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Date:         Thu, 30 Aug 2001 15:18:37 -0600
Reply-To:     joseph Trussell <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         joseph Trussell <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Lesson Learned (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi Everybody,

I was a part of the Vanagon mailing list before, from 1998 through this past May. I just decided to re-subscribe, even though I'm Vanagonless at the moment. If you've got a few minutes, I've got a story for you.

My '85 GL, "Bessie," was easily the best vehicle of the 14 VW's and 10 other odd makes that I've owned. I absolutely loved that vanagon. I feel like I should say that first.

Back in May, I found out that my office was moving, and that my commute would go from three miles (biking most of the time, Bessie on bad days) to fifteen miles of interstate hell here in Denver. I knew I'd be spending at least 45 minutes each way on i-25, and I felt that with her as my primary transportation at the time, it would not be fair to have her sitting on that godawful interstate all summer in the heat, lurching along. I was torn as to what to do. Then on Memorial Day weekend, I took a trip up to a campground outside of Avon, CO with three friends. On the way back, going up to the Eisenhower Tunnel (around 10,000 feet) she just stopped working. The fastest I could get her going, in heavy traffic up the pass, was about 15-20 MPH. For the first time since I'd bought her, I was pissed. I was completely frustrated that I couldn't go any faster.

When I got back to Denver, I made the decision to sell her and get back into my original love, VW Sciroccos. I took her to a concert at Red Rocks and had about 20 offers of all kinds. I had her all shined up and looking good (this was a very, very nice vanagon, all things considered) and it was like an open house, where I could tell stories and show her off. I was beaming. It turned into a situation where I could actually interview and choose her next owner (it was more like interviewing prospective adoptive parents actually.) I found a guy from Glenwood Springs whose best buddy had an '85 that was parked next to mine in the lot, and we got to talking and he turned out to be the guy to buy it. He was excited and I was excited for him. When he came down to Denver a few days later to pick it up, he drove off and I realized that that was the first time I'd ever seen her rolling. I had always been driving! I'd never let another soul drive her, much less without me along. I immediately felt dreadful.

I found a fairly solid '85 Scirocco Wolfsburg that evening and bought it. It was beat up a little, but nothing I couldn't handle. I was getting a deal for $200 because the used car lot thought the tranny was gone, and I knew it was just a piece of broken linkage. I was excited to be back in a scirocco, going fast, cutting through traffic, powering into the mountains (a larger throttle body and a few other mods helped that.) It also was to be great for commuting. Then last month, the thing started coming apart at the seams. I was shocked at myself with how fast I lost patience with this little car--I forgave my vanagon so many of its quirks, and could not stand this thing when it died on me for whatever reason. I also couldn't stand not being able to see everything, go camping, haul stuff, putt-putt around, take my friends out, and brag on it the way I could my Bessie.

I knew at this point I'd made a pretty big mistake. So here I am, lurching around town in this P.O.S. Scirocco, broke but searching for a Vanagon. One thing I know now, after looking at a few, is that I had a pretty damned nice Vanagon before.

I found an '85 GL in pretty good shape as far as the body (a little seam rust, one dent,) and the guy says he'll give it to me for free--one catch: it has no motor. He's a mechanic and tells me that the thing is great in every way, but he has to keep the motor because it was a $2700 rebuild (and I don't want to pay $2700 for it) but will give me everything else, tranny, etc. intact in this Vanagon.

Hopefully, sometime soon, I'm going to get in from him (as soon as I get some workspace and find some $ for a motor.)

I guess I'm writing this because I miss the list, I miss my Vanagon, and I don't like going fast as much as I thought I would. Let this be a lesson to anybody thinking of trading comfort, fun, efficiency, and slowness for the lure of lightweight sportscar speed. It ain't worth it. Not by a long shot. Once you're Vanagon, you can't be anything else. At least not me.

Joe T. '85 Scirocco (already trashed beyond repair when I got her.)

P.S.: Anybody got an engine for sale?

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