haynes or bently?

[islandwesty]

What's the consensus out there: Haynes or Bently manual for air-cooled Vanagon? I just picked up an '80 Westy for $500, needs major engine work, possibly a re-build. I have located '77 Porsche engine, and if the cost of rebuilding the existing engine approaches the cost of the Porsche, then... I am assuming the Bently would be better for someone considering a Porsche or Subaru swap, and the Haynes for maintaining status quo. Waddya think? Both?

[weinerwagen]

Haynes isnt even good for a drip pan absorbant! Too general and too little info. Bentley beats Haynes like Mike Tyson would do to Micheal Jackson! (well, maybe I could have come up with a better.... )
_________________
Retired attorney--Tort King.

[Deaffy]

I think the Haynes does have its place, though.

If you're not particularly mechanically inclined, the Haynes will walk you through some procedures rather than the Bentley which will just give you the "installation is reverse of removal" sorta stuff. Haynes is more for the do-it-yourselfer that is looking to save bucks; the Bentley is for the VW aficionado.

But for $10? Get a Haynes, too.

[mlf]

get both where one leaves u the other takes over

[M_atthewanderson]

I use both all the time.
_________________
1980 2.0 Sunroof Vanagon

[glutamodo]

Haynes books aren't terrible, now the Chilton ones, those are the ones that are so general as to be usable only for emergency toilet paper. In any case, the Bentley is better. Of course, this is a Vanagon, and the Vanagon book is more vague than the earlier Bentley books, and pretty expensive unless you can find a cheap used like an earlier printing that only covers early 80's models. For engine work, the engine is nearly identical to the late 70's Buses, so that manual would be OK, but only for engine work - it won't cover anything else on the Vanagon, not even engine removal.

andy

[Jeffrey Earl]

Both.

Each manual has its place in your VW library, and suits a different purpose. Here are my expanded comments regarding the Bentley vs. Haynes:

http://www.vanthology.com/1Layout/Technical/Technical.html

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

[dash451]

I really like the Bently.
They are kinda pricy though.