On 5/13/05, Matthew Turner <sailormatt@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'd have to say that my favorite Vanagon characteristic (while not
> necessarily design-related) has to be the way that my van "Vera" slows
> me down. There is no reason to rush around when driving a V'gon, and I
> just love that. 

Heh. dunno it counts as a design "feature", but I must say I like it
as well. Definitely "no hurry" transportation. Adds to that feeling
you get that you're driving around in your living room.

But if I had to pick the one thing that tickled me most when I
discovered it, it'd have to be that toothed bushing on the back of the
alternator adjustment bolt that engages with that rack on the slotted
arm. After years of owning a variety of other cars, for the first time
I didn't have to improvise a lever with a stick or a big screwdriver
to tension the belt. I even called my wife over to show her, saying
"now THAT'S German engineering!" (her reaction, of course, was a
polite "yes dear, that's quite ingenious"). I guess I'm a sucker for
the little stuff. Conversely, I'm still not sure how I feel about the
way they used a long bolt to hold the starter to the final drive,
which goes all the way through to take a nut and thereby also hold the
engine on. Crafty, but it makes changing the starter just that much
more difficult. I guess that balances with the "one-screw to remove
the outside door handle" VW design which has saved me so much time as
a locksmith...