Date:         Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:25:58 +0000
Reply-To:     dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject:      Re: age of listees?
In-Reply-To:  <410-220071216122622490@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Born in 1960, both of my parents came from families where no one drove or owned a car. they lived in New York City. While I was in Kindergarten, my father took driving lessons. Their first cars was a 1961 Ford Falcon. After discovering Long Island, we moved to Islip Terrace in '65. The Falcon died and was replaced with a brand new Mercury Comet Dad. Car was hit in rear at first light after leaving the dealer. Car died in a few years, I think the tranny died and it was traded in for a Ford Torino Station wagon. My dad was real proud of the V-8 and power brakes. In 1970, My mother fell asleep behind the wheel driving home from her second job, pregnant with my Brother Dan. Car ran through one telephone pole and 2 nd stopped. My mother escaped with a broken nose. No money, poor credit, not knowing anything about cars, my parents bought a new '71 Beetle. Summer, 6 of us traveled to lake George NY in that beetle. Few months later, my father bought a '67 Bus. Needed a transmission. Had the dealer put on in. Man that Bus was cool. Later it needed an engine. We took that bus everywhere. At 14 I started working on them. Rebuilt the Bus engine again at 16. Used a garbage can as a work bench. Bought tools as needed. Learned about torque wrenches and stuff as that engine would come out frequently for something. I acquired the Bus in '79. The Beetle went to my sister and was in the family for years. I sold the Bus in '81 and had a '72 and then an '84 Vanagon. The '72 was the original FUN BUS. That was our honeymoon van. In '88 we bought the FUN BUS. New left over. Now has almost 247K on it. It is definetley showing the age and use. Had a bunch of other Vanagons between and still.    

Dennis