Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 20:28:49 -0700
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Vanspotting in Van City (as they call it) and on Vancouver Island
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Well, I found out where all the Westies live.
Minutes after leaving the Vancouver B.C. airport in a
rental car my head began swiveling and did not stop
all week. White Westy with a bra downtown on the way
to the Horseshoe Bay ferry was the first. Beautiful
blue Syncro hardtop with bull bars on the ferry, and
simply dozens and dozens of others all over the place.
I quit counting but never stopped looking.
Interestingly, among this staggering number of
Vanagons I never saw the telltale oil pan of a Subaru
conversion. And I only saw one for sale; a green ’82
diesel Westy (needs trans, and *only* $4200, if you
can believe it--call 204-952-2030) near the Victoria
inner harbor.
Some highlights: silver Syncro Westy on Fort St. in
Victoria; slammed cream microbus panel with safari
windows in Parkesville; several bay high-tops and one
Vanagon high-top; a yard in Chemainus featuring
several bays and another microbus panel; a yard with
several Vanagons near the observatory in Saanich.
Also, it being Canada there were VW variations we
never see in the States: Eurovan Doka work truck
parked near my hotel; a white Vanagon Doka with green
tarp heading for the Tsawassen ferry; a German-tagged
EV conversion by Robex, smaller and less garish than a
Rialta (saw those, too) and featuring TDI and 5-speed
manual.
Another curious observation is the sheer number of
‘70s full-size American vans (mostly Dodge and Chevy,
a few Ford) with high-top conversions of the Coachman
type (self-contained, Class B, I think they’re
called). Most were in fair-to-good condition, and a
few rusted beyond belief. Continuing in the non-VW
vein, there were lots of the early Toyota vans
including a high-top Get Away Van conversion. And I
spotted a couple of ‘89-90 Dodge Caravan Turbos.
Also interestingly, and as I noticed during a Colorado
trip a few years back, it seems like every other house
has a camper/trailer/RV of some sort in the drive. I
guess if you live in a beautiful place like that, you
feel compelled to buy a camper of some sort so you can
get out and enjoy it more. I certainly would.
Stephen
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com
