In a message dated 5/10/00 2:45:39 PM Mountain Daylight Time, Larry Hamm
writes:

> David Beierl wrote:
>
>  > At 01:03 5/10/2000, Ray Hunnam wrote:
>  >
>  > ps -- I freely admit that my dream of heaven would be that VW built a
>  > prototype Vanagon without power, took it to Toyota and said "Make us
>  > something that looks and behaves exactly like this.  You figure out how
to
>  > make it go.  A boxer would be nice, but it's up to you.  Do not under any
>  > circumstances put pinstripes or belts of chrome on, that's our
>  > department.  You build the thing, we'll decorate it if we feel like it.
> Do
>  > not reduce the tare weight more than 20 per cent, and do not reduce the
>  > gross weight at all -- increase it if you can.
>
>  David,
>  Would you have them throw Landcruiser 4WD drivetrain components underneath
>  while they're at it?
>  Thanks,
>  Larry
>
>

    Toyota sold a van similar in layout to the Vanagon, from 1984 to 1990 --
front-wheel-drive, mid-engine (2.0l), with the driver's seat over the front
wheel.  It was smaller and more wedgy(!) than the Vanagon, and the transaxle
position made it nearly impossible to get into the back from the front seat.
I saw one once in passing, with what must have been a Westy-style top (too
low to be a raised roof modification).  Mitsubishi made a similar van, but I
don't know if it was formally imported to the US.
    Instead of sourcing the mechanicals to Toyota, how about Fuji Heavy
Industries (Subaru) instead?  That way you'd get a boxer engine -- SVX Flat-6
maybe? -- and Syncro (sort of) automatically!  However, in this case, David's
comment about leaving the styling to Volkswagen would apply in spades!

Rusty J.
'80 Westy -- 75,000 miles on the original Air-Cooled Hamster
(Treadmill cleverly disguised as cooling fan and intake screen)