Very special "Anti-Fatigue" Vanagon seats, especially those with the spinner
knobs.  Can drive all day and still be ready for more.  I had 2 Chrysler
Concorde Lxi's and the seats would kill your back after 2 hours.

Pete
'79 Westy "Aardvark"
'87 Westy "Joe's Van"
WWW.Busesbythebeach.com

On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 7:01 PM, Chris S <szpejankowski@gmail.com> wrote:

> Don,
>
> I agree on all counts. They are not better on many individual counts
> than a modern vehicle, but the sum of its parts is certainly greater
> than the whole.
>
> I think the heater/vent controls are a good example. They are logical
> and provide a control no other vehicle matches. The four levers
> overwhelm many and the owners manual attempts to help by providing use
> patterns, but if understand their individual function and think a
> little the manual becomes superfluous. It's a case of following the
> Karma, Luke, as it is for the rest of the vehicle. If you don't get
> it, there's an automated, sanitizided and sterilized SUV out there
> with your name on it.
>
> 2009/11/23, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>:
> > After a few years owning my 84 van with a westie interior I've come to
> > appreciate it's uniqueness.  Vanagons are special.
> >
> >   Here's a few of my 'plusses', reasons why I'm glad to have my Vanagon,
> why
> > I wouldn't trade it for another vehicle:  In no particular order
> >
> > 1/  Size and shape.  Vanagons are short-ish in length, fit into most
> > garages, are car-width and you can 'walk around inside' if you stay bent
> > over.  The cargo area is at a convenient height to load things into or to
> > step into, even with something in your arms.  The rear 'deck' inside the
> > hatch is a good height for luggage and tools.
> >
> > 2/  They are remarkably agile and have good ground clearance.  The
> turning
> > radius is better than many small cars, certainly better than most other
> vans
> > or trucks.  You can see out of them easily, parallel park, even.  Dirt
> roads
> > aren't cause for special care...if other vehicles have made it,  a
> vanagon
> > should get through also.  They are relativly light so soft ground is
> > negotiable (within reason)  Rear wheel drive is a big plus for me.  Front
> > drive vehicles aren't fun downhill in low traction situations.  I'm
> simply
> > more at home with RWD vehicles handling behavior..especially a vehicle
> > without fancy computer traction control.
> >
> > 3/ They are sturdy.  Look how many are still on the roads.  Blasting down
> a
> > washboard road to the tip of Baja or commuting daily doesn't seem to send
> > them to the scrap yard very quickly.  Hanging a rack on the roof or
> jacking
> > up one corner of my van I often notice it's 'substance'..Not "tinny or
> > Plastic".
> >
> > 4/ They are assembled so that they can be 'worked on' fairly easily.
>  Things
> > in Vanagons can be removed and replaced, repaired and restored without
> tons
> > of special tools, without complex factory diagnostic consoles, etc etc
> > .
> > 5/  There is a good support system for the Vanagon.  This list, our own
> > specialty 'suppliers', many enthusiasts who'll give knowledgable advice.
> > Most known 'issues' have surfaced and the best "fixes" have long been
> > worked-out.
> >
> > 6/ Reasonably economical.  For a larger vehicle they have reasonable fuel
> > consumption.  The Westies do well compared to other campmobiles and the
> > regular hardtop vans compare favorably to bigger vans and even come close
> to
> >  the low passenger mini-vans.. Maintence, once caught up,  isn't a
> problem
> > for most.
> >
> > 7/...Special Features of my particular Vanagon:  I looked for the
> simplest
> > van I could get without "Power anything".  I have no options, no extra
> > anything and I love that simplicity.  No AC, cruise control,  power
> windows,
> > auto tranny..etc etc.  Not a lot of "stuff", extra stuff that I need to
> keep
> > operating in order to have my van working right.  I hate having stuff
> that
> > doesn't work...so if I had air conditioning and it broke...I would have
> to
> > fix it or it would bug me!  I don't have it, so I just lean across when I
> > get hot driving down the road and roll down the passenger window...
> >   I also like my inline gas 1.8liter rabbit/golf/jetta motor.  Simpler
> than
> > a WBX or a Subaru motor and gets better gas mileage with decent power.
> > Seems very dependable and low maintence in the ~40k miles I have on it
> since
> > I got the van.
> >
> >   So there is my positive post about what is fine about Vanagons...anyone
> > else?
> >   Don Hanson
> >
>
>
> --
> Chris S.
> Disclaimer: "Death and serious injury may occur"
>