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Date:         Mon, 16 Sep 2002 09:54:03 EDT
Reply-To:     BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ben T <BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Van-O-Rama: update on Mike Miller's post very long
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 9/15/02 10:03:55 PM Pacific Daylight Time, mwmiller@CWNET.COM writes:

<< snip>>

<< 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.>>

Well, Mike was as usual anyway.

<<... 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 ... ice pick up against his tires had nothing to do with it.>>

Karl Mullendore, winner of the Long Distance Award is from Maryland of course. Will post photos of same as soon as I finish setting up a webpage for the event. Photo contributions sought. Please pmail me. Said award courtesy of BenT is a VW emblem designed to replace the rear center emblem in the center of the rear hatch on late model vans. Said emblem lights up in the VW via LED's. Available for $25 plus shipping from a buddy of mine.

<< 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]. >>

Warren Chapman is really only 11 inches taller than Mike. Brought his Maroon Syncro Westy and Behr front AC for sale. Thanks for the contribution Warren.

<< Aristotle S of San Jose and I bracketed 'Van Rosa' thus making said van look absolutely marvelous by comparison. >>

AKA Tim O'Brien who was supposed to be in Korea. That is until he found out what a terrific bunch of folks we are except for Mike Miller. Nice to meet the JuNiper Killer from just south of me finally. 84 L w/ yellow listmember sticker from San Jose. The van not the sticker.

Van Rosa must belong to John Wessels' friend Loretta Robinson. Said van was a late model Tornado Red Carat. Red Carrot?

<< 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. >>

Watch your mouth Miller. Said van was a (circa) 1980 air-cooled non-GL van just purchased by JoE (AKA Joe Ernest) from Fremont. Joe has a nice Syncro Westy at home. If you will recall, a couple of years ago, JoE was contemplating a 944 engine swap into his Westy. Too long ago and too long an engine.

<< 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!>>

Lots of folks there looking to own their first Vanagon/Westy. This added a nice flavor to the gathering. I posted the gathering initially on the SF based Craigslist. Had to pull the ad because I had 53 respondents on the first day. Unfortunately, it was getting too big for the planned gathering. Perhaps next year when we have a bigger place to hold the event I'll keep it running until the end.

<< There were inline powered vans, Subaru powered vans - both 4's and 6's [pensioner and a 2.7 liter >>

Al Knoll (AKA pensioner), from Sacramento or thereabouts, brought his Subaru SVX powered van. Correct me if I'm wrong but that is the 4-valve per cylinder model from the defunct Subaru spaceship looking supposed sports coupe.

<< from a XT 6, nice engine from an ugly car] >>

Mike would be referring to Dimitri Scherlizi with his handcrafted Subaru swap. The XTC is by no means anything like the name suggest. There was no ecstasy in it's appearance but the motor seems to have found a nice place in Dimitri's van. Dimitri is a mechanical engineer by trade and a closet engine swapper at heart. Watch for him to come up with 4-pot calipers in his blue 86 Syncro. For sale now BTW.

<< diesel powered vans [Karl M had more mods than London - a reference from the 60's - and was so well done it looked stock. >>

Karl Mullendore's Canadian Blue Slate Syncro Westy has been repowered to 1.9td. Looks like Karl will be making more mods to his ride. He wants to swap to a late model so he can use the Long Distance Award in it's place of honor. I won't embarrass the young lady but Karl, did you make a "love-connection"?

<< 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. >>

Tim Fong from Woodland didn't want to get us jealous with his twin Syncro Westies with REAL Projektzwo bull bumpers and such. So this year, he decided to bring his other waterboxer - 12 cylinders full. Mike that was not a mere Testa Rosa but a real live mortgage-your-house, sell your firstborn just for a tune-up Ferrari F-40. If Enzo knew Tim was telling passerby's that it's engine was just like a Vanagons only bigger. The Comandatore would be turning over, much like the flat-12, in his grave.

<< Overland, >>

Ben Zlotkin and Ed Hernandez from Overland came by with a Tornado Red Carat. test mule for their Audi-5 2.6 liter conversions and a Savannah Beige GL with an intercooled 1.9 tdd. Ben I checked your old email. What happened to the food? I took the Red Carat with the 5-cyl. and 5-speed. 5 X 5 in a T-25. Hmmm... the thing did not slap me in the back the a Porsche would but the combo made the van feel like a proper GTi in a box disguise. I mean the best comparison I can make is it accelerated like a nicely tuned A2 GTi. Didn't feel like a Vanagon at all in a straight line. I wasn't able to use the vans full potential due to lack of proper real estate. There was just too much traffic to get past 4th gear into 5th. Nice pull from standing start at 2nd gear. Thumbs up for me.

<< Busdepot, >>

Ouch.... Mr. Miller, I guess old age is catching up to you. Those were the guys from The Bus Lab in Berkeley California. The 2.2 WBX did not show up until very late. Didn't get a demo ride so I can't tell you how well it goes. The Bus Lab guys being Marco Greyve and Steve Perzan. Marco used to be at Valley Wagonworks in Marin. Late that PM, the beautiful Mrs. Greyve, Shay (?) came with a gold GL powered by the Bus Lab modified 2.1. It sports 1.9 heads for added compression and 2.2 displacement via new larger pistons and jugs. Not that kind Miller.

<< ...the guy from Tracy and his two sons showed up, >>

Now this is hard to pinpoint. Mike either means John Wessels and sons Jeremy and Philip from Livermore riding in SyncroMog. Or maybe he means Brent and son Oren (Taylor?).

<< 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...>>

Much to BenT's chagrin. Watch out boys, DOT's (Denise Olivia Tan) day has really big swords at home. Well, at least she looked like she was the aggressor. Was that a good thing?

Too bad Peter Buettner's daughter Mia was not in a playful mood that day. Thanks for the bratwurts and beer again Peter. We'd starve if it wasn't for Peter.

<< 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. >>

OK if you call not being able to bring the other two vehicles, picnic tables, extra food and dancing girls organized, well, thanks. The fellow w/ his GF in the Firebird that you were peeping on behind my house is looking for you I heard.

Probably too much to go on here. I will post the rest on the webpage courtesy of Jim Robinson who came with his ratpack. beach chairs and all. Get more quick names. Leon Korkin - Vanaru, Stephan White & Tony Pradini from Sacto - Westies for sale, Chris Pelligrini from Utah, Mike Caitlin - Davis I think, Sean and dad Fred Birkener from Torrance California (thanks for all the help Sean), Larry Chase formerly of CA now of AZ - new 90 Syncro Westy - my biggest contributor to date, Eric Ambercrombie - fake varmint, I mean VERMONT plates (confessed to fakery and did not get LD award), Damon Campbell - Westy from Fremont, CA, Lucinda Gilman - cutie from SF looking for a Westy (AKA Mike's 12 year old biker chick), Eddy Francisco (are you from San Francisco?), Tom Lalanne - MB wheeled Vanagon (Westy?), Craig Weber - barbecue man looking at Vanaru conversions. Lisa Youtsey and friend George lookin' for a Westy, Jack Barnett and his "polished" Tiico Syncro Westy (go tell that parking lot speed demon, Jack), Amir Talai who has Detlef's old Syncro with Audi-5 ala Winkler (would love to drive this to compare to the Overland 5 - Amir biked in), Pichit who took all those pictures and showed me his jumpseat converted into a portapoti, Cutesy couple Anthony Rutland and the bombshell Stacy - biked in looking for a Westy, Thomas Wisher from SF, Allison Goodwin & friend in a Syncro Westy from SF, Steve Schenk of Syncro.org of SF, Robert & Marika Tippey - Mendocino County Tristar, Greg Pratt, Virginia Griswold Weekender to full Westy convert from SF, Detlev & Michael Hanschke & friend, Sanford & son Zac, Ron Antaki Rocc'r with a gray (?) Vanagon from across the Bay, Dan Fleming who sent a toll for awards that I forgot at home (saved for next year) and all those folks who failed to sign in.... PLEASE forgive me if I did not give you credit for helping out and/or giving a contribution. Let me know and I will give you credit where credit is due. Thank you Sandy Lee from the SF Park & rec for making this possible.

In all there were about 42 assorted Vanagons, various cars, motorcycles used to arrive at the event. Lots of new faces from new places. I'm not proofreading this so let the spellingnazis and grammarnazis go after Mike Miller. I'll give you his address. Oh yes, thank you Mike for running up to post the Van-O-Rama signs

BenT http://ratwerks.com/zope/wiki/VanORama <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/bentbtstr8/myhomepage/index.html">Vanagon Cafe</A>


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