Saw a Vanagon today

"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform) 09/09/2017 at 16:32 • Filed to: None

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1987 GL. Engine needed a rebuild. My dad wanted to get one to slowly turn it into a mobile astrophotography lab. It was going to have a collapsible bench/bed, a table, and a whole bank of deep cycle batteries to power his gear, among other modifications.

But it would have costed something like $5,500 to have the engine rebuilt by Vanagon experts. Plus the cost to have the body repaired/repainted, and the interior modified, it would have been pretty expensive. He still wants one, but it’s a much lower priority now.

I have another burner, try to guess it! > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 16:42

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Wut ‘bout dat kar u were gonna c?

TheHondaBro > I have another burner, try to guess it! 09/09/2017 at 16:45

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http://oppositelock.kinja.com/saw-a-vanagon-today-1802955536

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 16:46

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Fun fact, my grandparents swore by VW vans until around 2000 when they got a Chevy Tracker to replace their by-then very worn out ‘83 Vanagon - grandpa was very sad to see it go. Before that, they had 2 or 3 VW ‘buses’ and loved them immensely. Their ‘83 Vanagon was also one of the last to have the air-cooled engines.

Many memories of long road trips in the summer to the US as a kid in that old brown box. :)

Steve in Manhattan > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 16:47

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If you can buy it cheap enough ...

TheHondaBro > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/09/2017 at 16:48

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When I was born we had a T4 Eurovan which we replaced with a Honda Odyssey in 2000. I don’t remember that thing, but from what I’m told it had a gutless hamster wheel for an engine and quirky electrics, but it was very big inside.

TheHondaBro > Steve in Manhattan 09/09/2017 at 16:48

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$1500-2000

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 16:53

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Yeah....I’ve heard the T4s were a bit terrible...

E92M3 > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 16:56

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We had a 84 when I was a kid. Used it to pit out of when I raced R/C cars. My stepdad took the middle seat out and built a easy to setup/remove workbench to use at the tracks.

He could find a used or remanufactured engine for way cheaper than that place charges.

I have another burner, try to guess it! > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 17:10

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Bruh we thought you meant a car 4 u.

Y u lie 2 us like dat?

I have another burner, try to guess it! > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 17:10

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That’s also a van, not a car :)

Steve in Manhattan > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 17:12

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That’s twice what it’s worth, and of course you could have a lot of fun rebuilding that engine yourself. Budget a clutch, water pump, throwout bearing, probably a clutch cable, mounts - when the engine’s out you might as well do all the stuff within reach. Oh, and belt(s).

duurtlang > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/09/2017 at 17:50

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Only in North America. I still see T4 work vans every day. Abused vans with a gazillion kilometers on their TDIs and manual gearboxes (no gas versions available I believe, or if they were probably with a take rate of <1%. Same with slushboxes)

bhtooefr > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 20:01

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You don’t rebuild the engines in those, you replace them with cheap Subaru EJ25s.

Less unreliable (although as I understand, EJ25s still blow up with alarming regularity in that application - then again, they blow up plenty in actual Subarus, so...), actually has enough power to get out of its own way, and far cheaper to replace when it blows up.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > duurtlang 09/09/2017 at 20:36

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Huh....were the ones we got built at a different factory maybe that they seem to be less reliable?

wafflesnfalafel > TheHondaBro 09/09/2017 at 22:33

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sounds like a Subaru swap candidate

duurtlang > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/10/2017 at 03:50

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I doubt it. I bet it’s mostly the difference in drive train. Those TDIs were very durable. Also, they’re a dime a dozen here and every mechanic can work on them blind, with one arm tied on his back.

When I look at a random used car website and select Amsterdam, 20 mile radius and look for VW Transporters I get 38 hits (1990-2002). The vast, vast majority panel vans or pickups. And this is a paid website so the vans will actually be available and I only selected a 20 mile radius from the city center.