>To this point, we are all here because of a common bond; this includes,
>look/style and functional superiority. In describing other Vanagon-esque
>vehicles, ghastly is an understatement.

The Euros are ghastly. The first version of the new Transhit, in the
90s (the 60s-80s Transit was an ugly deathtrap too), was ugly, with a
modern wedge nose tacked onto a crudely-styled body, with cab doors
with windows mismatched to the vehicle's appearance. The facelift,
probably done to make it look less like its Mercedes clone (which was
the original?), is HIDEOUS. The Mercedes continues with the same
styling as the 90s Transit, just a slightly modified nose job.

The FWD Hiace line isn't bad-looking at all... Toyota managed,
despite the sheel ugliness of most of the other current Toyotas, to
do what noone else has... design a good-looking snouted van. BUT it's
as space-inefficient as the other snouted vans.

But I wouldn't call a snouted van "Vanagonesque", as theirs is a
different philisophy.

>We are not owners of vans because
>they are perfect - I suspect aesthetic value weighs in most.

Well, I certainly wouldn't buy a T2 or T3 Type 2 for its looks (the
T1 is another story entirely); I like them for their roominess,
user-friendliness and above all their handling prowess. That said, a
T2 or T3 van can be MADE to look VERY good with a set of wheels, the
right grill/light setup (if applicable) and paintwork.

As a vehicle a Type 2 or Hiace comes as close to perfect as a vehicle
can, though the VW is let down by shoddy plastics, switchgear,
unergonomic controls (including dangerous column switches in RHD
markets, as is typical of all Euro makes) and cruddy reliability. The
Hiace just needs IRS to be perfect, but with semielliptic or
torsionbar rear end (depending on trim level) it does extremely well
anyway.

>I haven't seen Ford Transit owners honk and wave at eachother as they pass
>by.

If *I* was driving one of these lame ducks I'd duck out of sight
behind the huge ugly tacked-in plastic dash! Well, it's not QUITE
that bad. But these things only have one redeeming feature (and it's
a double-edged sword)... width. They seat 3 abreast in the rear, with
a narrow staggered aisle for access. Minus the aisle, they could seat
4 abreast... but then, so can a VW van, as they are quite wide too
(just not TOO wide, as the Frod/Merc is).

In my experience, here in NZ and in Australia back in 1976, VW van
drivers do wave to one another. But in NZ a "Vanagon" wouldn't be
recognized by most other Type 2 drivers, as there are only about 50
in the country... most would no doubt mistake them for a
1st-generation Mitsubishi Delica.

Gimme a VW bus or a Hiace... I'd be happy with either. Hey! I have BOTH!
--
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