser Leaker's club
89 Syncro Westy + bucket

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