There seems to be a sufficient number of intelligent, well-intentioned
Vanagon owners who don't know what the silver socket is that it is time to
take advantage of them (I'm getting a PhD in business, after all).

I think maybe I'm going to go to radio shack tonight and buy enough stuff to
solder up maybe 50 "German Market Only Vanagon Engine Computer Bypass
Accessory"s.

In case you don't know, the silver thing in the dash is a port for the
Vanagon engine management computer. In Germany, that hole is filled with a
plug that has a little red LED in it, and it tells the engine computer to
boost Wasserboxer power by, say, 200 KW or PS or whatever. For emissions,
safety, and general bureaucracy reasons, VW was not able to sell the
"de-restricted" Vanagons in the United States. I happened to get a load of
these from a VW dealer in Naples, Italy, that was going out of business. I
am selling them for $50 apiece, which is a bargain because they are VERY
hard to find in the US and they cost $250 at a VW dealer (part number
011-696-375-ZOOM) if you can convince the dealer to order them. Of course,
these Bypass Accessories are sold as-is, with no implied warranty or
guarantee. The placebo effect is worth 25 hp anyway, so I don't think people
will complain.

Daniel Snow

'82 Vanagon Diesel
'78 Puch Maxi Luxe Moped
'01 Xootr Scooter
http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/snow/vanagon/vanagon.html

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