>
> However one of the few things that I *DO* like about her bus is the thickness
> of the metal/sturdiness of the body. It is a rock. The Westys we have driven
> (1986-1990's) were comparably lacking in this department. "Tinny" when you
> close the sliding door, rattly and creaky over bumps and twists.
>
> Were the earlier air cooled westys sturdier/thicker metal? Any guidance would
> be appreciated, as I want to make a purchase this summer, and need to focus on
> what year models are appropriate for my desires/needs. The air cooled ones are
> looking very attractive. Is this one more reason to consider?
>
It's sturdy enough but I doubt it's any different than the later
Vanagons.  My '81 has a few rattles and squeaks, but it also has the
full West kit.  I was able to get rid of a lot of rattles by tightening
up the cabinet door latches so the doors weren't as loose when closed.
I still have a persistent metallic rattle that either seems to be
pop-top related or related to the rear seat/bed.  Still working on that.
I have a few rattles and squeaks from the dash but that's mainly due to
my stereo installation and the two broken tabs on my instrument cluster.

I don't seem to notice it being any sturdier or less sturdy than the '78
Bus I used to have.  I do note that on my old '78, when jacking up the
front of the Bus, the front doors would no longer close right due to
body twisting but that doesn't seem to be the case with my '81.

Sometimes the rattles do get annoying, the worst one I had was the metal
heat shield on the stove cover rattling against the stove grate when the
cover was closed.  Stuffed a towel in there and it's been silent since.

Of course the thing with the Vanagon Westies is that you have a huge
hole in the roof, so you lose some structural integrity right there.
But I'm happy with the solidness of my '81 as compared to my '78.

--
Sean Bartnik
Fredericksburg, Virginia
1981 Volkswagen Vanagon L Westfalia
1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible
http://www.type2.com/bartnik/myvan.htm
http://www.mwc.edu/~sbart7kb/vwbooks.htm