Vanagon people!

[Geary]

Speeder, 3.3 SVX, 240 hp ..

[RWebb]

Yeh - the Vanagonista always make happy talk about how wonderful it is to be forced to slow down and contemplate the scenery. Well, there is a lot of real ugly scenery out there, and you can slow down as much as you want for the nicer spots, no matter how much oompa is pushing that 4x8 sheet of plywood down the road.

[KNS]

Seeing these pics makes one realize how far VW has strayed in the styling department. New VWs hold zero interest for me.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by RWebb

Honda mini-van is much nicer, more reliable, more modern...

So are hundreds of other vehicles that do not have the Vanagon's interior layout and use of space. It's my favorite ever, even the Eurovan that succeeded it does not compare. Like all VW campers before it, they are the ultimate vehicle when parked but lose some allure when in motion.

I prefer the smooth top greatly over the full camper because it's a schitload lighter and lower and can be more easily made into a decent highway cruiser. It also looks a lot more low-key when parked and occupied. I know what I would use it for and I'm not looking for advice on whether to get a camper vs. Wolfsburg vs. other vehicle. I know them all very well.

If you own a full camper and enjoy it, I think that's great.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

I had this one, the blue one then the white one, with the Subi, best choice I made was pulling that old thing out and putting in the Subi. Plus the bumpers and 15" wheels, lots of other upgrades to make it drivable.

Very nice. My personal favorite is the blue Wolfsburg, (1988 only?), I'd like to find a clean one with a blown engine and put a Subie or TDI in it.

I agree with Island that nothing is going to make it into some sports car but a little more torque than stock would be nice out on the highway, especially in high elevations.

[island911]

The best part of a motor swap is the fuel economy. (knock detection is a great thing) But the cost of the swap will buy a life-time of fuel. IMO, as nice as Dean's van is, I wouldn't swap engines unless it was a six (SVX or 996...) That is, the 4-cyclinder Subie is an improvement for sure - just not enough improvement to land in the elbow of this engineer's curve.

To Webbs comments on Speed. Seriously? If you want to avoid the "ugly scenery" buy a plane ticket.
Even if you have the power to push the barn beyond 90mph are you really going to? The things are noisy enough at 50-70mph (road and wind noise). I suggest a pair of Bose NC headphones for the Vanagon road warriors out there. And then there is the fuel consumption of pushing a barn along at 90mph. Your average mph really drops when range drops to 150 miles. (or less).

ps, the best fight against elevation starvation is a turbo. (see airplane engine design)

[ckissick]

How to push a brick down a race track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLFGPl1Kdk

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sorry about your luck Denis, that shows a real lack of integrity. If this is someone that you regularly do business with, be glad that they showed their true colors before it really hurt you.

As for the van, keep looking. I want to live vicariously through you. My dad had a diesel Vanagon when I was a kid, I remember that the shift handle seemed about 4' long, it was always the slowest car on the road, and that the gas fired rear heater would cook us in about 5 seconds. Cool vans, I'd love to have a Syncro.

[RWebb]

planes only land at airports in case you didn't know isly

I've kept my stock motor for the reasons he gives tho - the safety, wind noise, power, and lack o f a/c will hopefully be addressed if VW ever comes out with a follow on vehicle (and I don't mean the Eurovan or anything that looks like it)

Dennis - I was just curious about why you want a tintop; not a criticism of your desires