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Busdepot
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 1309
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 Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject: The KONI Shocks have arrived! |
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The "maybe last ever, maybe not" (those who have followed my travails with Koni know what I'm talking about) custom run of Koni shocks has arrived. These are the same shocks we did a couple of group buys on, thanks to Ratwell's initial contact with Koni. One thing I'll say for Koni is that their estimate was dead-on; three months ago they promised them at the end of November, and here it is November 28 and they showed up at my door!
For those unfamililar with the excitement over these shocks, see this thread, this thread, and this thread, among many others.
As before, this will be first come, first served, web orders only. I will do my best to pull them from the site as soon as the last set is sold, so no one who places an order is disappointed. We'll do our best to get them out the door quickly, but it may be a couple of extra days for delivery if we get deluged. Also a reminder that the fronts only fit '70-79 (although the rears fit '68-79).
Links:
Front
Rear
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- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com |
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blitzkrieg59
Samba Member
Joined: July 04, 2001
Posts: 873
Location: Davenport, Iowa
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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WOOHOO! Just ordered fronts and rears! CAN'T WAIT!!!
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SST X, XI, XII
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'65 Riviera Camper |
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whc03grady
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Joined: February 07, 2004
Posts: 337
Location: Livingston Montana
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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You won't regret them. On my first drive after installation the results were so dramatic that I was quite nearly reduced to tears. My wife concurred; this is how the VW bus is supposed to drive.
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1974 Westfalia "Ludwig"
1971 Squareback "Gertie"
Read about their adventures
| blankmange wrote: |
| The Bentley assumes that the car is complete. |
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regis101
Samba Member
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 2078
Location: Livermore, Ca
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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Yo grady, what setting(s) did you end up with?
Peace, Regis
78 campr |
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regis101
Samba Member
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 2078
Location: Livermore, Ca
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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Couldn't resist. Jumped on-line and ordered some fr & rr KONI's.
Peace, Regis
78 campr |
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MalibuLX3
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Joined: October 02, 2005
Posts: 821
Location: Rochester, MI
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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Man I sure do wish I had the money to get some Koni's...maybe one day
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1978 Westfalia |
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PDXpaulie
Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2004
Posts: 63
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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you won't regret spending the money.
long raving endorsement:
My front end handling was bad, and I blamed my pos shocks. I got in on the first group buy, and the ride was so much better, I was able to delay ball joint work... though I probably shouldn't have. I've since replaced the ball joints (bus-boys torsion arm swap), and upgraded the front sway bar. With all of the changes, I can drive in rush-hour traffic with the valleys in the interstates and the potholes - with one hand. There's one pothole just South of the OR217 flyover in the right-hand lane of I5 South. Any local knows it. I used that as my test for all changes. The biggest improvement was the shocks. Not the ball joints that were rattling in their cages when I replaced them. Not the swaybar. The shocks, man. Pre-shocks, I'd swerve to avoid it cuz it would toss me around. Now... one hand, straight through 
Best money I've spent on my bus was on those shocks.
_________________
1972 Westy (hapy):
engine: ALH TDI - in process
suspension: KONI shocks, upgraded front swaybar, new ball joints
other: '79 westy interior (orig front seats). |
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GreenBrick
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Joined: February 08, 2006
Posts: 967
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:23 am Post subject: |
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Yep - Count me in too. Just spent my Christmas bonus 
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Steve
'78 Westfalia 2.0L FI (Abigail) R.I.P. |
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whc03grady
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Joined: February 07, 2004
Posts: 337
Location: Livingston Montana
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Herbst '71
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Joined: April 14, 2004
Posts: 245
Location: Augusta, GA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:33 am Post subject: |
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I have to know. Is it 109.00 for a set of front Koni's or for one shock?
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Rik
'71 Deluxe/1600 DP
"Fortunately my mistakes are serving as a warning for others." |
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GreenBrick
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Joined: February 08, 2006
Posts: 967
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:39 am Post subject: |
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| Herbst '71 wrote: |
| I have to know. Is it 109.00 for a set of front Koni's or for one shock? |
Each.
I know, I've spent less than $400 for entire cars, but I am hoping they help the handling as much as I've read.
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Steve
'78 Westfalia 2.0L FI (Abigail) R.I.P. |
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Herbst '71
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Joined: April 14, 2004
Posts: 245
Location: Augusta, GA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:47 am Post subject: |
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Looks like I'll have to explain to the wife why I need to spend 400.00. Then again, maybe I'll order them and surprise her. Does a smoother ride in the passanger seat count as a Christmas Present?
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Rik
'71 Deluxe/1600 DP
"Fortunately my mistakes are serving as a warning for others." |
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poptop tom
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Joined: July 27, 2004
Posts: 1607
Location: The Hoosier State
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:59 am Post subject: |
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Rick,
Tell her it's the gift that keeps on giving!
Merry Christmas sweetheart!
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'76 Deluxe Campmobile |
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GreenBrick
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Joined: February 08, 2006
Posts: 967
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| poptop tom wrote: |
Rick,
Tell her it's the gift that keeps on giving!
Merry Christmas sweetheart! |
I hope that works. I plan on telling my wife the shocks are for her!
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Steve
'78 Westfalia 2.0L FI (Abigail) R.I.P. |
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covelo
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Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 825
Location: Fairfax, CA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| GreenBrick wrote: |
| poptop tom wrote: |
Rick,
Tell her it's the gift that keeps on giving!
Merry Christmas sweetheart! |
I hope that works. I plan on telling my wife the shocks are for her! |
I can second that. My girlfriend and I just came back from a long trip to Death Valley with lots of washboard, curves, 80mph wind gusts, and other challenges and she was very impressed with the poise and comfort of the bus, which is riding on four Konis. Absolutely the best addition I have made to my bus. Before I installed the Konis, a 45mph gust would have me straddling lanes; this time I never touched the lane markers despite some very strong winds in the Tehachapi pass and on 395.
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'80 Vanagon Westfalia
'72 Bay Window Westfalia (with 2L AVP engine and dual solex carbs) -- sold in 2009 |
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regis101
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Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 2078
Location: Livermore, Ca
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks grady. My first thought would be med-med to establish a personal baseline. Also knowing that the rear will prolly end up firmer than the front.
I'll read ratwells info. Good stuff there.
I'm actually a tad less than 200 lbs lighter because I gutted the 'ol westy. I do have a full width seat/bed from a 74. I keep the spare in the rear well. I may be able to go med-med. I should be at ~3200 lbs.
Regards, Regis
78 campr
covelo. How do you have your shocks set? |
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later
Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2004
Posts: 121
Location: Posen, Michigan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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After I got mine, I did a little test drive. I swerved back and forth between the white lines imagining that they were cones, (no traffic, country road). All I can say is WOW. It handled almost like a sports car. It now drives like a modern vehicle. It feels safer and it is much more relaxing to drive. Best 400 bucks I ever spent.
Gary
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"It could blow up at any time......but it should be OK."
(me) - "Im sorry Officer, its impossible to drive a straight line in a VW camper in a strong wind."
(Officer) - "Are you telling me sir that you are driving an unsafe vehicle?"...........(This no longer applys since installation of new Koni's.) |
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jaredm81
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Joined: August 02, 2006
Posts: 79
Location: Sinking Spring, PA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:06 am Post subject: |
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| I hope these help as much as everyone says they do. I wasn't going to buy them until I was out driving in high winds today. My hightop was just getting blown everywhere. I got home and dropped my $450. I really hope they help. I didn't really have the extra money but wanted to get them before they are gone. |
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covelo
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 825
Location: Fairfax, CA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| regis101 wrote: |
| covelo. How do you have your shocks set? |
The Ratwell recipe: soft in the front, half hard in the back. I find that makes it bouncy and pliant at the same time. I have had a number of different passengers comment on the comfort level. The only times when I wish I had them harder in the front is on curvy downhills (like in Yosemite) where there is a bit too much lean in the front, IMO. But I'm too lazy to adjust my shocks for those occasions.
_________________
'80 Vanagon Westfalia
'72 Bay Window Westfalia (with 2L AVP engine and dual solex carbs) -- sold in 2009 |
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covelo
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 825
Location: Fairfax, CA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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| jaredm81 wrote: |
| I hope these help as much as everyone says they do. I wasn't going to buy them until I was out driving in high winds today. My hightop was just getting blown everywhere. I got home and dropped my $450. I really hope they help. I didn't really have the extra money but wanted to get them before they are gone. |
I'm not sure whether you're in a particularly windy area there, but if you are I would also recommend good truck-rated tires. The stiffer sidewalls help a lot with strong winds as well, especially on a high top I would think. [/i]
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'80 Vanagon Westfalia
'72 Bay Window Westfalia (with 2L AVP engine and dual solex carbs) -- sold in 2009 |
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