Date:         Sun, 9 May 2004 10:47:16 -0400
Reply-To:     John Runberg <jrunberg@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Runberg <jrunberg@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: State of the List... State your ages!!!!!!! :<)

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Hi, I'm John and I'm reluctantly 31.

Earliest memories were of riding around in the back of my dad's 63 bug (footroom? PLENTY of footroom!). That was when I was 5 and soon after the navy took both of them to Spain for a year. He returned, but the beetle didn't. Soon after there was the 73 beetle which I helped with in many ways - jumping on breaker bars to remove wheel hub nuts, doing my best to help lift the engine on the workbench, losing small parts by putting them in my pockets...

Years later we go in together on a beetle, however it wasn't meant to be -- hopped up engine w/ a weber two barrel, but serious overheating issues and not much left in the rockers. Conversion back to a stock carb kept it from icing in winter, but not before I firmly locked it in 3rd coming off the line. Only took two junk tranny's before I found one that worked. After that was a 70 Karmann Ghia which was my favorite car of all time. Rust in the rockers (and front beam, and, and, and) which led to it's deminse.

Interlude with a 99 Jetta (for sale) for awhile and then several ill-conceived attepts to restore 78 campers. When I finally got it running, realized I'm too tall to sit up straight in it! A friend had picked up one of these ugly 'Vanagon' things and let me drive it - HOOKED. From there we've picked up several, including our 90 and 83 westy, along with a 82 diesel which lost it's main seal in the mountains, but still got me home (keep adding oil, keep adding oil). Hmmmm.

john