Vanagon EuroVan
Previous (more recent) messageNext (less recent) messagePrevious (more recent) in topicNext (less recent) in topicPrevious (more recent) by same authorNext (less recent) by same authorPrevious page (May 2004, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Mon, 10 May 2004 14:42:51 -0600
Reply-To:     Jon Kanas <kanas@QUALITY.QADAS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jon Kanas <kanas@QUALITY.QADAS.COM>
Subject:      Personal VW History....
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

History eh;

Ok; in my nearly 49 years there have been a bunch of interesting cars. My mom had Hillman Minx, then a 1964 Mustang convertible. Guess that's where the interest first took root. My first was a 1965 Karmann Ghia. What sold me on Volkswagens was that many of my friends in high school received Pintos and Vegas as graduation gifts. My sophomore year in college, my old Ghia was still running strong. Not so those newer imitations.

In college it became apparent that I either needed to sell the Ghia or learn how to work on it. John Muir's idiot book, my best friend, and an understanding independent shop owner turned us into pretty good mechanics. Two Experts' Volkswagen Service was born. We spent a lot of time (and made pretty good spending money) keeping our fellow students on the road. The 1965 Ghia turned into my first restoration project. Bought a 1960 Beetle convertible for $100 and drove it home with it's massive 36hp engine (next restoration project). Finished the Ghia and sold it at a hefty profit two weeks after I got it done. Replaced it with a 1968 Ghia convertible. Girlfriend at the time described herself as a "Volkswagen widow".

The 1960 Beetle restoration project was finished in 1980, and sold to buy a 1969 Porsche 912. Bought a project 1973 914 2.0 for my wife in 1981. Bought a 1971 Westfalia so we could camp at the track because we didn't want to pay for motels. The 1968 Ghia convertible was sold to facilitate a divorce in1982. Wife gets 914, I get bus and 912.

Got a new job and a company car, so sold the very rusty bus and ran right out and bought a 1975 914; really ugly but ran well. Tried marrige again in 1986; Kim says I can buy a VW camper to replace her dying 1974 Pontiac. I have a real job now so I buy a nice 1983 wasserboxer Westfalia. Drove it for an uneventful 130,000 miles without any problems. Found a 1987 Syncro Westfalia for sale, so sold the 1983 and bought the 1987. Now we're ten years, two kids, several dogs later and still travelling around in the 1987.

We have also amassed a bit of a collection: 1937 Buick Century Convertible Coupe (current project) 1969 Porsche 912 (excellent original) 1975 Porsche 914 (completed project) 1983 Jeep CJ-7 (Kim bought this one new) 1987 Syncro Westfalia 1988 Mercedes 300TE 1995 Subaru Outback (only new car I've ever owned)

And my mom? Well.... There was a Miata, and now there's a Z3. Not too bad for 70+ yrs young.

Jon http://www.qadas.com/~kanas


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.