Jack,

I just wanted to chime in because my 90 carat is undoubtedly the best
car I even had, and I've had a lot of 'em. My next favorite would be my
old 69 bus, so you can see I'm partial to the form factor.

My wife's 90 acura legend is on its third engine. Nothing else has ever
gone wrong with that car, ever, but the engine in my vanagon has never
been opened during its 180K+ miles.

It's been a good car. I may have gotten lucky, but I think it's more
likely that no PO screwed it up, I bought it new and took good care of
it.

If I were negative about it, I wouldn't own it. It has never let me
down.

Jim

On Jul 4, 2004, at 10:32 PM, Jack wrote:

> Just a quick note in an attempt to counter some of the negativism re
> the the
> Vanagon..
>
> Both my wife & I agree that our '85 Weekender, bought new with the
> approval
> of our 95 lb organic alarm system, has been one of the most reliable
> vehicles we've ever had - for something like 250k miles.  It owes us
> nothing!
>
> Sure, some minor stuff.  The only time it it embarrassed me was a
> failed
> clutch on the road but, it was MY fault!  I knew better - that clutch
> had
> given me lots of warning.  Oh, yes, I remember a water pump failing at
> an
> bad time,  but again, I had lots of warning.
>
> So, I have to shake my head when I read about all the heart-aches
> people
> have on this list.  Then I remember that we're talking now about OLD
> machinery.  Even mine, as much as I've trusted it in the past, gives me
> second thoughts.  It's over the hill.  Be foolish to think anything
> else.
>
> Actually, I'm at a cross-roads; I'm trying to decide whether to start
> pouring moola into into it in hopes of bringing it back into at least
> a semi-
> reliable state - because I do LOVE the thing - too many good memories.
> Replace it with what???  I am interested in seeing the same thoughts
> going
> on by many on this list.
>
> //Jack
>