Wiping soot was annoying as was wiping the oily diesel residue from
keeping it on the floor up the pass.  25-30 mpg was not annoying.

Slow well yeah.  I actually laughed at a cop who tried to tell me I
was speeding on the freeway. Funny he didn't give me a ticket.

The only year I would avoid would be the 72.  Bad combination of Pancake
motor with no top access, and the rare front brakes.
I've seen a few 'round here where they've welded in the top panel(over the
engine)
from a later bus.

Other then that. I kinda like them all; although in my old age I find I like
having heat.  I have a special soft spot in my head for the '71 only US
model
with the upright motor and disc brakes; although I replaced my spindles with
a '73.  Better stopping power and easily obtainable brake parts.   I hear
the
71-72 spindles can be used by splitties to put front disc in 'em.

Tromper
82 Dieselfant II - Non soot model.

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of steeles
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 11:20 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: any years / models we should avoid

>On         Mon, 7 Jul 2003 21:38:16 -0700 Michael Snow <mwsnow@COX.NET>
wrote.
>Stephen Steele wrote:
>
>> 81 to 83 diesels were offered (can you say s-l-o-w ?)
>
>Can you also say 27-30 MPG, smog *exempt*, and engines with a variety of
>power levels available in abundance?  Oh, wait, that's something only us
>diesel wierdos are supposed to know :-)
>
>Mike Snow
>1982 Westfalia diesel
Mike:
I daily drive a '91 Eco diesel Jetta and own a diesel Caddy and a diesel
Rabbit...
I appreciate the VW diesel powerplant as much as anyone. But I have to admit
that in a Westy...they're just TOO DAMNED SLOW for me. I have test driven
several because I really think I would like to have one. But every time I
get behind the wheel of one I cringe at the reality of only being as fast as
most people percieve ALL Westies to be.
Besides I'm not sure how you diesel van drivers wipe all that soot off way
up high on the rear hatch. That's got to be some rite of ownership passed on
from PO to PO.
:')
Stephen
Chillicothe Ohio