sorry, hank, you're gonna get this twice (i sent it straight back at the
sender, not to the list).

>Are older bus and Vanagon CV joints the same (interchangeable)???

well, i was all set to jump up and yell 'OF COURSE!!' ... then i thought,
it has been a long time. so i'll go check. from the infamous parts fiches:
(as of 1992)
Vanagon Constant Velocity Joint, with boot, with grease: 251-598-101
    (and coincidently, i had called my dealer about the
    price earlier today: discounted, the joint/boot/grease kit is $120. ouch).
    FLAPS has it for $100. still ouch.
Bus Constant Velocity Joint, with boot, with grease:     211-598-101

now, while the part numbers ARE different, i check my old papers on my 1980
Vanagon:  at 40,986 miles, i replaced all four cv joints with 211-501-331B
joints, that i got from a FLAPS (not the dealer) but that's the number that
was stamped in the side of the joint. cost (back then): $212 for four joints
and four boots.

a couple of slightly odd points of interest:
vanagon automatic transmissions need different drive shafts (axles) than do
the vanagon manual transmissions.
bus auto trans apparently do not.

for you eurovan nuts, your cv joint/boot/grease depends on whether it is
an outer (701-498-099) or an inner (701-498-103). sorry.

>I was looking at some prices listed in a magazine for good bus joints, and
>they are cheaper than my best price I've gotten for Vanagon joints.

when i called my FLAPS to get that $100 price, i told him what year bus and
i do believe he told me that his book showed them all to be the same 211-
part number. the joints are made by Loebro anyway. and my advice to the
lovelorn is to put 1/2 tube of Valvoline Moly EP grease into each joint and
boot ... that little blue 'ketchup pack' is NOT enough grease!

joel