Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 08:18:11 -0800
Reply-To: fortinoj@SPEAKEASY.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joseph Fortino <fortinoj@SPEAKEASY.NET>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Thoughts (was RE: SUV Bashing)
Content-Type: text/plain
great point speaking of last night while coming home
with my family in the van a SUV cut in front of me at the
last min to only slam on his break with ABS and almost caused me to ram him while traffic was stopped in front
of him, then he sticks his blinker on and goes left, wrong
lane for him almost causing us to ram him, lucky my breaks
stopped us hard almost on a dime, front dipped kinda hard, but my family and I are alive and safe, I looked to see his
t.v AND all the electro gagets were on. * cell phone talker
but hey these "new era" cars or whatever they are are made to think for you eh? nope!
take care.
Joe
********************************************************
Most of us did'nt buy a vanagon because we deeply depised SUV's.
It has a lot more to do with features other than airbags or ABS.
*******************************************************
On 01 Jan 2003, Robert Keezer wrote:
> The Vanagon was a popular automobile much like
> the original Beetle and Bus was during their
> production years. I wanted one back then , but
> at the cost of $17,000 in 1982 it was way over
> my budget. So I drove an affordable 1965
> camper Bus.
>
> Like many other autos of the past, popularity
> continues long after the last one rolls off
> the assembly line.
>
> The Vanagon post-production phenomenom has
> some people (and some SUV owners) scratching
> their heads.
>
> Most people just move on to the newer versions
> or substitutes.
>
> But a few of us, we are stuck in the past ,
> fixing and improving Vanagons beyond the
> manufacturers original design.
>
> The Vanagon body style still looks modern
> enough to us, and has moslt of the same
> features that make the Type 2's ancient
> technology.
>
> We are not the rule, but the exception.
>
> Not because we needed to find our own
> identities and be different from the rest of
> the minivan or camper population, but because
> some of us stumbled upon the Vanagon , by
> accident in my case- and found it to be a
> pleasant surprise.
>
>
> Most of us did'nt buy a vanagon because we
> deeply depised SUV's. It has a lot more to do
> with features other than airbags or ABS. It's
> a practical vehicle, has the same turning
> radius as the Golf, fit's in smaller garages.
> I know a guy who's Westfalia has one foot of
> sapce on the drivers side from the garage
> wall, three feet on the passenger side, and
> four inches of cieling clearance. It's not
> wasting the garage space as a SUV would. ( OK
> -there are some huge SUV's out there so i'm
> not sure about this)
>
> The Westfalia camper is unique- nothing else
> compares as far as a camper is concerned.
>
> It's not too big , it's not too small . A
> multi- purpose vehicle-for commuting, for
> camping. It has features that never go out
> of style: a fridge, beds, water supply,
> sink, stove- these are the nescesscities of
> modern living.
>
> The Eurovan promised to take the Vanagons
> place- it did'nt . Few have been sold . I
> hardly ever see them in this land of
> Windstars.
>
> Eurovans did continue many of the features of
> Vanagons including the camper versions. It's
> post-production following will be smaller.
> Unless of course Eurovans are the first to
> dump their 'vans for the New Microbus.
>
> Just like the Squareback never eclipsed the
> Beetle, so the Eurovan never eclipsed the
> original modern "bus" . Most Vanagon owners
> who were former Type 2 owners like me will
> agree that the Vanagon is a huge improvement
> in many ways over it's predessors. Many parts
> are available and just like sailboats, the
> Westfalia and other versions of campers never
> go out of style. I'ts still affordable
> especially when you do your own maintenance,
> Name a car that is affordable to maintain
> anyway with today's high shop labor.
>
> So when I think of bashing a SUV, I try to
> keep in mind that an SUV can never be a
> camper, so it is an apples and oranges
> comparison.They are nice, big shiny oranges.
>
> The apple is just a little bruised and
> wrinkled from storage.
>
> Robert K
>
> 1982 Westfalia Seattle
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Robert 1982 Westfalia
>
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