Well folks let me give you some encouragement.
I've been going to wrecking yards around Dallas Texas and a hundred mile
radius for seven years and I've never seen a Vanagon that was there
because of body damage.
I've never seen a Vanagon that did not have a good front clip, rear clip
etc.
With Vanagons it tends to be a rod sticking through the Waser Boxer crank
case that puts them there.
With the air cooled its mostly long term neglect that puts them there.
I can only suggest that we Vanagon / Westy drivers are careful drivers
and its pretty hard to get into much trouble when you are dealing with
great visibility, good brakes and restrictive horsepower.
I would also think that anyone would want to avoid collision with a large
loaf shaped vehicle like the Vanagon, they must be awesome when viewed
from the drivers seat of a Honda Civic.

Stan Wilder
83 Air Cooled Westfalia

On Wed, 16 Jan 2002 22:36:56 -0600 Mary Beth and Chris Geiser
<geiser@EXECPC.COM> writes:
> Once again, I think the biggest drawback to the vanagon is the
> physical
> distance to the object in front of you.  Just the physics of an
> accident: if
> you are two feet from the object drastically slowing your van down,
> you've
> got to go from 50mph to 0mph in about two feet... with the nose of
> something
> in front of you (ie Volvo), that crumple zone allows you to
> decelerate your
> body over a 4-5 foot space - I'm no math major, but that's a heck of
> a lot
> less force transmitted to your seatbelt, steering wheel, or whatever
> else is
> slowing you down.  Yes there are advantages to being up higher and
> in a
> larger / heavier van, and there's something to be said for driving a
> diesel
> that doesn't go faster than 55, but don't kid yourself about that
> impact.
> The people in the back may decelerate much nicer, but driver and
> front
> passenger better be tied down well.
> Movin' nice and slow,
> Chris
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On
> Behalf
> > Of Aristotle Sagan
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 6:30 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: Vgon Crash Tests
> >
> >
> > No Bill... don't hit anything in that Toyota... but remember there
> iIS a
> > full frame underneath it. You would do OK.... It's just not worth
> the risk
> > testing this theory though.
> >
> >
> > tim in SJ.
> >
> >
> > >yeouch.  yeah, vanagon it is.  i worry more now about an accident
> in our
> > >pickemup truck.
> > >
> > >(muttering off...teeth in the dash...ugh)
> > >
> > >bill
> > >'87 syncro westfalia
> > >santa cruz, ca.
> > >
> > >laughing out loud at your return address, matthew.
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
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> >
>
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