Early ones do, later have two wires.  I don't know the break point year,
you will have to see how many wire there are up front at the receiver.
I'm sure yours will have two.

Eastwood sells a ground isolator that will allow you to use the single
wire that goes to the back.  $50, it is designed for high power
receivers and saves the hassle of running wire.  It was worth it to me
for my Westie, but in a regular van where things are easier to get at it
probably isn't worth the cost.

Todd Last wrote:
>
> Do Vanagons "really" have a common ground to the rear speakers?
> At the wiring in my 1988 Van, and in Bently the rear speaker grounds are
> separate. Different wires and different color stripes.
> Was this a change that was made during production?
>
> regards,
>
> Todd
> '88 Westy
>
> Kent Tunks wrote:
>
> >   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Subject: common speaker wire to rear Vanagon speakers
> > Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 09:25:58 -0700
> > From: Kent Tunks <ktunks@earthlink.net>
> > To: jlsnyder1@juno.com
> >
> > Quite a few car radios(most in fact) will not tolerate a "common" wire
> > for both speakers.
> > Usually,the final power amp transisters will burn out in the radio.
> >
> > The solution is to run an another wire to the rear speakers,so each
> > speaker has two
> > wires.Also,I would make sure that none of the speaker wires are
> > connected to the
> > Vanagon's chassis.In other words,make sure that none of the speaker
> > wires is grounded.
> >
> > I have been through this myself.Why VW choose to wire Vanagons this way
> > is anybody'
> > guess.
> >
> > good luck,
> >
> > Kent Tunks

--
Stuart MacMillan
Seattle

'84 Vanagon Westfalia
'65 MGB (Driven since 1969)
'74 MGB GT (Restoring)

Assisting on Restoration:
'72 MGB GT (Daughter's)
'64 MGB (Son's)

Parts cars:
'68 & '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT