Very Very Surprised....

[James]

I had a massive surprise today. I got in Betty Custard today and she started first time, nothing fell off, she didn't combust, there was a small pause then she fired into life.

Then I remembered how much I enjoyed driving her and how much I like the space. I was out and about for work today, crossing the rather wet roads of East and Mid Devon. In fact I clocked 40 miles today travelling back and forth from Exeter and surrounding areas.

Do you know what, nothing went wrong, no trim fell off, Betty Custard just trundled along, not even complaining as her yellow paintwork became every increasingly covered in mud.

When I think about it, not much has gone wrong with Betty Custard, yes the roof is corroded but it is liveable and VW are sorting that. Some of the trim would shock a pound shop and the glovebox has never closed flush if the truth be told but it still feels solid and durable inside and on the plus side, the swarm of bees noise from behind the dash has gone over time.

I started thinking, I really enjoy this vehicle, it's big and people laugh that it is my daily driver but small lanes become easier when you're the bigger vehicle. And even when I am not camping there is loads of space in the front and the back for shopping.

I also realised that although T5's in all guises are very common down here, there's nothing quite like it, and that is a nice feeling to. I ignore the MPG now, and I've become used to having to work the gears a bit but the engine has settled in now and it's really quite nippy when it gets going.

At one stage today I was driving down the B3181, Cullompton to Broadclyst. It's a lovely road, not too fast and with some good dips and bends and fantastic scenery. I was able to push Betty Custard a bit and she dipped and pitched on her standard wheels and suspension but she still gave me excellent feedback, the chassis is good and responds well, there's some lovely feeling in the wheel and you're just able to accelerate nicely out of the bends. The straights are only 50mph but that's enough and with sun casting shadows across acres of green and sometimes flooded Devon landscape, it was hard not to enjoy life and Betty Custard

It's funny, we don't have many positive posts here, or so it seems, so perhaps this is my attempt to readdress the balance.

 

[Larkrise]

What a lovely post James. The forum is great to finding out and sharing stuff, but lovely to hear your account of what we hope will be an experience that we can share too soon.

 

[Custardtart]

Well I have to agree. I love my van to bits and get a massive grin on my chops every time I get in it.

Being a 7-seat Beach mine's used more for transport than camping - I love the amount of space inside and there's not much on the roads cooler than a nice VW T5!

 

[SimplyDubs]

Living the dream James

It is a lifestyle thing after all :cool

 

[James]

Living the dream James

It is a lifestyle thing after all :cool

When I had Pippa








I thought, I love these old VW's and I love this Multivan layout, and this Vanagon is seriously cool, but, but I just wish it was not such hard work to keep on the road (and fuel!!!!!!).

I thought if only they made a modern version, okay it wouldn't have the American 80's cool of Pippa but it would be a VW, it would be practical and I could personalise it.

And then there was Betty, life is tragic and fortunate in equal measure

And for a while Betty spent time with her distant ancestor



But Betty is a Veedub and nothing compares to the feeling.

Especially when like me you love Multivans

James

 

[SimplyDubs]

Especially when like me you love Multivans

So very true... and you know I share that passion

[album]260[/album]

 

[James]

Especially when like me you love Multivans

So very true... and you know I share that passion

[album]260[/album]

I try and pretend the T4 Multivan doesn't it exist, that way I don't go on Ebay and start looking at them.

I think the T4 Multivan is a very special vehicle, it was way ahead of its time really. Yours is gorgeous and you took the more difficult route of sourcing a great and rare RHD version

James

 

[Gasgas]

Well said James...I haven't got mine yet but when I do I hope to have a similar relationship.!!
When I was 18 years old I had an alfasud, wow what a car that was, everything fell off it but the engine never gave up and because of that I forgave it for all it's faults,great memories

 

[James]

Well said James...I haven't got mine yet but when I do I hope to have a similar relationship.!!
When I was 18 years old I had an alfasud, wow what a car that was, everything fell off it but the engine never gave up and because of that I forgave it for all it's faults,great memories

i know it's just metal and bolts and bits etc etc - but there is something very special about these vehicles

Ah the Sud - my Dad had one of the unfashionable 80's ones - X plate - beige 5 Door 1.5 - still fun but not quite the classic Sud, still ahead of some it's rivals though


James

 

[Larkrise]

Now you are getting me all nostalgic! Here's my daughter now in her 30's giving me a hand. The battery nearly fell through the floor and we struggled up hills (1200cc) with a van full of friends...but sitting up there (dangerous, nothing between us and the car in front, no seat belts) was a great feeling...we loved that van!

 

[James]

Now you are getting me all nostalgic! Here's my daughter now in her 30's giving me a hand. The battery nearly fell through the floor and we struggled up hills (1200cc) with a van full of friends...but sitting up there (dangerous, nothing between us and the car in front, no seat belts) was a great feeling...we loved that van!

:cool

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

Good post

Love the Vanagon too!

cheers

 

[bournemouthbeach]

Great post James...

We have only had JED since 10th of Jan and already we just love it...

As has been said it's a lifestyle change yes it cost more to run than our old car but it's what we can do with him, Our dog Fred just loves hanging out sat on the 3 seat bench in his bed with a massive grin on his face...

We're looking forward to may more happy years of motoring...

Cheers

Shaun,Vic,Fred,JED

 

[James]

Great post James...

We have only had JED since 10th of Jan and already we just love it...

As has been said it's a lifestyle change yes it cost more to run than our old car but it's what we can do with him, Our dog Fred just loves hanging out sat on the 3 seat bench in his bed with a massive grin on his face...

We're looking forward to may more happy years of motoring...

Cheers

Shaun,Vic,Fred,JED

And yours is the Blackberry colour :cool

 

[James]

Good post

Love the Vanagon too!

cheers

Thanks Alex

One of the last - Orly Blue metallic with silver areo kit, all factory standard, Carat Spec as well, which is rare. Electric windows, mirrors (heated), roof duct air con, era heater, cruise, they put everything on these

James

 

[SimplyDubs]

Good post

Love the Vanagon too!

cheers

Thanks Alex

One of the last - Orly Blue metallic with silver areo kit, all factory standard, Carat Spec as well, which is rare. Electric windows, mirrors (heated), roof duct air con, era heater, cruise, they put everything on these

James

Stunning van... stunning spec.

 

[James]

Good post

Love the Vanagon too!

cheers

Thanks Alex

One of the last - Orly Blue metallic with silver areo kit, all factory standard, Carat Spec as well, which is rare. Electric windows, mirrors (heated), roof duct air con, era heater, cruise, they put everything on these

James

Stunning van... stunning spec.

The American Vans always had more, or you could spec more, some people say the American T25 the Vanagon is a better vehicle than the Euro T25.

The american marketing was very different, the T25 was introduced and called Vanoagon to combine the words and van and wagon. They were not introduced as commercial vehicles but as Westy Campers and Microbuses. So from the off the aim was to provide vehicles that families would use everyday and offer car like features of the time. This is a very different philosophy of the european T25.

I don't know how true that is, certainly there was different door cards etc but the basic driving bits were the same. The South African T25's with the Audi engine are more certainly desirable to me.

I should say, many of the bits didn't work on Pippa and then you were left with trying to source T25 parts like cruise control which by and large never made it to Euro vans.

The engines were slightly different in the American Vans, all 2.1 Wasserboxer units but the 91bhp version not the 110 (I think) European version sometimes offered.

Lovely to drive though, auto box, power steering and comfortable. But because it was a na American van and bits were different, ECU for example, finding someone to look after it and who understood was nigh on impossible.

Any Pippa is for sale at present

https://www.facebook.com/PippaVwVanagon ... er?fref=ts

James

 

[gatvol]

I drove mine from Nottinghamshire to Staffordshire via Derbyshire a couple of weeks ago to look at some building materials.

There was sun, snow, rain .... Lovely roads, 1 in 5 hills, hairpin bends, single lane roads ...

It was a lovely drive. The van coped superbly with everything thrown at it. The dsg was a joy and made light work of the changing terrain. When I arrived in Leek I bought some food, sat in the back with the table out to have lunch. Excess shopping was happy in the fridge for the remainder of the day.

Beautiful ride back, very warm and comfortable inside. With the knowledge that I could sleep in it and eat in it if I got stranded.

Good Cali day. Nothing went wrong. No requirement to engage with VW dealers either.

 

[James]

I drove mine from Nottinghamshire to Staffordshire via Derbyshire a couple of weeks ago to look at some building materials.

There was sun, snow, rain .... Lovely roads, 1 in 5 hills, hairpin bends, single lane roads ...

It was a lovely drive. The van coped superbly with everything thrown at it. The dsg was a joy and made light work of the changing terrain. When I arrived in Leek I bought some food, sat in the back with the table out to have lunch. Excess shopping was happy in the fridge for the remainder of the day.

Beautiful ride back, very warm and comfortable inside. With the knowledge that I could sleep in it and eat in it if I got stranded.

Good Cali day. Nothing went wrong. No requirement to engage with VW dealers either.

That is what it is all about


James

 

[GrannyJen]

Thank you for putting a smile on my face James

Poor Albert has been feeling rather neglected, it has been a month since turning a wheel. Sadly for both him and me it has been 4 weeks of moving from one house to another, of selling a flat in London, the Awful weather and dreaded flu (I had the flu, not Albert).

Tomorrow though we will smile again together, we are off back to Cornall to continuew where we left off and I know in advance I am going to be gloriously happy and content by tomorrow night.