Good lord, man. You left the 'chicken or the egg' question off your list.

Welcome to the list, and your new labor of love.

Here's the link to the archives:

http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=vanagon

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that not only is that Xmas list not
going to be read in full by most folks, but that you'll get answers very
little of it right off. My suggestion is that you prioritize your list,
search the archives first, then ask the question about the specific thing
you're working on right then or at most the upcoming weekend. You'll know
better what to ask and you're more likely to receive a detailed answer.

The archives are slow; I've found the best way for me to use them is to get
the search answer up, and then right-click each one I want to read and open
it in a new window. Otherwise you risk going thru the same slow load and
re-load each time you hit the 'back' button.

Good luck,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Levine" <ELevine3035@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 9:49 PM
Subject: 1984 Vanagon GL H2O

> This is my first posting to the list.  I just bought an 84  vanagon.  I
> have
> lots of questions.  I used to have a 1975 Combi Van  in Mexico.  I had it
> for
> 2 years and sold it in 1999 when I moved back to  the US.  I was looking
> for a
> VW bus.  After checking out 2 vans with  considerable rust, I found this
> brown one which is very nice.  Obviously,  it has been shown much care and
> has
> been garaged.  I see that the vanagon  is a little different from my 1975
> white
> combi one in Mexico.  The one  in Mexico was not a walk-thru and had the
> full
> bench seat up front.  So far  it seems pretty reliable.  The woman I
> bought it
> from said that everything  was fine except for a transmission leak.  I've
> been
> checking the fluid and  have added only a half quart in the past 18 days
> since I bought the van.   The fluid was an inch over the full line when I
> first
> checked it so she must  have overfilled it before she sold it to me.  The
> van
> came with The  Official Factory Repair Manual-1980-1991; this book has
> alot of
> good  information.
> The woman I bought the van from had it for a few months.  She bought  it
> from
> a guy, I'm not sure if he was the original owner.  This is what his  for
> sale
> ad said:
> clear title
> drives great
> starts every time
> doesn't use oil or water
> don't have to add oil between oil changes
> all lights work
> no ac
> good dual heat
> automatic
> can haul anything
> new front tires
> front rotors
> front brake pads
> calipers and hoses
> upper and lower ball joints
> all exhaust pipes in 2003
> rebuilt trans in 1999 installed
> pioneer stereo 4X50 watt
> 4 new speakers
> repair manual
> all receipts
> She also put in a new battery and all new hoses.
>
> These are my questions:
> 1.  How do I know if the van rests too high (it's not a syncro) and is
> this
> a problem?
> 2.  It's missing the passenger side rear view mirror.  I've seen  them on
> bus
> depot.  When I install it, do I need to remove the door panel  or can I
> just
> screw it on?  Where can I get a mirror for a better price  than bus depot
> (shipping etc.)?
> 3.  They sell a convex mirror, is it best to buy the regular one and  get
> the
> blind spot mirrors?  Which blind spot mirrors are best?
> 4.  I added some coolant to the main tank and the reserve.  How  do I know
> that the cooling system has no leaks?
> 5.  Do I need to use special coolant?  I've heard that the orange  one has
> good anti-corrosive properties; what is the name of the orange  one?  Does
> it
> come in 50/50 ready to use; I'm in Florida (tropical  climate), do I need
> a
> special mix?  If I decide to use the orange stuff,  how do I drain the old
> coolant
> and put the orange stuff in; do I need to drain  it?
> 6.  The gauge on top of the clock/fuel gauge, I think it's the coolant
> level
> gauge or temp gauge; it registers zero most of the time, then every 5
> minutes or so at random, the red light blinks while the pointer goes from
> zero  to
> max then back down again; is the gauge malfunctioning?
> 7.  I have a plastic main tank for the coolant/anti-freeze, I've  noticed
> a
> surface crack in the plastic near the sensor wires that go into the  top
> of the
> tank; I'm not sure if the crack is just cosmetic or if air/water  vapor
> can
> escape; I've also noticed fluid collection around the sensor wires  that
> go
> into the top of the tank; not sure if that water comes from the crack;  do
> I need
> to patch the tank?  Does this relate to my coolant level gauge  problem?
> 8.  The guy had a platform built in the back with a foam bed on  top.  The
> bed is over the engine and extends over a built in storage chest  with
> velcro.
> In the middle is carpet, no seats.  Under the foam bed  is a piece of
> carpet.
> The carpet is old and sheds plastic "dirt".  Do  I need to replace the
> carpet
> under the bed?  What is best to replace it  with?  What should I use to
> protect the foam bed?  What is good to use  to put over the carpet for
> protection
> when walking around the center of the  vanagon?  Never say van, always
> vanagon,
> right?
> 9.  Do I need to undercoat the van?  I live 3 blocks from the  beach; is a
> fresh water wash once a week enough?  The vanagon came from the  Orlando
> area,
> which is not close to the beach, so this is the first time the van  will
> be
> exposed to ocean air.
> 10.  The woman said the van would sometimes have trouble starting and
> that
> the starter may need to be replaced.  After starting it 40 times in  one
> day,
> she said she had to let it cool down then it would start.  I have  not
> encountered any starting problems so far.  How do I know if it needs a
> new starter?
> How do I know if my starting sounds and quality are up to  par?
> 11.  When checking the transmission fluid, I run the van and heat it  up,
> 6
> miles, etc.  Then I put it in neutral and check the fluid,  right?  Of
> course,
> by mistake one time I forgot to take the parking brake  off and drove with
> the
> parking brake engaged.  Now the parking brake works  but you have to pull
> it
> all the way up.  I'm not sure if you had to pull it  all the way up before
> I
> drove with it on.  Did I mess up the parking brake  by driving with it on?
> Do
> I need to re-adjust the parking brake?  I  learned the hard way on that
> one.
> Also did the 6'8" clearance in the  indoor parking garage already!
> Luckily I
> only got some surface scratches  on the roof; hope they don't rust.
> 12.  One of the sliding windows had trouble locking.  The rubber  molding
> close to the unlocking mechanism was folded in and obstructing the
> closure of
> the window.  I just lift and push the window and it locks.   Should I glue
> down
> the molding and how do I repair this?  Also, lots of  rubber molding need
> to
> be glued down.  Around the engine seal under the  hood some of the molding
> is
> flapping.  Around the rear door by the lock,  etc.
> 13.  I've noticed that when driving hot air comes out by my  feet.  How do
> I
> adjust the AC?  Is it good to blow hot air off the  engine with the vents
> to
> aid engine cooling?  Should I redirect some  vents?   I probably wont need
> much
> heat in south Florida in  summertime.
> 14.  What should I keep my tire pressure at?  Tires are:   Firestone FR380
> P205/75R14 TLWS PS?  Inside the door says 36 front 48 back  but my
> Firestone
> have a 44 max PSI.  Also these tires are not the same as  the
> "standard/recommended" tire size on the inside of the door.
> 15.  I got seat covers, they fit but the arm rests stick out over the
> covers.  Is it best to cut holes in the covers; remove and replace the arm
> rests;
> or just let the covers stretch around the arm rests?  I really like  the
> graphic on the seat covers, it's called Aztec and has a Mayan guy
> decorating  the
> cover.
> 16.  How do I lubricate the sliding door?  I had door problems  with my
> 1975
> Combi van, so I'm sensitive to these doors.  What is the  correct way to
> open
> and close?  Do I need to use both hands, etc.?   What is the right motion?
> What is best to use to lubricate the  doors?  Do I need to wipe out any
> grime
> before lubricating?
> 17.  Do I use regular 87, mid-grade 89 or super 93 octane in my  vanagon?
> I
> put a tank of super in when I first bought it, now I use 89, is  this
> okay?
> 18.  She gave me lots of parts with the van, such as a fuel filter,  some
> wires, lots of window roll down handles, spark plugs, a belt, assorted
> fuses,
> fuel additive, transmission fluid galore, two funnels, two buckets,  a
> drink
> holder/cd/change holder,  etc.  What should I do with all this  stuff?
> 19.  Do I need to check the radiator in the front of the van?
> 20.  What is the best way to hang surfboards from the ceiling in the
> inside
> of the van?
> 21.  There is no front license plate holder.  If I want to  install a
> decorative front plate, do I need a front license plate holder?   Do I
> just screw it
> into the existing holes without a holder?  The holes  look very small with
> a
> clear plastic inside, are these stock?  There are  also larger holes, are
> these
> for the holder that I'm missing?  Should I  just scrap the front license
> plate idea, it's just for looks anyway?   Florida only requires a rear
> license
> plate.
> 22.  My other vehicle is a 1995 Honda del sol, the vanagon is much  better
> for surf trips and for transporting my bicycles.  I can get three
> surfboards on
> top of my del sol, but it takes alot of time to strap them on  safely and
> then remove them.  Any ideas about how to make the vanagon  better
> equipped to be
> my surf mobile?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Eric