Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 22:01:36 -0700
Reply-To: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject: BenT's van thingy doodle - long post
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Here's the true report. Just got home so I haven't seen any others but I
just know them them folks are lying...well, maybe not lying just
exaggerating a bit. Nope, lying. I never did those things, I was someplace
else, you can't prove a thing unless the video tape turns out.
Anyway I always thought people on the list were weird. Now that BenT's
gathering has wound down I know I was wrong. They're really weird.
First the good stuff. At my first van gathering Roadcow [where is he by the
way? Hope he's OK.] told me I was lots funnier on the list. This one Karl
M, from either Maryland, North Carolina or the mountains of the northwest,
told me that from my posts he thought I was young. When the stricken look
on my face told him that I thought 60 WAS young he quickly recovered with,
but you look even younger than you sound. Great recovery, and I'm sure the
ice pick up against his tires had nothing to do with it.
Warren C was there, nice belt buckle Warren. Next gathering I'm bring a
step ladder and check to see if he has a face [he's a mite taller than I am,
somewhere over a foot taller actually]. Aristotle S of San Jose and I
bracketed 'Van Rosa' thus making said van look absolutely marvelous by
comparison. Just knew that our theories of van beauty care were similar [As
in, What care?] He's funnier in person than he is on the list. Then just at
the last someone came in with a van shy a window, with enough added crunches
so that our vans lost out on the 'ugly' title.
There were people there who'd just bought their vans, people who knew what
to tell them to look for and how to maintain them, people-well, person, one,
Lucinda {looks 15, claims more} - looking for a van, cheap and reliable.
And a guy looking to get rid of a running van, lots of rust but nothing
fatal, match made in Stern Grove. Good luck Lucinda!
There were inline powered vans, Subaru powered vans - both 4's and 6's
[pensioner and a 2.7 liter from a XT 6, nice engine from an ugly car] diesel
powered vans [Karl M had more mods than London - a reference from the 60's -
and was so well done it looked stock. He has more horse power diesel on
order. He needs it as he has every toy known to vankind on his ride, plus
the wonder dog to haul around - if you're not throwing a ball for him he
doesn't care what you do]. One guy, parked down near Shawn I believe had
done a conversion where he welded up and machined all the necessary parts.
Acted like, Well, that's what everybody does, isn't it? Nope. Then there
was Tim's flat 12 van disguised as a Testa Rosa Ferrari. Nice try, Tim, but
the thieves are gonna recognize its van-ness, and steal it anyway.
Overland, Busdepot, Karl M, the guy from Tracy and his two sons showed up,
much to BenT's daughter's delight. They wore off enough energy to get my
van back to the East Coast just running around the area, all had nifty
stuff. Little to none of it could I afford...
Until. I was driving home tonight [Sunday] and my headlight relay decided
to go intermittent - on the freeway of course - and then to make sure the
cops noticed my exhaust developed a slight leak. The pipe broke completely
off at the union just before the O2 sensor. Nice throaty quality to the
sound. So now I need a new exhaust system. Anyone got one for sale, cheap?
BenT did a fine job of organizing, worked so hard he zoned out and never
even saw me parked in front of his house Friday night.
Mike
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