Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 11:25:42 -0700
Reply-To: luke sponsler <spons23@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: luke sponsler <spons23@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: not a gear-head (yet)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Brian,
Great post. I think there are many "how to" descriptions on the web, but
they are scattered amoung dozen of different websites. I think a website
that lists all these links in a plain and simple way would be of great
helpful. If you get some free time to set up a page like that I'm sure
listers could send you dozens of links.
cheers,
luke
88-westy-zorbus
----Original Message Follows----
From: Brian Cirulnick <techrat@VM.COM>
Reply-To: Brian Cirulnick <techrat@VM.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: List smaller, Vanagon sightings, not a gear-head (yet)
Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 14:05:08 -0400
For the folks that think that the list is getting smaller, I can tell you
from the archives I've been keeping, the traffic on the list has been
steadily rising, although I cannot tell if that means more users, or just
the same number of users, but more noisy!
There are probably many like me who are on the list but don't have the time
to read and post regularly (some of us *work* for a living!), and/or have
more than one "hobby", and the Vanagon is but one in a bunch of projects.
I think the people who think the list is smaller are the same as the people
who have few "on the road" sightings. Perhaps it's just because I live in a
densely packed part of the country (the NYC Metro area -- never will you
find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy), but I see at least one
Vanagon per day that isn't mine. Now, I admit that when I lived in Queens
NY, I saw very few, and when I moved to Jersey City, the place was packed
with 'em, so even in a 50 mile radius, your location can have a great effect
on "sightings".
Also, in Manhattan itself, I get to see lots of various Westfalias -- being
a spot on the globe to attract tourists, I see everything from classic
Splitties to a nice-looking Grey-Silver 87 or 88 that passed by me on 42nd
Street, heading East just a few days ago. I waved, but I don't think the
driver saw me, he was too busy trying to avoid being hit by cabs. I see them
parked in front of restaurants, I see them when I'm on the road (in my
Vanagon) or when I'm commuting in by bus. At least one sighting per day.
And now, my request to the list: I'm not yet a gear-head, but I have a
burning desire to become one. I'm a computer tech. And another hobby I'm
involved in is modifications to computers, i.e., adding extra cooling,
overclocking, and making the case more interesting (case mods). Now, this
little hobby has spawned a vast number of "how to" websites, complete with
pictures taken during the course of the modification. An example would be my
own little contribution at http://www.obsolyte.com/sun_ipx/ulti_fan_hack/
where I show how to add a fan in a SPARCstation IPX where you don't really
need one.
Do similar "How To's" exist for the Vanagon/Type II crowd? For example, I
was just reading about the "add a relay to the headlight switch for improved
brightness" mod, and I really want to do this myself, but it would be very
helpful if there was a website that explained the whole process in detail so
*before* I rip out all my wiring, I could see how it's done. Diagrams and
photos can help very much for non-gear-heads like me.
I've got the electrical skill because of my computer background, so I know
I'm ready to tackle the project, but I want to see something "out there"
that shows the project in such a way that a relative novice can perform it
without sweating bullets that he's going to destroy his only means of
transportation!
Now, if no such "How To" sites exist yet, I'm offering to start putting them
together. I've got space on my webserver, and right now, the only things I'm
missing is the free-time to actually put together the webpages.
And if websites do exist, can we start mirroring them so all the stuff is in
one place, and/or at least have a complete list of links so, someone with a
Sunday afternoon to waste can get a start at modifying/improving his
vehicle?
Okay, Sorry, this was a mighty long post. Well, it makes up for all the time
I wasn't saying anything on the list and people thought the list was getting
smaller. So there. Nyah!
TTYL
Brian Cirulnick
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