TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:40 pm

Interesting...I try to learn something every day, and today you're it! :wink:

- Dave

PS: Fixed it for ya:

Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:02 am

Yes that 84 hardtop Wolfy was pretty special. First vans to get power steering and tachs, also rear hatch window "jail bars". Some of them had the full size sliding sunroof. I see them come up for sale every now and then, always a little too thrashed for me.

That brochure photo shows a nice blue 84 but not a Wolfy.

Mark

TKentT wrote:
The Weekender package was first introduced with the 1984 Wolfsburg Special Edition. I bought one new. It was a tintop that came with the convertible rear seatbed, a standard 2-place center seat (no folding table like later Weekenders), sliding windows with screens and snap-in curtains. The upholstery was blue corduroy and vinyl, and the paint was only available in two colors -- either a dark navy blue, or a slightly lighter blue metallic .....

Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:00 am

crazyvwvanman wrote: Yes that 84 hardtop Wolfy was pretty special. First vans to get power steering and tachs, also rear hatch window "jail bars". Some of them had the full size sliding sunroof. I see them come up for sale every now and then, always a little too thrashed for me.

That brochure photo shows a nice blue 84 but not a Wolfy.

Mark

Correct. Here's a pic of the actual Wolfsburg Edition like I had:

Don't know why I can't get IMG tags to work... :cry:
[Moderator edit: image fixed... can't be any spaces between the img tags.]

Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:14 am

To post an image try this:

Click on the 'img' box
paste the url
click on the 'img' box again
Do not add spaces or any other characters.

When I do that I get this as the result. YMMV.

Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:25 am

I,m sorry if this has been covered in the post , but am I looking at a right hand drive , a double slider or a reversed image ?
Nice vanagon anyway you slice it .
The gas cap is on the left ...??? gotta be reversed image

Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:34 am

The tailpipe is on the wrong side too - so reversed image.

Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:36 am

I've got a VIN question as well. Mine starts out WV2T. GoWesty's VIN decoder does not list "T" in "Vehicle Series" categories. Anybody have an insight on what the T stands for?

Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:02 pm

TownesVanZandt wrote: Anybody have an insight on what the T stands for?

Nope, but it still bothers me to think that I can't find my copy of Rear View Mirror :P

Wed Aug 11, 2021 5:08 pm

I created this website to answer these sorts of questions.

www.Vanagons.org

For USA models, it covers all 12 years of Vanagons from 1980 to 1991 and has a description of each model for every year. Includes standard equipment lists, options, and price information where available. Each year's main page has a scanned brochure and some have additional brochures also.

Most years pages also include scans of some window stickers, which I've taken to be the most definitive source of information. Brochures track pretty closely with what was built, but window stickers have the most accurate info.

Jim Davis

Wed Aug 11, 2021 9:35 pm

Thanks Jim for all the work putting the Vanagons.org site together!

However, your Custom Vanagon fun page needs to be divided into a "wall of shame" and "really nice custom Vanagons" :wink:

It would also be really great if you could somehow salvage the tech articles from the old Syncro.org site on thewaybackmachine before it all disappears.

Here's a pic of a stock 1990 Vanagon GL Camper Syncro (except the tinted windows, the white VW emblem, and the POs plates of course). It doesn't look like this now!
And its Birth Certificate.

Sat May 13, 2023 8:47 pm

I am just trying to make the point that there needs to be some commonly understood descriptive to separate out the difference between a Carat -- A passenger van with a pull out bed and a pop top van with no kitchen.

Right now the term Weekender is being used for any thing with a bed. So if someone new came along and wanted a Weekender and bought it just off the word Weekender they could end up with an Passenger van.

I feel like a lone wolf here, but will continue to try and make my point.

Stacy

Sat May 13, 2023 10:55 pm

VW used the term "weekender" for tintops longer than that.

Here is an old Vanagon promotional video from VW that talks about it.
Skip to about 5:20 in to see VW calling a tiptop WEEKENDER and showing how to fold out the bed.

Mark

16CVs wrote: So for 1 year VW dubbed it Weekender and then realized that it interfered with a model actually called a weekender. Usually thinks morph into which ever is greater or stood the test of time.

So that would mean that any passenger van that the rear seat folds out is a Weekender?

Then what do we call a Carat, we all know a Carat has a folding bed and calling it a Weekender is a down grade.

I don't think it's Semantics at all.

Stacy

Sun May 14, 2023 4:08 am

crazyvwvanman wrote: VW used the term "weekender" for tintops longer than that.

Here is an old Vanagon promotional video from VW that talks about it.
Skip to about 5:20 in to see VW calling a tiptop WEEKENDER and showing how to fold out the bed.

Mark

16CVs wrote: So for 1 year VW dubbed it Weekender and then realized that it interfered with a model actually called a weekender. Usually thinks morph into which ever is greater or stood the test of time.

So that would mean that any passenger van that the rear seat folds out is a Weekender?

Then what do we call a Carat, we all know a Carat has a folding bed and calling it a Weekender is a down grade.

I don't think it's Semantics at all.

Stacy

Love how in the performance section the Vanagon passes a Porsche on the highway!
But yes, the term Weekender is used repeatedly for a GL Tintop.

Dave

Mon May 15, 2023 6:32 am

FIFY:

djkeev wrote: …the term WEEKENDER PACKAGE is used repeatedly for a GL Tintop.

Dave
8)

- Dave

Mon May 15, 2023 7:21 am

To be more accurate, the term WEEKENDER is used once with the word PACKAGE following it and then again without it, just THE WEEKENDER in possessive form.

Mark

dhaavers wrote: FIFY:

djkeev wrote: …the term WEEKENDER PACKAGE is used repeatedly for a GL Tintop.

Dave
8)

- Dave