Volks,

Please take a look at what's below here, and then *trim your
replies.*  We were doing pretty well for a while, but it's starting
to get out of hand again.

Yours,
David

At 07:23 PM 5/21/2010, Doug wrote:
>You lured me out of the woodwork, Scott, but only to say here here!  I
>totally agree with you regarding the uniqueness and functionality of the
>Vanagon. And, although I don't possess your mechanical perspective, I see
>the design to be well engineered and built..
>Thanks Volkswagen
>Doug E.
>'84  Van-Go
>'67 vw convertible  Vert-i-go
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 2:46 PM
>Subject: Re: Vanagon Woes
>
>
>About how poorly made vanagons are supposedly, according to one of our
>favorite posters below ...
>give me a break !
>The vans are what .....25=plus years old.
>Of course some rubber boots are going to be worn out here and there.
>But you might notice most of the hard parts...the suspension, the trans, the
>linkages ....and all sorts of mechanical things on them are made very, very
>well....particularily considering it's a 'people's car' ..
>not built to Mercedes prices and qualtity for sure, but darn good for what
>they are.
>
>and I am very critical of many things..so for me, if I'm saying most parts
>of vanagons are built pretty well....well, I don't say that lightly at all.
>I am more likely to find lots of fualts with many designs and mechanisms...
>and vanagons, overall, they ain't bad at all.
>
>wherever wires are subject to constant flex, like overdrive switch wires on
>volvo's for the button on the shifter, like power window wires on vanagon's
>driver's doors.....
>Normal grade wires do not do well with constant flexing.  Granted, they
>could have done something better there, but I don't think VW was all that
>sloppy or cheap there either.
>
>Also...*all* front wheel drive sideways engine cars are inherantly much
>harder to work on than vanagons, or cars with inline-mounted front engines.
>IF maybe from the first ever cars they had sideways front engines they would
>be easier to work on,
>but all sideways front engine cars use engine designs  that evolved from
>inline-mounted engines. It is just naturally going to be harder to work on
>the timing belt that's close to the fender.
>and it is the nature of FWD cars to pack a lot into a small space...
>so I'd say 'it's normal' that a jetta is somewhat hard to work on. I don't
>even touch them myself..
>if someone asked me to work on a jetta, it might as well be a Honda as far
>as I'm concerned...becuase I focus on really great vans..ones that are
>overall, pretty nice to work on .....that would be water-cooled vanagons of
>all types...
>
>and if anyone thinks a 2WD vanagon is 'difficult' ...try a Sncro, Until you
>learn the tricks on those ...those are demanding, let's say.
>
>it's all the the mood/perception you know.
>if I'm in a bad mood ...I can find fault like crazy with anything.
>and of course......if we hear someone really bitching a lot about vanagons
>...
>naturally we think ....we'll if they think they are that bad, they shouldn't
>own one ..
>or maybe we think ' I guess they get a lot of value out of being pissed off
>about how bad they think their van is" etc.
>
>so mabye we'll just look at it that way, they guy gets off on being upset
>about how poor he thinks vanagons are.
>Such people should perhaps own Fords or whatever.  No car is perfect.
>
>and I'd say it's getting more and more indisputable that vanagons over a
>combintaion of utiility, fun, usuefulness, community, and something you can
>work on yourself ...that even with  two plus decades old design, can still
>operte in modern times mostly like a modern vehicle, especially up grades.
>It's like......what Vanagons offer and are capable of ...you just can't
>touch that.; Nothing but nothing else will do all that a vanagon can
>.....especially within the price range, and the technolgy is not bad...not
>too complicaed.  They're awesome, and they are only going to go up in value
>cause there just ain't nothing else that delivers the whole package like
>vanagons can .....even if they have some faults here and there !
>
>trying to stop here ...
>but these vans are SO GOOD ..and there are only so many of them ...
>I hate to see any parted out. If crashed or rusted to a real mess, fine, but
>otherwise....any non-rusted , non-crashed body is irreplaceable and quite
>valuble. Please don't rape them to get parts .....like take what is useful
>to you, trash the rest.  They are far too precious for that, if the
>body/chassis is still good. And like an aircraft...if you take care of the
>frame/body/wiring etc...
>they are endlessly rebuildable. They don't have a finite life. They can be
>refurbished indefenitly - *and that's not even hard to do !! *
>I hope we don't run out of gas and oil....and driving stays a lot like we
>know it currently  for a long time yet, ...and we'll be enjoying these fine
>vehciles for a long, long time;    Heck, ..really Vangons are sitll on the
>rising part of the curve !  They are now just beginning to come into their
>true 'power' and value.   The oportunity is there in spades, to treasure,
>value, and enjoy them for a long time yet, and they are very worthy of that
>kind of emotional/financial/enrgetic investment. Darn near priceless even,
>if you can just see that.
>
>Scott
>www.turbovans.com
>
>Scott
>www.turbovovans.com
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 1:29 PM
>Subject: Re: Vanagon Woes
>
>
>Never have had broken wires leading to the door.  Of course, the only thing
>electrical in my door is the mirrors.
>
>---- Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>>" Is there anyone on the list who doesn't have broken wires in the harness
>>connecting the doors with the body?"
>>
>>Not me, I fixed 'em a couple of weeks ago. Finally.
>>
>>Stephen
>>
>>
>>--- On Fri, 5/21/10, Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>
>>
>>From: Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
>>Subject: Vanagon Woes
>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>Date: Friday, May 21, 2010, 12:59 AM
>>
>>
>>One has to look at Vanagon from under to understand why Germans lost the
>>WW
>>II. Nothing made in Germany is simple. When I do maintenance and even
>>minor
>>repair on my 1991 diesel Jetta and 1987 Westy my frustrations are
>>expressed
>>in words one can hear a mile away during the hottest hours of portuguese
>>day. Access to practically everything is limited at least. By now my
>>Westy,
>>while looking new outside has every boot everywhere rotted, falling apart,
>>including the shifter ball boot. Both rear door grommets are gone.
>>Germans must learn how to chrome plate plastics. I am positive that
>>everybody, except living in a rain forest, noticed how wood inside Westy
>>has
>>shrunk, got out of flatnest. Look at wood furniture plastic trim. It
>>srunked, got out of the securing groove. Is that a heralded GERMAN
>>ENGINEERING? In just the first year I wrote to VW AG a letter listing 18
>>defects. ( both window motors failed, AC lost freon and compressor failed,
>>propane leaked out, headlight switch, heater switches both melted,
>>odometer
>>stopped counting, original Continental tires horribly cracked.....and on
>>and
>>on. Is there anyone on the list who doesn't have broken wires in the
>>harness connecting the doors with the body? One has to read the the
>>messages
>>appearing on my inbox list to see that Vanagon is an owner headache and a
>>blessing for the reapairmen. Till the last Vanagon will be scrapped they
>>shall not worry about the security of their jobs!
>>Convenience Vanagon offers carries a heavy price. Read the message below
>>mine and see for yourself reading the last sentense. Ark
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Jim Johnston" <inmytree1@GMAIL.COM>
>>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:27 AM
>>Subject: Manual Shifter Woes
>>
>>
>> >I had to replace the shifter ball on my 4-speed manual transmission in my
>> > 1991 GL. Now I can't get into reverse. I push down and over, and it goes
>> > into first. I'm following the Bentley procedure to align the shifter. I
>> > am
>> > missing a plastic tab on the front shift rod, but didn't think that
>> > would
>> > be
>> > that big of an issue. Anyone else run into this? Any ideas or guidance?
>> >
>> > I have to say, trying to get the shifter lined up has been one of the
>> > most
>> > frustrating jobs I've done on my Vanagon.
>> >
>> >
>> > Jim
>> > Wilmington, NC
>
>
>
>
>--
>David McNeely