I've been reading a lot of this stuff .....

Post by **HarryMann** » 28 Apr 2006, 22:09

Maybe the Guiness took hold before finishing with ...

...greater than 5mm.

or he'd forgotten the sunscreen

Post by **Macflai** » 28 Apr 2006, 22:20

Andrew, I hope you have guinness at your place. Pray if not!

Post by **jokerdub** » 28 Apr 2006, 23:53

You complete set of blinkered one minded c u next tuesadays.
Kick me of this forum please as I cant see me ever gettin any sense out of any one.
Men wouldnt need to hide behind a keyboard to argue! Pussies!!!!!!!!

Post by **HarryMann** » 29 Apr 2006, 02:43

What's the problem - everybody's put their views, some held back a bit and others vent forth, an issue was aired, and conclusions reached, sortof.

Letting people do as they please

isn't always the answer, there's far too many out there who do that at the moment, without any regard to all the others they affect.

As an anecdote (maybe antidote as well) to this topic, I bought my first T25 just a few years a go on a love a first sight thing, based on seeing a nice syncro van driving down my street, and immediately reflected back to when my younger brother had one.

He bought a brand new 1984 1.9, 5-speed panel van for his flooring business... and proceeded to drive it as if it was a sporty coupe, his normal style of driving, relying on good reflexes, sharp eyesight and natural flair for driving, but not a really thoughtful one. And potentially a (big) accident waiting to happen was the general opinion - today's white-van man, in red T25.

But whether empty or full of carpets, underlay, tools and sometimes 4 fitters, he drove it many thousands of miles, on give and take A roads, long swervy B-road shortcuts, around towns and cities and long motorway distances - all absolutely flat out, unless the wife was aboard, which was rare.
I drove it quite a bit too, again, empty or heavily loaded and was mightily impressed. It stopped, went reasonably well when loaded, exceptionally well when empty(ish) and handled and held the road well - with safe characteristics at the limit, wet or dry. As with any vehicle, familiarity is useful when pushing on hard, but can also breed contempt - he therefore tested it thoroughly, no doubt got into a few scrapes, but 5 years later and probably 100,000 miles - it was getting knackered, those early metal coolant pipes started leaking where they went above the tank, we cut through the floor and bandaged them up succesfully; the gearbox gave out, he had it replaced etc.

But he was still alive, hadn't copped it overtaking crazily when overloaded, nor spun it, rolled it nor ended up in a drainage ditch in the snow.

And I'd say, it was well fit for purpose and engineered from day one to be robust and safe under a wide range conditions - well engineered you could say. It wasn't modified at all - but it was new when he first started putting it to the test and to me at the time, it wasn't found wanting. It also earnt him a lot of money in that time - sheer ability to carry big loads, fast, over long distances whatever the roads were like.

They just can't be as abysmal as so many make out in standard form - but then we were coming from a totally different driving history - where this thing was a revelation for a van.

Post by **clash460** » 29 Apr 2006, 08:25

bought my first one for business in 89 1.7diesel bran spanking panel van
was my baby for 5 years
ran a business from it and had 5 since plus 2 T4`s and nothing comes close to it for the amount of room inside
Dr Who forget the Tardis (keep Billy Piper cos she is a babe) and get a T25 cos there is un arguably loads of room in them. does not matter if it is high, low ,pink big feck a*** wheels, they are just good vans (not perfect, but then they are MAN made)
I now have a syncro (love at first sight outside syncrospares)and am using it for business now, not because it is a syncro, but because I like it and it does the job as good as any van in its size range
as for the reason the thread was started, keep em safe and there is good advice on the forums, just sift out the "pooh" and as with any project in mind, word of mouth usually counts for a lot
so put on a

and think what it would be like without the 80-90 site(or Brickyard etc) and how much easier and enjoyable it makes some of our time on this planet

Post by **jokerdub** » 29 Apr 2006, 08:58

I will appologise for my rant and to anyone who may have been upset by it.
I can see all sides of any argument and I think its better ended here.

I had had a few Guinness`s last night and feel a tad rough today (and I at work)
Happy motoring guys n gals, whether up in the clouds in a syncro, or in the weeds in a low rider.

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 29 Apr 2006, 12:44

Why is it the people who have a problem with lowered vans seem to drive Syncros?
Not that there is anything wrong with a syncro, just a different mindset, thats all.

Post by **Louey** » 29 Apr 2006, 13:10

I love the look of lowered vans - well, most of them

I love the idea of having a Syncro - will have to settle with a Panda or Suzuki

I can't be arsed to read all of this thread, I've read some of it. Its always the same ol sh*t.......lowered is the nads, lowered is crap and so on...

If I didn't have a weighed down camper I would probably slam mine about 45mm - wouldn't go more after the hassle I used to have with my Nova

. A lowered van can cope in a camping field, probably have more hassle on a urban road with those really harsh speed bumps..

Anyway I digrese

All sides, get your attitudes sorted out, its not your van that is being messed with,

Your van

Your choice

But, just do it safely

and do it right

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 29 Apr 2006, 13:22

The voice of reason.

Post by **Louey** » 29 Apr 2006, 13:26

Simon Baxter wrote:
The voice of reason.

too right

Post by **syncropaddy** » 29 Apr 2006, 18:08

But, just do it safely

and do it right

there is good advice on the forums, just sift out the pooh

Which brings us nicely back to the start.

I had had a few Guinness`s last night and feel a tad rough today

jokerdub, you should not have to apologise for your opinion and the Guinness must have been off !!

I have nothing against lowered vans, Custom vans, whatever vans. My point is do it right, use basic engineering principles, do not bodge and if you cant do those simple things then get someone who can.

Now back out to the garden, pint in hand. Now where did I put that sunscreen ............

Post by **clash460** » 29 Apr 2006, 18:11

Simon Baxter wrote:Why is it the people who have a problem with lowered vans seem to drive Syncros?
Not that there is anything wrong with a syncro, just a different mindset, thats all.

not all of us Simon
reckon your van is the dogs "Balls" and would have deffinatley bought it if I had seen it last year
course not so sure about the nato radar reflective olive green

Post by **EarthWormJim** » 29 Apr 2006, 18:25

I like most vehicles not just vw's from lorries to big V8 hot rods but its everyone to their own.

Whatever projects we do just make sure its safe for you,the family and others and everything will be cool have fun and enjoy your rides whatever you do with them

Post by **Macflai** » 30 Apr 2006, 09:58

Some videos...

First one a T1 burning tires...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... vw&pl=true

And second a T2 flying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loPHiH2m3Io

Dunno what these people think about when they do that

Post by **Cate** » 30 Apr 2006, 18:58

I think its called more money than sense?

I drive a syncro, I don't have any problems with lowered vans, blinged, or whatever, each love their van for their own reason, no worries.
Just as long as mods are safe, if people want to do 'out of the ordinary' things to their van, then ok, they can, but as long as they don't bring anyone else into the death trap arrangement.