:|:
It is good to live in a van. Just ask this guy!
Up-to-the-minute 9 Westy information! Every excruciating detail!
Yes, there's actually a mailing list devoted to the exceedingly obscure diesel vanagon.
:|:
9 Westy is a 1982 Diesel VW Vanagon Westfalia. The diesel engine is a 1.6l na (rabbit) engine crammed in the engine compartment (which was originally designed for an aircooled engine) at a 50 degree angle. On a good day it might generate as much as 50hp!
Having lived in NY for most of her life, 9 Westy is a little on the crusty side, but her camping equipment is in good condition, the engine seems to be good, and my mechanic and I have decided we can make a go of this thing.
After some major issues are dealt with, 9 Westy is destined to become an art car. Right now, I'm revamping the interior so she's more comfortable for camping. The exterior and rust and finish issues are next, and finally the full-on art stuff will happen. Though don't expect even the most basic renovations i do to this van to be conventional!
My Westy may be slow, but she's got a lot of other things going for her. I generally revile the modern SUV, especially if it's used as a daily driver for hauling suburban kids around. (My mom managed somehow to haul me around in a 1965 VW Beetle, and then in a 1976? Honda CVCC. And we had to walk uphill to school both ways back then, too!) But I've always loved the concept of a highly practical vehicle that can be taken into some interesting and remote places.
While 9 Westy is technically capable of running on biodiesel or straight vegetable oil, as far as I know she still has the old fuel lines which will break down and leak if exposed to full-strength biodiesel. However, I feel reasonably safe in giving her very small doses of biodiesel, which will hopefully have some benefit both for her engine, her fuel delivery system, and for the environment.
And yes, she is a she.
:|:
