It was probably the catalatic converter glowing red!  I have seen it
happen before!  You can either unbolt it and knock out the guts and
destroy the catalytic properties or check out vanagain.com or busdepot.com
for a new one.
Matthew
84 w/ a catalytic converter, sort of...

Matthew Pollard             http://www.uidaho.edu/~poll7356
Dept. of Chemistry               http://www.chem.uidaho.edu
University of Idaho                   http://www.uidaho.edu

On Fri, 25 Feb 2000, Carl Hansen wrote:

> Hey team, a quick note from my Brother-in-law in the UP of Michigan.  Any
> onw got a clue of what's goin on??
>
> **** SNIP ORIGINAL ****
> my van managed to do something strange never been done before to me today.
> It was skipping for a couple of miles at 65 dropped to 45 kicked in again
> so sped to 60 and then pulled into friends driveway.  Did an uphill run up
> the driveway spitting/sputtering/baby backfires with flame all the way up
> and shut it off.  Muffler was glowing red.  So what is your diagnosis?
> Seems as though something just kinda "broke".  Distributor?  I did check
> connections, condition of rotor and cap and relay on right rear fender
> already and their all okay.
>
>
> Ch
>
> '89 SyncroBeast Vanagon - Soon to come - New Shocks for the Syncro!
>                                  Soon as I get rid of the rust.  ugh
> '87 16V GTI
> '80 850 Yamaha Special
> '87 16V GTI w/ hale damage - parting out - body gone, parts remain
> '89 16V GTI w/ toasted motor
> '86 Scirocco (8 valve w/ auto) - SO's - now w/ it's own hale damage
>
> Prior Lake, MinneSnowta  -  Brrrrrrr!  Winter's here.
>