There is a book called "Brooklands Road Test"  for the Volkswagen Bus Camper
Van 1979-1989.

 Has an South African road test article on page 21 comparing the Datsun
Ekonawagen, the Mitsubishi Center L300, the Toyota Hi-Ace and the Vanagon in
detail.

Pete
'87 Westy
"Joe's Van"

>>> That's the Liteace, the small toyota van which first appeared in the
>>> latest 60s or possibly realiest 70s.
>>
>> Wasn't the Liteace/Van Wagon introduced in 1979? I mean, look at it. It's
>> NOT a late 60's Japanese design!
>
> NO. It was introduced for one model cycle in the US. The first
> Liteace was sold in the late 60s or by 1973 at latest... there are
> still lots of that model on the road in Fiji, for instance (no, I
> don't have images). They first appeared in NZ in the 1978 generation,
> and have been sold here since. It was a truly evolutionary design;
> the second-generation was, like VW's Bay, a heavy facelift of the
> first generation, and retained that van's floorpan and side panels.
>
>>> That thing Toyota built was a piece of junk in the design world.
>>>  Way to small. engine between the seat was terrible. But the price
>>>  was right, so they sold them.
>>>                                          Eric
>>>
>>
>> You are kidding aren't you Eric?
>>
>> Anybody driving a Vanagon calling any Toyota a piece of junk has his mindset
>> is some other world. Anybody driving a stock Vanagon calling any other
>> engine setup TOO small has got to find reality in some other universe.
>>
>> I love my Vanagon, but rely on it for everyday transportation? Hats off to
>> anyone who does but I'll take a Toyota anything for everyday transportation.
>>
>> It's like I told my Dad when he was thinking about replacing the Jetta my
>> mother wrecked. I asked him if, at the age of 68, did he want to work on it
>> or drive it. He bought the Camry. 7 years later, it's still going with
>> little or no maintenance.
>>
>> tim in san jose
>
>
>> To start at the end, not even the Toyota brand would continue to sell a
>> model for 25 years just because the price is right, nobody buys junk today
>> ( exept Vanagonees ;-))
>> The engine that sits between the seats are a really nice piece of machinery,
>> and even though working on it through the mailbox opening is a bit awkward
>> and often limits the maintenance they start and run every time you  want
>> them to
>> The size of the car- well, it has to fit your ego as well as your butt but
>> still, after 25 years of sale they seems to fit the needs of a whole lot of
>> peoples
>
> Right-on, Tim and Calle. This van IS small, but that suits a lot of
> owners, including lotsa businesses. The US missed out on the VW-sized
> Hiace (similar layout to the Liteace, but more body variants)... ask
> Toyota USA why. For various reasons it's the best van made anywhere,
> and almost anywhere outside northern North America is present in
> large numbers.
>
>> In 1990 my wife bought an Acura Legend and I bought a vanagon. The
>> Acura has about 130K miles on it, and it's on its third engine. The VW
>> has 190K miles on it and the engine's never been opened.
>>
>> I haven't driven anything but a diesel westy or a gas Carat for the
>> last 14 years. I'm sure there are many others on the list who have done
>> many more Vanagon miles than I have.
>>
>> So what's the hats off for?
>
> Not to Honda... which makes nice-looking cars which are extremely
> rust-prone (even in unsalted areas) and engines which are perhaps
> delicate (qualification: but it makes the best motorcycles). I find
> Hondas' controls unergonomic too. But Hondas ain't Toyotas.
>
>
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin
> New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut