Date:         Sun, 9 May 2004 23:18:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Norman Rowe <norm@ROWEBOAT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Norman Rowe <norm@ROWEBOAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: State of the List... State your ages
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Ok, might as well.  I'll hit 59 next month.  It'll be several more years
before my wife arrives there (yeah, I robbed the cradle).  My VW experiences
began when we got together.  She had a '68 Bug with automatic stick shift
and when we got married (1977), it became "our" car.  Her family had owned a
few VW's over the years, so it was something she was used to.  Since then
we've had several VW's including other Bugs (a '62, 3 67's, a '70, and a
'71), two buses ('70 and '73), a Type 3 squareback ('68?), a Type 4
squareback ('74), and now an '85 Vanagon GL we bought a little over three
weeks ago.  Of the air-cooled ones, we still just have one - the '74 412.  A
picture of it may be seen at www.rovingrowes.com/vw.html.

We got the Vanagon to give us transportation while we're getting a
transmission transplant for the 412.  Having picked it up for the
ridiculously high price of $50 <g> we're really enjoying it.  It rides so
comfortably and the view is so much better.  Unfortunately, it's gas mileage
leaves a lot to be desired as does its [in]ability to climb hills, and there
are some things we need to get fixed if we're going to keep it long term.  

I spent some time learning VW mechanics with a German who had spent time in
the VW factory in Germany.  He was one of the best VW mechanics anywhere,
but he was also one of the most crooked mechanics there was so I didn't last
long with him.  I did learn a lot, though, and have done a lot of work on
our VW's over the years.  It's almost fun to take a couple of wrenches, a
screwdriver, a pair of jack stands, and a floor jack and have a Bug's engine
out and away from the car in 20 minutes!  Is there any other car that's so
easy to work on?!

Norm
  '74 412
  '85 Vanagon (not Westy)
  '85 31' Allegro
  '83 Honda Shadow 500
  '78 son (1st car was a '70 Bug)
  '79 son (1st car was not a VW - shame!)
  '81 daughter (1st car was a '67 Bug)
  '03 grandson (daughter's kid, no car yet)
Gold Beach, OR