** At 09:37 AM 5/25/2004, you wrote: **

>Date:    Tue, 25 May 2004 09:18:53 -0600
>From:    Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Vanagon vs Alternative Vehicles
>
>have you checked out the american van poptop conversions with interior
>layouts identical to the vanagon westy?
>
>www.gtrv.com
>www.parnado.com
>www.sportsmobile.com
>
>The major disadvantage of these is that they are bigger than the vanagon,
>which may be an advantage to some.  They typically get about the same gas
>mileage (sometimes better) as a 2.1 L Vanagon westy with the smallest
>engines available being half the size of a 2.1L waterboxer.  Of course
>there are immense advantages to driving a vehicle that is still in
>production, is easy to get parts/service for, and has a reputation for
>durability and reliablity etc...

http://www.sportsmobile.com/4_4x4sports.html

 >> Around $55,000-$75,000 for the van, Sportsmobile
 >> and Sportsmobile 4x4  conversion.

and I thought my syncro was expensive!

gas milage?  with a ford triton v10 or 6.0l diesel
fuggedaboutit!  :-)    the diesel version would be
cool though, lots of towing capacity,  16.5" of
ground clearance as well!

John Sherman (famous/infamous?  boulderer showed
yp at JTree a few years back with one of these 4x4
conversion vans.. had a big screen plasma display
mounted on the inside with surround sound!  :-)

would be nice to pick up parts from the FLAPS down
the street (3 of them)  detroit muscle for an engine
would be nice, as well as much more reliable/forgiving
of you (w/r/t repairs and such)

there is something to be said for the VW thing.. it is
a cult which one does not easily escape from once in
its clutches.. took 15 years for it to recapture me..
now the whole family is smitten again ;-)

  -tim

90 syncro westy
mesa, az