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svswan Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2013 Posts: 71 Location: Olympia WA
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 6:55 am Post subject: Hula the Hyper Vanagon |
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I am now the proud new owner of a 1991 Vanagon ;-}
Though it was a pretty difficult negotiation with the prior owners wife to get a hold of it,
It's a pretty solid van despite the ~250K miles on the chassis. Many wear prone parts have been replaced and upgraded, tranny has been looked at and upgraded with a limited slip. The square headlights have been replaced with rounds + relays and H4 inserts and it's got Mercedes rims. Shifter has a short throw kit, or I think it does;
The mod that sold me on the van was the 2004 WRX 2L Turbo;
I don't see how much air gets through the inter-cooler with it stuffed up against the top of the engine bay, but there is a 1/2 inch or so above it... There is an oil cooler in the pass side vent channel. Zietgiest suggested getting the air cleaner farther up into the driver side vent channel which I will attempt. From what I have learned the motor was put in about 2008 with a Small Car kit. I think the modern kits are a bit more elegant. The headers on my van appear pretty creative -
but the install looks real clean and meticulous.
I've been thinking for years of a TDI vanagon, but every time I found one I liked it was way outside my price range. Couple that fact with how much I miss the '65 and '91 Mustangs I use to own and I fell hard for a Vanagon that could easily pass average traffic on an uphill climb. Though I have not tried to do donuts like I use to do in my Mustangs. Of course, it does not get the mileage a TDI would get... On my third tank of gas I almost managed 20 mpg.
I've been reading a lot here about brake upgrades and plan on G60's out of a Audi V8 and then rear disks. Before the brakes I am going to take care of a few small things. I have power windows, door locks and mirrors. The pass door lock will operate all the locks, but the driver door will not. I read about the A1 Electric kit and actual met Zeitgeist 13, a member that lives in my town, for a conversation on the key-less entry/alarm kit they sell. The kit should be here by the weekend ;-} The passenger door has been fitted with a hand crank, I assume the power window went out and the prior owner got lazy, couldn't trace the problem, there was a national shortage on replacement parts...? Going to tackle that after the new key-less kit. The mirrors work at least.
I buffed out the paint with an 8" foam buffing wheel using a #3 paste first, followed by a #7. The paint looks pretty good, save for the front;
it appears that a quarter million miles is rough an a snub nosed vehicles paint ;-} The clear coat on the top is also in bad shape. I think all I can do about that is carefully sand it off and then polish. I'm just going to leave the front the way it is until all the mechanical is handled, the shoot the nose from the door forward. My neighbor builds custom trucks and he is willing to help me with paint.
Another issue I want to address is a seemingly minor leak from the tranny shift shaft;
Hopefully I can just pop the linkage off, pry out the seal and tap in a new one. Probably not the 'correct' way to do it though I would love to know if anyone else has pulled off such a stunt.
The van has cc controls, but no vacuum motor or actuator. Wiring is still in the engine compartment though. Going to try a VW vacuum pump with a subbie diaphragm, anyone have luck with this?
Another 'hot' item on my list is the fact the heat lever on the HVAC will not go fully closed,
I skimmed through the thread where an amazingly meticulous member is striping and rebuilding his syncro with a custom undercarriage paint scheme and saw that he put a shut off valve in the coolant line to the front heater. Tempting... Need to read more on that.
Why 'Hula'? My mother in law gave me a little solar powered hula girl for the dashboard after I got the Van. Why 'Hyper'? 220+ horse power mated to a tranny originally geared to push a box down the freeway with only 90 horse power. It's fun, but a little frantic at times ;-}
Thanks for reading. I'm not new to cars but I have little experience with Vanagons, save for the '69 Bay I had in '85. I would love any input ya'll have and I will post any mods/learning opportunities I get into with Hula in this thread. It only took me 3 tries to figure out I had to right click on the image and select 'copy' instead of hit control + C to get the correct image text to post - I can this van handled ;-} _________________ Hula - '91 Carat with '03 Subaru JDM WRX 2.0T
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7682086#7682086 |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16474 Location: Brookeville, MD
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newfisher Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2012 Posts: 1764 Location: The wet spot--Oregon
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 7:38 am Post subject: |
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The Gorge Runner!
You got a good van with a good vibe, enjoy it.
My van was a roof peeler and rock chip collector too. I prepped and sprayed the roof with linex then immediately shot it with the base color and clear. Made a huge difference in the tin top noise at freeway speeds. I prepped the front panel and shot it with 3m rocker gaurd before base and clear. Works really well. The texture vs smooth finish took a bit to get used to but the positive comments from others validate that it doesnt look too bad. |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15129 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 7:45 am Post subject: |
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nice looking van and already converted and road tested is a bonus
but being that I have a turbo in my van, I have to say I'm skeptical of the effectiveness of that intercooler.
that's just being cheap, lazy and uninspired by the installer..
you should be able to plug in a blue tooth OBD-II unit and run a Torque app on a cell phone or tablet to see actual IAT temps.. need to see them when actually under load. _________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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narendra.vw Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2013 Posts: 440 Location: Bangalore India
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 8:21 am Post subject: |
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Wow, van has a rear stabilizer rod. That’s a bonus while cornering.One Mod is saved for you.
More pic of it’s mounting please. Thanks |
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Zeitgeist 13 Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009 Posts: 12103 Location: Port Manteau
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 8:55 am Post subject: |
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This is one of the best sorted out modified vans I've seen in person. The PO clearly put some thought and time into the effort. I don't know anything about those engines, but the IC seems to be pretty ineffective in that location. _________________ Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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rockfish Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007 Posts: 740 Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 10:14 am Post subject: |
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Love the photo of you and the PO "fighting" over your new ride.
Have fun! _________________ 89 Westy
GW 2.5 5-speed trans
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
- John Wooden |
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seventyfo Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007 Posts: 916 Location: Ocoee FL
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 10:38 am Post subject: |
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FWIW my Rancho rebuild has leaked from the selector shaft seal from day one. They sent me a new seal because I didn't want to take it out and send it back but the seal didn't stop it. It's not really a leak, just a little wet around the selector shaft, I finally just accepted it. _________________ 85 Vanagon GL Westy GW 2.2 (Rebuilt by YT)
"I don't know you well enough to care about your comments". Watkins Cravey |
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trbowgn Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013 Posts: 50 Location: Kalamazoo, MI
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 11:06 am Post subject: |
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Love the Van and the looks of the engine in there. My daily is an 04 WRX and I have always thought the WRX motor would work great in a van with all the torque these motors have.
As far as the intercooler, what would you guys suggest for a better location? Side mount like Ford use to do on the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe? |
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Zeitgeist 13 Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009 Posts: 12103 Location: Port Manteau
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 11:12 am Post subject: |
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An air to liquid IC would be my choice. That way the core could stay in roughly the same location, but the heat exchanger could be moved forward to gain access to more airflow. _________________ Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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Merian Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014 Posts: 5212 Location: Orygun
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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seems an odd choice of torque curves, but am curious to hear your driving impressions |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15129 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 1:15 pm Post subject: |
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water to air is the best (IMO) but most complicated system.
some air to air systems that run a fan 100% (yea I run a pump 100%) are noisey.. whirring into a campground after dark like a DRONE....
but there are challenges to where/how to place the front intercooler coolant radiator. mine is in lieu of AC
here's a great site to get familiar with for turbo'd van owners.
https://www.frozenboost.com/ _________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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Gizmoman Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2011 Posts: 1554 Location: Nevada
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
An air to liquid IC would be my choice. That way the core could stay in roughly the same location, but the heat exchanger could be moved forward to gain access to more airflow. |
I have a WAIC on my AAZ
I tried the small exchanger and fan concept. As was mentioned previously, it was loud and not welcome late into a camp site. Also embarrassing at stop lights.
I changed it out for a huge exchanger and no fan at all.
IAT usually runs a tad over 20F above ambient if I'm pushing it.
WAIC is tucked in (upper left)and the engine heat doesn't bother it
_________________ 82 Vanagon Westy - AAZ 1.9 TD, HE200 Holset, WAIC, 27.75 dia tires, Electric power steering, 5-speed AAP w/.078 5th
Oversize spare carrier - stock location (no longer for sale). |
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svswan Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2013 Posts: 71 Location: Olympia WA
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the info and feedback ;-} I got home late and will reply to everything tomorrow. Got my A1 Electric door kit/alarm today too. It's going to be a good weekend!
- Yup, the Gorge Runner. Never met Mark but I've heard a lot of good things about him. I have talked to Simon who helped him with it. I'll put more of that story in here too. Only fitting to give credit where credit is due ;-} _________________ Hula - '91 Carat with '03 Subaru JDM WRX 2.0T
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7682086#7682086 |
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lloydy Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2010 Posts: 715 Location: cheam surrey
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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Have a search for a Subaru Legacy charge cooler, they are designed to go in the same location as you intercooler. Could well be a plug and play option with the added bonus it was designed by subaru for your engine.
Here's a pic of one I have kicking about to give you an idea what they look like
[URL=http://s811.photobucket.com/user/lloydy2010/media/31A5B3C5-CAEB-4CC1-8546-E00D7DE9F64B.jpg.html][/UR _________________ 16" syncro multivan pop top AHU TDI
“Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life.” |
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Steve M. Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013 Posts: 6798 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 3:45 am Post subject: |
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I cannot help but think one good bouncing stone or other road debris and you have a hole in it.
Overall it looks like you're going to have a great summer! |
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squeegee_boy Samba Member
Joined: April 27, 2008 Posts: 758 Location: Langley, BC, Canada
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 8:53 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Hopefully I can just pop the linkage off, pry out the seal and tap in a new one. Probably not the 'correct' way to do it though I would love to know if anyone else has pulled off such a stunt. |
I've done this. It's a PITA, but possible. The procedure is exactly as you describe
Robyn _________________ 1984 FrankenSyncro Westy. EJ25 RMW kit
1971 Super Beetle with an EJ22. Oh yes. Daily driver |
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Zeitgeist 13 Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009 Posts: 12103 Location: Port Manteau
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 9:08 am Post subject: |
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Merian wrote: |
seems an odd choice of torque curves, but am curious to hear your driving impressions |
We were talking about gearing when he was over here, and I was wondering about the torque curve. I just looked it up, and peak torque occurs around 4k, which is way way up there. Wasn't expecting that, as I thought it would be more in line with the 1.8t, which peaks just below 2k.
When I've replaced those shifter seals, I've disconnected the linkage, then pulled the reverse switch cover off on the other side of the trans. This allows the selector shaft to be drawn back just enough to get in there with a seal puller to easily pry it out of the case. _________________ Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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svswan Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2013 Posts: 71 Location: Olympia WA
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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newfisher wrote: |
The Gorge Runner!... I prepped and sprayed the roof with linex then immediately shot it with the base color and clear. Made a huge difference in the tin top noise at freeway speeds. I prepped the front panel and shot it with 3m rocker guard before base and clear... |
Hey Newfisher - you know the van, can you tell me anything about it? I think Mark (prior owner) got it from the first owners. Susanne or Paige told me he picked it up in Montana and the original warentee card is still in it from a Montana dealer. Thin, I know, but it's kinda neat to think I'm the third owner.
I'll check into Linex and the 3m rock guard. I am thinking of shooting the front sometime soon. Was going to just try and burnish off the milky clear coat and then polish but if coating the top quiets the van down i'm game for that too. _________________ Hula - '91 Carat with '03 Subaru JDM WRX 2.0T
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7682086#7682086 |
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svswan Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2013 Posts: 71 Location: Olympia WA
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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danfromsyr wrote: |
...
you should be able to plug in a blue tooth OBD-II unit and run a Torque app on a cell phone or tablet to see actual IAT temps.. need to see them when actually under load. |
I have a scanner, have not checked temps at load yet though. I found a PLX Kiwi under the back seat. This is a device that lets me monitor OBD data via wifi on my iphone. Haven't got the thing connected to my phone though. It would be smart to see just how hot the intake is on the hot day. I don't plan to flog the thing much, but I want to be able to pass when heading into the mountains on hot day ;-} I thought it would be sweet to get a mini iPod or something and mount it with something screwed into the ash tray, then have gauges and such on that. _________________ Hula - '91 Carat with '03 Subaru JDM WRX 2.0T
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7682086#7682086 |
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