Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 23:22:15 -0700
Reply-To: wilden1@JUNO.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Chance meeting - VW die hard.
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Several years ago I checked into a Core of Engineers Park and met a nice
fellow driving about a 62 Split window bus.
He was from Pueblo Colorado and was ‘just on the road’.
I started boasting about my Westy and all the things I had done with the
stereo, new engine, Agilis tires etc.
He was patient and gave my Westy a respectful look-see before I mentioned
that I'd like to look at his van.
It was a Westy of about 62 vintage with the small, penthouse top that is
about 3 foot x 3 feet.
He had started restoration at the rear of the bus in the storage area at
the rear door. The first three feet of the rear were some of the finest
wood laminates and cabinetry that I've ever seen.
As a matter of fact it was one of the finest Wet Bars I've ever seen.
Everything was there from inverted bottles to carbonated gas for the
Scotch and Soda.
He produced a small bag from under a storage area and it contained
various OEM door hardware, hinges and small detail items that are seldom
still original on older vans.
The sleeping arrangement in the van was rather strange in that the van
didn't have the walk through and it didn't have the full bench with the
steel header containing the spare tire. It had a full bench but the full
bench lay down and there wasn't a spare tire compartment provision.
The driver’s seat laid completely back and completed a bed by meeting a
rear jump seat.(Possibly it was some other conversion, never quite knew
about the sleeping arrangement)
Things get a little foggy from here on since I was helping him exercise
his bar.
The van had adequate rust to prove its many years of faithful service.
This was not a van you'd look twice at priced at over $1000.00.
In general discussion he explained about removing and or rebuilding the
reduction boxes. He elaborated on the hard to find parts and the need for
double gaskets in some areas.
This of course was all Greek to me so I sat patiently listening, after
all this fellow was more entertaining than TV.
He explained that you couldn't enter some states with your own firewood
because of possible insect transportation.
This guy was a nut for roof racks, he had a front rack in front of the
pop-up, a rear roof rack behind the pop up and a nifty little ladder that
he could move to either then secure to the rear of the van.
With all the stuff he had around the van I'd think the racks were full
when he arrived.
I was sitting at his picnic table speculating that he had been on the
road for an extended time frame when he volunteered that his Dad, back in
the 40s had bought some desert land and the ownership had only come to
family knowledge after his death.
In the many years that the property had sat vacant, it somehow got stolen
(yes strange) but he got it back with an office building built on it and
then sold it back and was ‘getting by’ on the monthly payments since he
owner financed the deal.
He said he'd been touching it out with his Westy for many years and
decided that he'd rather have the experience continue than have a new
vehicle. I didn't know a single thing about Split window busses at the
time and after some elaboration on his part we took a look at the engine
compartment. The damned thing was cleaner than a hospital operating room
and it had all of the really good stuff that I now have some knowledge
of.
The thing that pleased me most about this chance meeting with a fellow VW
Van owner was that this guy wasn't a sociopath silently screaming, “Look
at Me”.
Stan Wilder
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