Date:         Fri, 12 Apr 2002 10:18:56 -0500
Reply-To:     Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject:      Re: What TYPE of person drives/buys a FRIDAY vanagon?
Comments: To: scmills@TNTECH.EDU
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Can I qualify as a Vanagon / Westy driver if:
I haven't had a car payment in 13 years.
If I haven had a house note for 11 years.
If I haven't needed to buy on credit in fifteen years.
If I'd rather go camping than to movies.
If I can repair my own vehicle.
If I post stupid statements to the Internet.
If I haven't had a job (other than Government part timer) for 10 years.
If I let my grass turn brown in Summer months.
If I'm not bright enough to get rid of a transient cat; now permanent, me
thinks.
If I throw back all of the polluted fish I catch.
If I ride my Mountain Bike off of cliffs.
If I collect rocks from every place I camp and line my flower beds with
them.
If I let the wind velocity and direction dictate which lake I go to for
camping.
If all of the junkyard guys call me *The Vanagon Man*.
If I've got enough spare parts to resurrect three Vanagons front certain
crushing.
If I get a thrill out of crushing stripped down Vanagons after I get the
goodies off to restore another Westy.
If I throw rocks at deer and farrow cats when I go camping.
If I think a wheel chock is my most important item of camping gear.
If I register my Westy 130 miles from home so I don't have to deal with
intensive state inspections.
If I'm currently under psychotic (not misspelled) care to overcome my
*Paranoid Maintenance Syndrome*.
If I like the squeaking front brakes cause it scares off dogs that chase
cars and warns squirrels and cats that I don't stop for them.
If I've accepted that Old suspension parts squeak in Summer and New
suspension parts squeak in Winter.
If I thump my VDO gauges because I can't believe that its running this
good.
If I don't need a bra.
If I don't need allow wheels.
If I've read the Owner Manual.
If I use the Bentley Manual as a door stop.
Oh! Please. Let me be a Vanagon Guy.

Stan

On Fri, 12 Apr 2002 09:08:11 -0500 Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
writes:
> We drive a Westfalia b/c there is a WHOLE lotta more utility in
> these
> vehicles than the typical sport utility could even dream of having.
>
> Not too many vehicles that can host a dinner party, sleep 4 or 5
> folks, and
> still park in an average parking lot.
> Good (reasonable) gas mileage, reasonable dirt or gravel road
> performance
> with 2WD, easy to maintain with some studying, and it rides good.
> 300K
> miles is not uncommon for the well cared for vehicles.
>
> Now what kind of PERSON drives one of these? Somebody with more than
> just
> average intelligence, somebody who doesn't care what the newest
> vehicle is
> on the block, somebody who likes a bit of adventure (so will we get
> there
> and back without any additional repairs?), somebody who values a
> (relatively) compact vehicle that can still serve as home in a
> variety of
> weather conditions. Somebody who typically has stuff to carry and
> people to
> take with them.
>
> What does the "outsider" see in us?
>
> Strange music, clothes, food, goals, and motivations. Some out
> there
> opinions. Also seems quite common to find owners with a "I don't
> care what
> anybody thinks attitude". A wonderful person to share conversation
> with -
> lots of interesting things to talk about - places, experiences,
> etc.
> Naturally all of us get placed in the same category as the hippy
> wannabe kids.
>
> Oh this is the Vanagon list... Wrong group... <grin>
>
> Chris M. <Busbodger - "TEAM SLOWPOKE">
> Cookeville, Tennessee
>
> ICQ# 5944649
> scm9985@tntech.edu
>
> '78 VW Westfalia (67 HP -> that is...67 Hamster Power)
> '65 Beetle - Type IV powered
> '99 CR-V AWD station wagon
> '81 CB900 Custom moto-chickle
> 2.5 Corvair engines for my Trans-vair Conversion
>

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