>one type of bus i always kinda lusted after was a Mercedes
>MB-100.
>about the same size and shape as our vanagons, but with a front
>engine between the front seats.
>i think they've discontinued it in favor of their
>more-minivan-shaped vehicles. :(

The MB100 looks like a Hiace gone wrong. It's also FWD, and made in
Korea... I strongly suspect therefore that it is actually a Ssangyong
design (until recently Ssangyong  was a manufacturer making
locally-designed large Musso 4WDs using Mercedes sixes & diesel 5s;
it was bought out by another manufacturer recently) and not a real
Mercedes..

>and i think the public misconception of no-nose = no protection
>continues,

Unfortunately! The Type 2 and Hiaces prove that forward-control vans
CAN be safe... to their occupants (not to the occup[ants of the other
car, though!... ie see the Caravelle vs Volvo crashtest).

>and you aren't likely to see any well-designed
>vehicles (like our vanagons) that use the interior space
>efficiently or effectively. the Honda is an attempt at it, but
>look at the intended audience: surfers, bikers, hikers ... not a
>soccer mom in the bunch! ;)

Fortunately the YH/LH-100-series Toyota Hiace is still going
gangbusters in production, though there is also a longnosed so-called
Hiace sold alongside it! I hope Toyota sees the light and continues
the cabover design. The Mitsubishi Delica (=Express, L300) is still
in production in Korea as the Hyundai H100. Kia has just released a
cabover Hiace clone also. Mazda is also still making its Bongo (also
sold with Ford Econovan badges).

Strictly speaking these Japanese vans are front-midengined, as the
engine is located inline & slightly behind the front axle line ie
within the wheelbase.

>but then, i wouldn't mind if the vanagons were a tad bigger.

Nah, it's plenty wide enough already. Want wider, get a Dummer... I
mean Hummer.

>anyway, i guess my point is, they ain't making no more no-nose
>vans ...

See above

>and the vans they are making aren't very good for what
>we want.

No, the long-nosed vans either are the same length as a VW with 1.5m
less cargobay length, or the entire vehicle is 1.5m longer...TOO
long!! Crap. I'll stick with rear-engined VWs and Hiaces (I just
bought 2 1986 LWB 10-seater dual-slider 2.4 diesel Hiaces, one being
an LH66 dual-range 4WD). The trend toward Eurovans is lamentable.

I believe the Hiace is sold in M�xico. What's to stop people bringing
them into the US privately?
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut