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Date:         Thu, 13 Jan 2005 16:51:25 -0500
Reply-To:     Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagone
Comments: To: "Townsend, Michael D" <Michael.Townsend@sonyericsson.com>
In-Reply-To:  <BA5C447DC963F549A58E5BF74744757802050F90@usrtmsx02.corpusers.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Ouch!! --- glad your wife is OK. Sounds like a very scary sequence. Hope you'll be back ---- you've got the bug after all.

Cheers, Doug

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 16:33:50 -0500, Townsend, Michael D <Michael.Townsend@sonyericsson.com> wrote: > Well, > > After 6 fun years of Vanagon ownership it is over. My Tornado Red 1990 > Vanagon Carat (Wolfsburg Limited Edition) 4spd. has been totalled. :-( > Although I have only been lurking on the list for the last couple of > years, I have really enjoyed this chapter in my life and all the wisdom > that I have learned here. I maintained the Vanagon with the > list-recommended procedures and have replaced practically everything. > Too bad the insurance company doesn't understand the _true_ value that > Vanagons give when they give you their payout valuation! :-( Most > importantly, no one was hurt in this accident -- it could have been a > lot worse. All it takes is a windy day, curvy road, and a panic swerve > to cause even a lowered Carat to go into oversteer mode. My wife (who > was driving alone) lost control, ran off the other side of the road, > into a shallow ditch, out of said ditch, airborne for 20 feet, began a > 180 degree rotation in the air, landed on right rear wheel shearing it > off and then rolled the van completely over (maybe more than once) > ending up on it's left side. The windshield popped out in one piece > like it's supposed to with only a slight deformation in the right > A-pillar. She took off her seatbelt and crawled through the windshield > hole to get out with only seatbelt bruises as injuries. The seatbelt > locked up like it was supposed to and probably saved her life -- hint > hint. While the rear-engine design may have contributed to the > oversteer condition, I'll have to admit the body and frame design did an > excellent job of protecting the occupant. > > I have already sold the salvage, including the square E-codes headlights > that I purchased from Calle in Sweden, to my mechanic. I think he > appreciated the opportunity to get a 2.1 longblock rebuild with only > 35kmiles for a good price. I don't know if he has plans for the > interior or not, I presume he will strip it out in the next week or so. > If you want to make offers for Carat interior parts, you can call him. > His name is Lonnie Long, his business is "University Auto Center," and > his phone number is 919-309-7898. It is located off I-85 (exit 173) in > Durham, NC. Hopefully, the parts from my dear-departed Vanagon can be > used to keep many more on the road for years to come. > > Thanks all, > > Michael Townsend >


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