Hi All:

After our second daughter was born (and I was home part-time helping
out), I decided to buy a car.  I looked around but nothing caught my
eye.  Then, on a lark, I decided to check out an 81 Vanagon that was
listed in the local paper.  To make a long story short, $1900 later
it was mine.

"Daisy Boy," as my wife calls it (her?, him?)--it's goldish yellow
and tan--wouldn't pass smog.  After taking it to a couple of places
who could, "make it pass or $100," I decided to go the smog exemption
route.  I took it to the local VW dealer (that my brother, sisters,
and even father had used for many years) and told them that it wouldn't
pass smog, and I needed to register it.  I know, I should have made
the previous owner do it.  The mechanic sets the engine to-spec, and
tells me that the engine is, "really tired--needs a valve job."  Well,
I tell him that the $1500 for a valve job is almost as much as I paid
for it, so I'll, "drive it 'til it drops."  Finally, after dealing with
the oh-so-pleasant (NOT!) smog ref, I get my sticker/certificate.
Joy.

Question: What can I do--short of a valve job--to keep Daisy running
for a while?  It's got 138k, and the only things I'm doing are adding/
changing oil (it seems to use oil like there's no tomorrow) and putting
gas in it.

Assuming it makes it through the mild Nor Cal winter, I want to figure
out a way to sleep in it.  I'm going to be doing some mountain bike races
next spring/summer, and I'd like to save $$$ by camping.  The inside
is really spare: big middle bench seat that can be removed if some of
the fibre board floor covering (and carpet) are removed.  The rear fold-
down seat could be removed (I think), but I don't think it'll get me
much.  FWIW, I'm just inder 6' and weigh 190.  Worse comes to worse, I'll
lock the bike inside, and pitch a tent outside.

The gas gauge reads fine when full to 3/4, but then it drops like a
lead balloon.  Any clues on this?

I've got more ?'s, but I've rambled on long enough.

Mark Chandler
'81 Vanagon
'94 Balance
'93 Land Shark
'95 Rock Lobster (?)

-- 
Mark Chandler    510-975-4522        chandler@wc.novell.com
Novell, Inc.     Walnut Creek, CA    crosswords@aol.com