Who are the Vanagon experts here?

I'm aware of some of the problems with the Wasserboxers, but I would like to hear from any experts.

I don't need a Syncro or Westy. Luckie and I just need a practical vehicle that's bigger than our 914s.

The Scirocco and GTI are going up for sale.

Thanks.

Subaru swap?

I am a mechanic at a VW dealership, TRUST ME. you do not want a vanagon, we will not even take them in to work on!! I heartily recommend either buying an asian or domestic van, or holding out until "Project M"- our new minivan arrives next year as a 2008.

any pics of the Scirocco and GTI?

I work on 'em, and I love 'em! In fact, I have an 85 you could have cheap, if you wanna do a Subie swap. Presentable, but not running. If you wanna do the motor, I can supply a good core in the deal. BTW, our family 84 vanagon gets used by EVERYBODY, and gets little care in return. 10 years without any major problems. The Cap'n

Here's the S1 16V. You don't want the GTI.

Why not get a VW camper and put a built type IV in it
Just gotta find a rust free one

or not

If you want a van - Get a VAN.
You can get a nice Chevy for cheap.

Gotta love the dealership. They fuck ya comin' and goin'.



Anyway, I'm what you might call.....ummmm........mechanically inclined, yes, that's it.

That would make me feel dirty.

I think I have one. I'm supposed to have one. I bought one last year but haven't went to get it. I should probably go pick it up.

I hate being so busy you can't remember where all your cars are....

I'm not an expert on the vans themselves, but I can probably answer any questions you might have about upgrades/accessories.

I myself have a 3/4 ton chevy van, because it can tow.

what's wrong w/ the GTi? i'm just searching for a cheap and reliable DD.

OK, here. 1996, 132k, new: tires, timing belt, h2o pump, brakes (including all rotors), windshield, head gasket, Panasonic head unit and clutch. $2800. Thule bars included, but not the bike racks.

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/218725831.html

Have you picked up Lucky's Snot Green Teener yet?

You can do a twofer.

darn! dont have enough, my budget is too low. im a grand short

And if you don't like that pic, Luckie has a dozen others just like it that might show a slightly different angle.

Thanks Greg. I looked at that one, but I don't want the mechanical expense of a Syncro and $7k is about $3k more than I want to spend.

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/215398552.html

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/214894690.html

Like John said... aside from the head gasket issues that some Vanagons escaped they are pretty solid vehicles. In this part of the country rust on the coolant pipes and the top of the fuel tank is the bigger problem. A suby conversion is the way to go... I know someone with a somewhat abandoned project if you're interested...



Most dealers turn away older cars because they have no techs with experience on them. Gotta ask yourself.. will that customer buy the new product when you don't support the old one?

OK, thanks Greg. So you know, I looked at everything in the US on Craigslist last night.

However, that '91 is close to what I'm seeking.

no problem. i search VW in Denver all the time, so no biggie.

but i'm with a john......Big vans rule. You should get a pretty lavender one like Brant's

His Van Rocks !

Nice thing about a Van, is they make great tow vehicles

I don't think I'll be coming to MA for a project, but I appreciate the info.

As for the dealership, the more I think about it, the more angry it makes me.

They're happy to sell you the vehicle, then later, they bad-mouth it and refuse to service it. I don't think I'll be taking any advice from a 'dealer tech' who works at a dealer that refuses to service the vehicle I'm asking about. I'm sure he's a real expert on the model.

I have a feeling that the 'dealership attitude' is going to keep my little shop busy with dealer haters like myself. Maybe I should specialize in Vanagons?

Joe, I *could* be interested in the 'rocco. How much and whats it's current status? Running, street legal, etc...

I saw the coolest "SingleCab" the other day used as a delivery truck for the local "Buggy Shop". They took a standard wasserboxer vanagon, and sliced off the rear portion of the "box" right up to and behind the drivers seat. They then spliced the rear "hatchback" frame door and all to the rear of the "cab" that they created. Some diamond plate to build a rear deck, and some nice wooden removable stakes. Nicely finished.. looked almost factory, but better because you know the guy paid not over $700 for the Vanagon....

Maybe you should ship a car down to KY for me to work on and keep running for you. I'll even put a megasquirt system on it for trade.

Ditto to that! '86 Dodge B250 here (owned it since it had 4300 miles). Best tow vehicle I owned. Capitans chairs, TV/VCR, fold down couch, etc. Used the heck out of it; fantastic on long trips (kids sit way in the back and watch TV); super comfortable. If that's what you're looking for, they (perhaps later vintage) can be had for cheap, domestic parts available anywhere for cheap, comparatively easy to work on, super reliable.

Andys

Even if they have people who can work on them, the rate is ridiculousy high. My buddy is a tech at the local VW dealership and said they had a late '70s SuperBeetle come in for brake work estimate: a little over $500. I was floored. I asked why because I knew he could easily do the work blindfolded (he's a T3 nut who worked at our shop for awhile) but he said that's just how the dealership is. Install new rear wheel cylinders and shoes was all that was needed.

Thank goodness I can do my own work and if I can't, I have a trust-worthy independant mechanic who can (water-pumper VW's).

I'm not sure I want the sell the Scirocco to anyone here.

It's a fun car, but it has SUPER stiff suspension due to its very low stance. It doesn't have a speedo. The heat works, but is turned on in the engine bay for the winter and then back off for the summer. It has no AC (never did). It has bump steer in a big way, again due to it being extremely lowered. It has no back seat (the entire rear is used as a cargo area). It needs a number of seals and trim pieces that are very hard to find. The paint is marginal. It needs a glove box.


etc, etc........

how much would the rocco go for? i normally see roccos at the local Pick A Part, so parts wouldnt be hard to come by.

Did you look on TheSamba?

Get a bread loaf

They're great, unless you want heat.

The gas heater will send you running. That heat is good, I'm getting a base model camper without the gas heater, and i'm sure i'll be adding it VERY soon

Better hurry, winter's coming. In the meantime get some blankets to wrap around your legs.

My 86 Vanagon (first year of the 2.1 liter) has 180,000 miles on original motor and tranny. The head leak problem is mainly form use of phosphate anitfreeze, and failure to change it every two years. Check out the Go Westy web site for info on engines, and transmissions, early (pre 90 I think) trannys had a failure mode, but mine has laster 180,000 miles so far.

They are very roomy and handle very good for a van, the weekender van rear seats fool down dead flat to a queen size bed, nice for camping. they also made a 4wd version called the Syncro. The camper versions are also nice, but you loose carrry capacity with all the cabinets (no 4X8 plywood in them, however the weekender version esily fits the plywood.) I cound carry two 13-14 foot kayaks INSIDE the vanagon! neat!!!!

engines (well built ones ) can be pricey. The wasserboxer engines are much better than the aircooled ones, more power, longer life, and quite. pre 86 vanagons came with a 1.9 liter engine, go for the 2.1 if you can, and the 90 up tranny was more better (see Go Wsty on transmission article) again i got 180K miles on my original engine and tranny. good luck

I had and 85 and 91. Other then the head gaskets and the need to properly bleed the coolant system, they were great. The seat were unusually comfortable and it handled quite wheel given its size. It is no speed demon, and it is very large inside.

If you need the shop manual I have one. Also it may be difficult to get people to work on them

My mistake, I thought you needed a vehicle reliable enough to put your wife and children in!! if that is not a problem the vanagon should be fine, also I suppose you will NEVER need to tow. in that case get a vanagon and let the repairs start piling up!! In defense I must say we have experinced techs that have been around since the vanagon was new- they just won't stay fixed, and as a dealer it is hard to convince people that - a month later something else is wrong with thier vanagon and they will have to pay to fix it again!! Just my $.02

Funny, my vanagon reliably towed a trailer up to Reno from San Jose area frequently and carried the family on many many long road trips, 180K miles and still going. Had no problems. friends love to borrow it to haul big items.

the main reliability issue was the phosphate antifreeze, and lack of changing it, there also have been plenty of cheap rebuild motors made. after all many folks thought when time to rebuild that its just a simple VW and tried themselves, not really knowing what they were doing maybe the replaced teh heads, doing a top end job on a tried motor, made teh compression wrong (not understanding how to set it up right) and they got a time bomb.

This is a key consideration in buying a van that is about 20 years old. If it was not maintained right, or cheaply rebuilt it can be a problem. not mauch different than a 914. A used $2000 vanagon would have simular potential issues as cheap $2000 914. Sure there ar esteal out there, however like any older vehicle, you need to understand the issues, the maintanence history, and make an informed purchase. A good vanagon with a properly rebuilt engine or low milage rwell maintained origianl engine might cost more at purchase, but save in the long run. then again, buy a cheap one,a dn save your money for correct repairs. Like buying a $6000 914 from an original owner that has low miles (or a quality rebuild) and good service records.

Want super relability, with no ris?, then buy a new vehicle with warrenty, or lease one. My fathers 8 year old chevy suburban, purchased 6 years ago (low milage) has been a huge maintanence nightmare, axles (stupid bearing failure destroyed the axle) door hinges needing replacement, coolant sytem failure, electrical issues etc.

do your research before purchase, and really understand the vanagon before purchase. Doing that will minimize the risk. Jump on the first 'steal" vanagon from someone that replaced teh heads himself with cheap parts,a dn can't tell you what compression ratio he set up, probably means trouble on ANY vehicle. The price may or may not refelect that.

I want a nice late model body and interior with an engine that pushes it around.

If/when the engine fails, I'll swap in a Suby and drive on.

"eurovan" with a 996 motor

Love mine, I have about 170k on it.

If the heads leak, you need to pul them, sandblast the corrosion pits, fill with JB weld and sand flat. Then paint with zinc chromate primer. The primer is the factory fix.

The leaks have been fine for about 30k.

Gas tanks can rust, Bus Depot sells new ones.

There was a fricking flaw in the trannys, some idiot designed square slots in some of the gears- (2&3). No radius means high stress concentration mean crack propagation and 1/3 of the gear falls off. Cost me 900 for a factory rebuild. If it was going to fail, it probably has done so by now. Factory fix was 89 or 90.

Great fun to drive, particularly if you trash the factory 14 inch steel rims and pick up some Mercedes or Audi 15 or 16 inch inch alloys. With 50/50 weight distribution, handling is great.

Now, If I could just get my van back from my daughter. She "borrowed" it while I work on her volvo and she has managed to smash it at 4 different places. Women drivers suck.

Ken

My 22 year old sister drives an 87 Vanagon. I was dead opposed to her buying it 5 or 6 years ago, but to this day she has had relatively few problems.

I replaced that black plastic coolant hose connector near the back - it broke, she has also replaced a starter and a steering rack since she has owned it.

She has driven it from CO to CA, up the coast to OR and back twice and has driven it daily for the past 5-6 yrs.

Just my experience with them, but I am surprised and it has even grown on me. I'd much rather own a vanagon now than a big SUV.

Umm, okay, don't belive me, it isn't my money being spent to fix it or me getting PXXed off at the expense, it was the customers who bought the vans to begin with, I hope the one you buy will be the exeption and not the rule, I was just giving my $.02 based on what I and other people who work on VW's for a living and have factory support to fix them have observed. Hopefully I am wrong, I like VW's ( that is why I work here at the dealer) it just isn't one of thier better models. happy hunting.

Warren, your opinion is painfully obvious. Now you're just acting like a know-it-all. Yes you work at the dealership, but guess what kind of cars come back to the dealership... broken ones. So you're seeing a biased sample of the population. You see the people who either don't take care of their cars or bought ones that the previous owner didn't take care of. You think Vanagons are pieces of shit. Got it. Move on and let the rest of us speak.

I hate to flame a new member.

Can only recommend the Vanagon. Over 14 years in my posession, by now at 240k
miles. Very reliable and fun to drive, same 50/50 distribution as 914. Bought my
Syncro with 100k miles. Engine developed head gasket problem at 170k, when my
friend, with whom I swapped cars for one day, insisted on driving to his shop, after
a hose sprung a leak. After VW dealer installed new heads, decided I wanted more power. Running for 5 years now with Suby xt6 6 cylinder, Porsche phone dials and also have a special towbar for 914, just in case, only needed once, when I bought
a non running 914. By all means go for it. Nice ones on Bay area craigslist. Dimitri

IIRC, it also needs a driver who puts the parking brake all the way on.......RRC05

I think I remember it rolling through the parking lot at 2am, but I had been drinking so maybe not.......

GET ONE!

My first car was an '81 Scirocco 'S'
My second car was an '86 Vanagon Weekender.

Great minds think alike, perhaps?

The van drove me and the girlfriend (now wife) up to Alaska in the winter among other places - with few problems. They are big and comfortable without being unwieldy.

Plus, leaning over that big wheel as you motor along is one of the great automotive sensations.

Umm, okay I apologize for seeming like a Know it all, not my intent, but yes I am biased. Like you say I only see broken ones. I agree if the guy wants the Vanagon, just buy it. Honestly, I really look at this site to get ideas for 914 projects so even talking about watercooled VW's is like being at work. Best of luck with the Vanagon. I have learned my lesson, If the post is not in reguards to 914's in the future I will ignore it to save myself and others aggrivation. best of luck. I care 10x more about finishing my 914 this year than any VW.