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vanjoe
Samba Member
Joined: December 25, 2009
Posts: 606
Location: Santa Maria
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 Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:34 pm Post subject: How hard do you drive your van? |
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I was driving around today and thought this would be an interesting topic on here. I myself drive my van hard. It to me is like driving a little Go Cart box. I don't abuse it I just drive fast. I also accelerate fast. These vans are a lot tougher than people give them credit for. So how bout you. How do you drive your precious van?
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1990 VW Vanagon tin top weekender Carat
1998 Mercedes S420
"Why is there never time to do it right the first time, but there is always time to do it twice?"
"Back to the basics!" |
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I drive mine harder than you do. |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7925
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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I baby mine: easy on the throttle, in most instances. 
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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Mathew Zelezen
Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2004
Posts: 547
Location: Graeagle, CA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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Nuh-uhhh Syncrodoka.. I drive mine harder than you do!
(well, at least I did when I lived in CO.. Phoenix is too dang tame.)
If I baby it and don't drive much, stuff breaks.
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87 Syncro Tintop
~Rocky J Motor
~Steedle Trans
Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been. |
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speedtek
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2010
Posts: 234
Location: Prince Albert, SK
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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I'll let you know once I dig it out of the snow  |
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Carleton
Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2010
Posts: 73
Location: Edwards, CO
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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I can say that I've never had a vehicle that I have to floor more. I tend to drive aggressively in the city and mellow on the highway, so that means a lot of flooring to try to keep up with traffic in the city....
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'87 Vanagon Wolfsburg Weekender |
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Beetsport 
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Sacramento, CA
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Nope, if you haven't pushed your van hard enough to put it on it's side you don't get the title. There is at least one member in this forum that can claim the title. |
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GMByers
Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008
Posts: 642
Location: Retired in NW PA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:05 am Post subject: Re: How hard do you drive your van? |
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| vanjoe wrote: |
| I just drive fast. I also accelerate fast. |
You sure you're driving a Vanagon? A Vanagon with a stock engine? Just asking because fast and fast acceleration don't seem to be be the character of any of Vanagons/Transporters....now Eurovan, that is a different story.
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And then there were two...downsized to 83 Doka &
74 Thing. |
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JED THE SPREAD
Samba Member
Joined: July 14, 2009
Posts: 626
Location: South London UK
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Zero419
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2008
Posts: 2160
Location: PA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:09 am Post subject: |
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Depends on my mood.
I usually drive it nice.
Sometimes I shift the auto to the redline.
I never take hard into the corners, it's a Vanagon for crying out loud!
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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec |
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fastwagens
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 1028
Location: Michigan (The other west coast)
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| Like a prom date. |
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cvbill
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2007
Posts: 208
Location: Carmel Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:05 am Post subject: |
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Syncrodoka is talking about me. Off to Death Valley tomorrow to 4x4 and rut in the mud and dirt with another eight or so Syncronuts. Ten days, if we make it that far........
Truck Hill Bill(y)
P.S. Sorry you can't make it Mario. Mario is The Big Sur Trailblazer and video freak (historian) |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:18 am Post subject: |
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Yep I go quite quick with mine, I very rarely go below 60mph.
well that time when I had to tow another vanagon for ~1,000 miles.. I did some below 60mph
| JED THE SPREAD wrote: |
Yep I go quite gentle with mine, I very rarely go above 60mph.
jed |
generally I'm usually bothered by all of the traffic that holds me up in front of me, not that many are backing up behind me..
had a Vr6 Eurovan at Watkins Glen race track one year, kept him behind me for ~2 full roadcourse laps.. but he did have ~70hp more than me.
I can do 60 in 3rd gear, well below redline.
Jetta I4 with a Aircooled trans 3rd gear is a windie one..
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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fastwagens
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 1028
Location: Michigan (The other west coast)
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:23 am Post subject: |
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| One more. I drive it like a rental. |
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hiram6
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2006
Posts: 1880
Location: Beautiful South
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:26 am Post subject: |
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I'll admit, I drive the snot out of mine. She likes it.
1.9L of unmitigated fury.
Sometimes I even shift the automatic manually. My automatic shiftpoints are way too low. It needs to go further up into the powerband before shifting.
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1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited
You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning. |
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joet
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2011
Posts: 55
Location: Amherst, MA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:35 am Post subject: |
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I accelerate hard, harder than any other car that I've owned. But, I try and shift like a surgeon (nearing 200k on original tranny...). It's kinda funny: hammer it, then gently clutch and shift, then hammer it. repeat.
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2003 Eurovan Weekender
Previously: 1987 Westy Weekender |
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fastwagens
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 1028
Location: Michigan (The other west coast)
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:36 am Post subject: |
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| hiram6 wrote: |
I'll admit, I drive the snot out of mine. She likes it.
1.9L of unmitigated fury.
Sometimes I even shift the automatic manually. My automatic shiftpoints are way too low. It needs to go further up into the powerband before shifting. |
I solved the slow auto tranny by backing it up with a vr6. After that I didn't care about early shifting. |
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Rodknock
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 516
Location: Boulder CO
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:38 am Post subject: |
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| I keep the tach in the green zone (4k and below), except when really needed to accelerate into traffic. |
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:40 am Post subject: |
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I am not a timid driver.  |
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