Date:         Thu, 14 Dec 2000 22:04:57 -0500
Reply-To:     Sam Walters <slwalters@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Walters <slwalters@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: It's a girl!,
              son's first ride in a Vanagon and our new vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Volks!

Matthew Pollard's question about whether Loraine Marshall's first ride
(home from hospital) was in a vanagon leads me to pass on info about a
trip and some conversations I shared with my son on Tuesday of this
week.

My son Alex is 11 1/2 and his first ride was indeed in my 84 Vanagon
back on June 23, 1989, when I took his mother and him home from Johns
Hopkins Hospital here in Baltimore.  Thankfully that was when the van's
AC still worked as it was 102 degrees F at the time mom and child were
discharged.  Since then, we have traveled, vacationed, hauled bicycles,
groups of kids, and more in the van.  He loves it.  But after 15 years
and 175k miles, it has started to get tired, and has suffered several
fender benders in recent years.  So, when I saw a bit of a head leak
(3rd time) in late October, I started looking for a "new" vanagon - not
a new vehicle.  (I probably would not have done this if I had not
discovered "the list.")

After several starts and stops and almost going the route of an engine
conversion with Fast Forward into an '87 Wolfy (which I had bought for
$600), I luckily struck a mutually beneficial deal with Mike Jones and
decided to buy the Syncro he posted here about two weeks ago.  I went to
Hartford CT last weekend for the final inspection.  Wired him the $$ on
Monday and went to pick it up on Tuesday.  Since Southwest Airlines
flies cheap non-stop from Baltimore to Hartford and it was a good chance
for a needed but brief father-son "road trip,"  I let Alex skip school
and go with me.  Mike met us at the airport, we went to his house, did
the paperwork, and we were on our way back to Baltimore, well after
stuffing ourselves with an awesome meal of fried squid, chicken
enchilada and taco, and chile rellenos at a new Mexican restaurant near
Mike's house.

Unfortunately we had to battle serious head winds during the early part
of the trip (40-50 mph), and our mpg on the first tank was less than
15.  But we had fun, the van ran great, mpg went back to the normal
range after the winds let up some, and I loved the difference in the
ride due to the truck tires and the Syncro suspension.  Also liked the
extra horses that the 2.1 l makes above what my tired 1.9 l engine has
left. My son thinks the new van is "awesome."  But we had a few "sweet
and sour" moments when we reminisced about all the things that we done
and trips we had taken in the other van and talked about selling it
sometime soon.  He even got a little teary.  But we shared our first
real ride in the "new to us" Syncro which Mike has cared for so well and
hope to have many years of good service from it.

Now I have to start learning about Syncro's and the 86+ vanagons.  I
plan to put the '87 Wolfsburg weekender interior that I have into it
(almost identical color) and head for the mountains of West Virginia as
soon as the weather permits.  Today I would have broken it in by taking
five more kids from my son's class to the Baltimore Museum of Art, but
school started late and the trip was canceled due to winter weather
advisories.  Early next year maybe.

Sam Walters - a month ago I only had one van
84 Vanagon, orig owner
89 Syncro, legacy of Mike Jones' great care
87 Wolfsburg, dead engine, donor for interior transplant
82 Westy parts van, coming soon, camping (kitchen) gear to be
incorporated into lightweight
                trailer for hauling bicycles and other camping stuff