Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (April 2006, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:   Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:06:00 -0700
Reply-To:   Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:   Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:   Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:   Re: Friday: Tales of the sale
In-Reply-To:   <2c5a9a793bcba00071205f131db21e7e@speakeasy.net>
Content-Type:   text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

My solution to this terrible problem is to drive my favorite until it cannot be safely driven any more, and needs to go out on the back of a tow-truck. None of my vehicles have had less than 250,000 well-loved miles on them before they are anywhere near ready to go away. And even then, selected pieces are kept, and live on in the next favorite. Sometimes as a symbol only, but sometimes a bit as major as the engine!

I try to follow the philosophy "Live forever or die in the attempt". I am one of those who has the mechanical skills to do just about anything that needs doing, so that has to figure in, too. I know the vehicle will someday be unrecoverable, but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying to push that dreaded day back...

monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET> wrote: wasn't a vanagon, and it wasn't that long ago that i stood outside my building and watched some young kid drive off in my toyota truck (81 long bed sr5 - 22 r 5 speed) my buddy, my mobile office - in 2003 my little truck and i drove seattle to los angeles 8 times and my buddy got me in and out death valley 5 times - twice in summer when it was just me and the european tourists.

now i've recently acquired my vanagon (84 GL) and even though its been pretty expensive so far getting her back into true road worthiness - already ive promised her and my equally smitten partner and myself that never again will i sell a buddy. (of course one of the reasons i sold my toyota was the new lovely partner - the van makes a lot more sense road tripping for two!)

still miss that truck

and still miss the 78 bug convertible and the 69 bug with the leaky sunroof (in those days it was cold new jersey rain that leaked in) and the two 66 mustangs and the 72 suburban and the 85 toyota xtra cab(stolen and totaled)

and and and

On Apr 14, 2006, at 6:08 AM, Julia Schrenkler wrote:

In a roundabout way Chris Gronski's pricing theory reminded me of my van's PO and our sale. Since it is Friday I'll babble on...

The PO was really, really good to the van, honest in his sale description and had a totally fair price. Thing is, he was very FIRM on his price. I wouldn't have been able to show my face in my uncle's shop if I didn't try to barter, so I tried and failed multiple times. When the moment came where I conceded defeat and agreed to the listing price (again, a fair price on a sweet vehicle, I was only doing my car-buying duty) I *swear* his stoic face fell. His wife beamed and she spoke of how that money would be applied to the cabin they were building. He wore no expression and stopped looking me in the eye.

A week or later when I made the drive to pick it up he sort of shuffled around, making small talk, stalling the signing of the title. Afterwards he asked to take photos, cute stuff like pictures of his wife in it smiling and waving. This photo session went on to the point she finally said, "That is enough." in a gentle but very firm tone anyone would recognize as a distinct "and I'm not kidding, sweetie." As I drove off grinning from ear to ear he stood in his driveway, still taking pictures as I drove away! I was afraid to look back because I didn't want to see if he was crying. Just at point I was nearly out of sight I did glance and he was standing in the same spot, camera held down facing us, his frame slightly slumped.

Although I would never have shared this with him, after the stilted signing and the photo session my better half and I agreed if he called within the first 24 hours of the sale I would have resigned it back to him, plus cost of gas etc.

In the past I've been in that spot on the driveway, trying not to bawl in public as a favored vehicle was spirited away. All of us probably have been... Figured he couldn't have been feeling great and goes without saying, they're not just any vehicle.

Julia http://www.wanderwagen.com

"I long ago lost a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle dove, and am still on their trail. Many are the travelers I have spoken to concerning them, describing their tracks and what calls they answered to. I have met one or two who had heard the hound, and the tramp of the horse, and even seen the dove disappear behind a cloud, and they seemed as anxious to recover them as if they had lost them themselves." - henry thoreau


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.