TheSamba.com :: View topic - Why buy a Vanagon Westy........I'll tell 'ya!

Thu May 19, 2005 5:51 pm

All you Vanagon owners out there.....please tell me why I will not be sorry purchasing a vanagon westy. What is it about your ride that makes it so special. I had a Bay and it was the best ride I ever had (the riding thorugh air thing....you may know what I mean). Anyway the vanagon (hope to test drive soon) must have special quirks about it as well.

Bays and Splits are great, but why is the vanagon ride just a bit better (please don't say because of the heater :!: ).

I am sure there are numerous others out there that would love to hear from you vanagon owners what makes your ride so special ... please tell :wink:

Thu May 19, 2005 8:20 pm

with the right tires they handle like a sports car compared to the bus and bays
plus the ride is smooth

Thu May 19, 2005 9:33 pm

It's like driving a new car! Hell it is a new car compared to my 66.

Fri May 20, 2005 6:18 am

mpg's better than suv's :D

Fri May 20, 2005 6:56 am

Well, I have never had a bay or split before, so I can't really compare; however, i have been inside these older busses, and personally, I like the space that the Vanagon Westy has inside better. Also, it has just a couple of more creature comforts (besides the heater). I also like the body lines of the vanagon better than the older busses (I don't know why, I just do). And they do drive nicely, too!

Fri May 20, 2005 6:57 am

I have carried home, myself.

A dishwasher,
A Dryer,
A stove
10 bags! of mulch

Try that with any other SUV, oh yea it get 20 MPG too!

Oh, and the thumbs up I get on the road - while going to a weekend campout.

:P

Oh yea, 3 pt seat belts, disk brakes, power brakes, 12 volt electrical system, handles well, has heat..... :roll:

Fri May 20, 2005 6:59 am

Courtesy of the previous owners, my '83 Westy still bears a lingering German-frat-boy funk of liverwurst and cheap hand lotion … That's pretty special.

Aside from that, you'll also find that the Vanagon-era Westies have a lot of improvements over the earlier Busses; a larger, roomier interior layout, updated styling of the cabinets and upholstery, a front-loading fridge that runs on LP, 12VDC, and 120VAC, and a wider passageway between the front seats. It still has the familiar cab-forward seating position and the excellent visibility that comes with that. As others have mentioned, the Vanagons boast superior handling thanks to many geometry improvements, not the least of which is the rack-and-pinion steering, though the Busses are reported to boast better traction in snow/ice and on rough dirt roads.

The pre-84 Vanagons used the same air-cooled motor as the later Bus, but, being heavier, they actually have LESS giddyup-and-go. The waterboxers found in post-83 Vanagons can certainly be more problematic than the simpler air-cooled engines, but proper care and maintenance, and advice found here, can prevent trouble.

Though I feel it still lacks the cheeky charm of the Bus, the Vanagon, especially the pre-1986, round-headlight version, is already beginning to assume a certain retro status, and I've been seeing it used in advertising to convey a certain youthful, urban hipness of the variety foisted on us by such cultural trendsetters as The Gap and Burger King. For whatever that's worth ...

Good luck!

Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
http://www.vanthology.com/

Fri May 20, 2005 7:33 am

I drove a Bay and 'caved in' to recently to drive a Wasser/Vanagon. Couldn't be happier.
It just does everything better: quieter, mpg, handling, room, view, etc. and it still has that nice opposed VW heart beat. For me, nostalgia only went so far....
Good hunting.

Fri May 20, 2005 8:28 am

I was always disappointed with the traction of a Vanagon compared to a splittie -- until I got a syncro. Now I'm completely sold, and have four (soon selling two).

Fri May 20, 2005 6:57 pm

I owned two bay window westies, which i loved, but i have to admit, my 81 vanagon westie, is the closest thing to driving a bay window. The things i love about the vanagon are: they are roomier inside, the brakes are better but they still have that "old school bus" kinda feel when u drive one! I love the face on the aircooled vanagons better than the watercooled. My westie is my baby. His name is gregory. I bought him on ebay and drove him 1000 miles home! He is the best!!!! Drive one, and you will be hooked! Good luck!

Mon May 23, 2005 12:54 pm

Because I tend to piss my wife off often :agrue: and the Vanagon sleeps far better than the couch, dog house, or the porch swing. I could Motel 8 but my spending habits being the cause of most fights, ](*,) spending a day or two in the Van gets me in my own bed much faster.
Besides, making up in the back of mine is a lot more fun then bed room. :-S

Tue May 24, 2005 6:01 pm

Well I've owned my vanagon westy for about 7 months now. I traded in a completely paid off 99 cavalier for it and dont regret it for a minute. Besides the fact that it simply put is a fun ride, I use it as dorm room between classes at the college I go to and cook lunch. And when I want to go escape for the weekend it doesnt cost 50 bucks a night at a hotel, only 14 bucks at a state park or none if I am in a "safe" place. And it hauls everything I need in it. I will probably never stop customizing it. And everywhere I go people will say something about it and stare, whether it be good or bad. Believe me nobody cares about a cavalier. And because to date I've passed four other westies on the road and ever time there is honk (he he) and wave. So that is why I like my westy. :roll: :wink:

Maybe that doesnt answer your question about the old vans but that is my 2 cents

Tue May 24, 2005 6:09 pm

..... do you think the view if a vanagon is better....more riding on air than a bay?

Hey Weinerwagan....for the record, you're great dude!!! Lost out on that diesel posted recently in samba classified, truly broke my heart .... i have been looking for MY vanagon westy for far too long (perhaps something other than a diesel will have to suffice). There is one diesel westy i always see at henry cowell redwood state park, the dude just totally loves life and his diesel westy.....driving slow with a big smile induced (remember I am close to Santa Cruz) by his vanagon view....for some reason this is very appealing to me....i guess I could still enjoy a non-diesel. Anyway.....

Tue May 24, 2005 8:51 pm

I had a few bay windows and nothing beats them for cruising style.
However, the vanagon is much plusher and more powerful than the 'ol bays. Quieter too.

Mike!