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Tue Dec 03, 2019 11:33 am

Wow, such a hot topic!!

For clarity, this is our third car. My wife drives a very reliable 4runner, she is also on board with keeping both!!

I'm leaning on keeping the van an selling the subaru. I work 9 miles away from home and 2 miles from Campus, ride share or good ol chevrolegs work well. I appreciate the insights, I got this van road worthy while finishing my undergrad and I've learned a lot on this forum to keep it running well. I'm not worried about break downs it's really the availability of parts that concern me, I can't ride down to the local parts store and pick something up.

I think what I have going for me is, I'm not strapped for cash we just like to have a certain amount in our savings account and the subbie dropped us below that. So each vehicle will replenish us back to that point. We aren't starving or worried about loosing the house, it's more of a security thing. When the van breaks down I can park it. That 8 months we were working on the van we had one car between the both of us. Sometimes it was hard but, the forced break to ride my bike to work was a pretty nice mental hiatus. Plus I love riding my bike, it's actually worth the same amount as the van or the subaru, I'm not riding a clapped out target bike.

The conversation this morning was lets keep the van and look at our budget to see if we can keep both. Each time I type not keeping the van I feel a little piece of me dying, I think I was being dramatic on the side of the road and letting the external circumstances get to me and blaming it on the van.

I want to continue making it a camping adventure van. I'm not into westy's (it has nothing to do with because I don't have one :roll: ) I want to throw a rooftop tent on the van and the typical awning for camping. I enjoyed the thought of break downs in the middle of a trip, that would be awesome to be forced to explore somewhere you didn't plan on. I've often thought we had kids to early and I didn't get a chance to get lost in South America or India. I think the local adventure is a good supplement. I only have a year and a half left in my program and the re-entry point will be much higher.

We will see what the CFO says but, for now I think I will be keeping the van.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:23 pm

eugenev wrote: We will see what the CFO says but, for now I think I will be keeping the van.
Wait... after so many here thought they knew more about your thoughts than you do? :wink:

Good Call in my opinion. When money's tight enough there's no food, well, do what Ya gotta do. I never got that sense here, and I've learned the hard way that experiences and memories are far more important than temporary financial hardship.

To say, we Americans prioritize money far too much. And if there's one perspective only taught by the road, it's hearing regret from previous self-imposed fiscal restraint over and over and over — from people now too old to do it right. To hell with money.

Enjoy the road with your family.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:26 pm

E1 wrote: eugenev wrote: We will see what the CFO says but, for now I think I will be keeping the van.
Wait... after so many here thought they knew more about your thoughts than you do? :wink:

Good Call in my opinion. When money's tight enough there's no food, well, do what Ya gotta do. I never got that sense here, and I've learned the hard way that experiences and memories are far more important than temporary financial hardship.

To say, we Americans prioritize money far too much. And if there's one perspective only taught by the road, it's hearing regret from previous self-imposed fiscal restraint over and over and over — from people now too old to do it right. To hell with money.

Enjoy the road with your family.

Another way to look at it is if the money got really tight you could live in the Vanagon much more comfortably than a Subaru. :-)

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:37 pm

Wildthings wrote:

Another way to look at it is if the money got really tight you could live in the Vanagon much more comfortably than a Subaru. :-)

That has always been my fall back plan...

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:44 pm

Keeping the van on hand for use as an emergency shelter is a valid reason for keeping it. I live in Oakland, CA. If the earthquakes don't get ya, the fires will!

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:44 pm

Where to start.
First since you live in a state where the posted speed limit is 65 mph on the vast majority of highways, forget about 72. We are talking about 95 hp not 195 hp with higher gearing. Enjoy the ride, I truly wish more people would.
They can be made quieter. VW made several changes in the last two years of production that can be retrofitted. PM me if you want the factory instructions. Your window seals are probably not in the best of shape and they can really add to the noise level. And yes they are a lot louder at 72 than at 65.
If you have loud tires research quieter ones. There is no need to run higher pressures than the door label calls for.
We have had ours for 33 years come February and hope to have it for the duration.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:52 pm

Unrelated thought. I was studying the picture of your van.
Fix the rust behind the windshield seal. At a minimum clean the rust off as much as possible and using a syringe or similar work some rust converter under the seal. When time and money permits remove the windshield and fix it properly.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:58 pm

dobryan wrote: Wildthings wrote:

Another way to look at it is if the money got really tight you could live in the Vanagon much more comfortably than a Subaru. :-)

That has always been my fall back plan...
All it takes is one medical issue to become a fall forward plan. :wink:

Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:04 pm

Okay okay. Keeping only one family car it has to be the Subaru. Yes it is 15 years old and we do not know the condition. But the A/C is nice, the Airbags are good as is the ABS and it has effective crumble zones and I suspect it is an automatic, all of the above are nearly mandatory in the greater LA area.
Get the kids through college etc. it is a real shame to let the van go, but.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:33 pm

Did we hear just what is wrong with the air conditioning yet? My original freon needed pumped out, then I put in Enviro-Safe direct replacement refrigerant.. got 1 can stop-seal, one can oil charge, and 3 cans of refrigerant, total of $28 delivered. Way cool, and way working air conditioning cooling.

https://www.amazon.com/Enviro-Safe-Vehicle-Refrige...amp;sr=1-1

Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:02 pm

Things I hate about my van:

1. It's slow....soooooo slow. I don't need to fly down the road but I would like to travel at 72mph on the highway and talk to my wife while doing so.

2. AC is out, not a huge concern right now but it's something I don't like

3. There is still an unknown about what will break next

1. engine swap

2. AC will never be very good

3. you can fix all the design deficiencies and all the old vehicle issues - once you do that you will have a fairly reliable vehicle that is only pagued by things like the crummy bron dash material and window cranks breaking, the dash itself falling apart and cracking, etc. -- those can be fixed too, tho at some cost

(I am at that level now)

So, I'd say to look at my sig. and the design deficiencies thread and fix those things, then use the van

or... get a Westy/Weekender

or.. a new van that won't break or fall apart (since you have a tin top)

or camping trailer for the Sube

Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:14 pm

bobbyblack wrote: Did we hear just what is wrong with the air conditioning yet? My original freon needed pumped out, then I put in Enviro-Safe direct replacement refrigerant.. got 1 can stop-seal, one can oil charge, and 3 cans of refrigerant, total of $28 delivered. Way cool, and way working air conditioning cooling.

Right now I'm not sure, there is a leak in one of the hoses and the compressor won't turn on. It needed a radio and AC (the two remaining "large" items to fix) I chose radio because sitting in the heat isn't so bad when you have good tunes on. It will be the next item on the list to fix then the windshield with the rust spot repair. After that it will be as it breaks project till we save up some more cash to do fun and future proofing things.

That deal is pretty good, until I can trick the compressor to turn on I won't buy anything. You can trick the system to turn on without freon. I'll likely be posting something about it in spring time. :lol:

Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:44 pm

Hey fellow IE denizen! Murrieta here. Also 3 car family. Also bus without AC. Also still below 75 mph (65-70mph just feels better in it) but by choice with a subie 2.2 in it.
My 2 cents...
Get a free/$20 bike and put it in the van. You're close enough to both work 'n school to make it if needed. An empty tin top sitting broken in Riverside isn't really going to be a big draw; is it? Pedal to destination and then handle bus business as needed.

A couple thou as a safety blanket can be slowly replenished. You've done it before.

If cash strapped, ditch the bus.

Money can be replaced, as can the VW.

Good luck, sounds like your life is on a good track and will only get better.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:15 pm

I don't think you've painted a picture of your finances that portrayed the reality you intended as this: eugenev wrote: It isn't in the cards to keep both right now, we need to put money back in our savings account.
Thanks!!
Is in direct conflict with this: eugenev wrote: I love riding my bike, it's actually worth the same amount as the van or the subaru, I'm not riding a clapped out target bike

Someone in the world I live in who truly "needs" to put money back in the bank account isn't rocking a four thousand dollar bicycle.

eugenev wrote: I only have a year and a half left in my program and the re-entry point will be much higher.

I highly doubt the market for gold/brown tintops will change dramatically in a year and a half.

eugenev wrote: Things I hate about my van:
There is still an unknown about what will break next

Doesnt match this eugenev wrote: I enjoyed the thought of break downs in the middle of a trip, that would be awesome to be forced to explore somewhere you didn't plan on.

To me it doesn't sound like you have your thoughts together. My advice is that you take some more time to actually think things through before you make any decision. Honestly, it sounds like you're looking for car-people company. Take a few weeks, go to a few cars and coffee, and then come back when you've got a clearer picture to paint.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:19 pm

fleet_maintenance wrote: I can't believe nobody has suggested swapping the subie motor into it. If you bought this van as a roller and got it back on the road in 8 months, you can definitely handle a motor conversion.

(I know this is likely not the practical answer, but vans...aren't really for practical people.)

Nobody has suggested it because the 2005 Leggy GT runs a turbocharged engine. Even if you solve the intercooler issue, you're sure as shit not gonna get it smogged.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:16 pm

May I suggest what I believe to be the greatest Vanagon Support Vehicle of them all, the 1988 Corolla. It has been called the most sensible vehicle ever made. Low-mileage examples can be had for less than you've spent on coolant for your van. At 30 years old, they no longer require monthly registration fees (in my state anyhow, not sure about CA). They can get 30mpg all tuned up, and insurance as a second car comes to a whopping $18/month.
Keep the van, ride the bike, and when the time-money continuum allows: more hp and taller 4th gear.

Tue Dec 03, 2019 11:34 pm

cawvin wrote: May I suggest what I believe to be the greatest Vanagon Support Vehicle of them all, the 1988 Corolla. It has been called the most sensible vehicle ever made. Low-mileage examples can be had for less than you've spent on coolant for your van. At 30 years old, they no longer require monthly registration fees (in my state anyhow, not sure about CA). They can get 30mpg all tuned up, and insurance as a second car comes to a whopping $18/month.
Keep the van, ride the bike, and when the time-money continuum allows: more hp and taller 4th gear.

There's nothing like the discount for buying the most sensible vehicle ever made when you buy it with a Chevy Nova badge on it. Maybe the discount isn't what it used to be but the '88 Toyota Nova was a good deal in the day.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.autoblog.com/amp/2017/11/08/junkyard-gem-1988-chevrolet-nova-sedan/