Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 10:41:27 -0700
Reply-To: Joseph Fortino <fortino1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joseph Fortino <fortino1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: The three classes of Vanagons..(long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
ok,, im type something ;) ohh i have a SMILE sticker on my back of the van.. LOL
kills people here in vegas..
last night i drove to watch the fire works right, did some semi 4x4 in my 2x 85
blue dream wagen.. its loves when i talk nice to it and hears every POST.. ;)
some dude says hey remember that movie, yada yada.. cant remember right now, but
he was tring to poke fun at our ride.. 2 kids inside wife, and dog all happy,
talking to his freind out the VW van that the clutch when out and the pushed it
every day,, DOH its not a wasser pe#nis.. hehe what im getting at is people really
think these news cars will make life eazier for them.. nope
some tell me i need to buy a new car or say that i must not get paid well to drive
it.. LOL ok....
Joe
-----Original Message-----
>From: "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET>
>Sent: Jul 5, 2007 10:19 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: The three classes of Vanagons..(long)
>
>Don,
>
>
>Nice write-up!
>
>Let's see... I put my self as a type 2.5 I was a pure type 3, when I got my
>84 "Turd Brown" Westy Wolfie in 1987. And used it as an every day driver,
>as well as the family vacation, and while my kids went through scouts. Now,
>that the kids are grown, and I have more time to put into the memories of
>this wonderful vehicle, it will have ten coats of wax over the resent
>re-paint... keeping it Turd Brown however. I will be a bit more careful
>around the trees and it will be kept clean. I also will not drive it in the
>Michigan winters or on ski trips like I did in the past. By the way, I do
>waive at ALL other Vanagons, and flash and honk at ALL Westy's.
>
>You don't see too many Westys in the mid-westy!
>
>Jack
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
>Don Hanson
>Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 11:57 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: The three classes of Vanagons..(long)
>
>So...
>Since I've owned my 84 low top semi-westie, I have come to recognize three
>major types of Vanagon as I travel around or do my daily thing.
> The most numerous of 'My' 3 types, at least in my home area of eastern
>Wa. and Or. is the "POS, but it does the job". This type van (and owner)
>usually has dents in the back corners, rust on the surface, faded paint,
>etc. The owners usually are distracted and never wave, though they
>sometimes look around when I wave, perhaps wondering what that other nut is
>referring to with his headlight blink or hand in the air. I think they
>probably don't even realize that they are driving the same vehicle as the
>one I am in...These owners and drivers would probably much rather be in some
>other vehicle...a new minivan, a bigger SUV, a Cadillac...but they "got the
>van already" so they just drive it and don't think much about it, except to
>rail against how slow it is, or how "old" is it.....
> Second type is the Collector...These are the Lifted, buffed, alloy
>wheeled, subie powered Syncros and the totally restored Westphalia's that
>gleam with ten recent coats of wax and usually have all kinds of Zoot,
>Bling-Bling gear and toys on racks hanging on top. I see lots of these in
>Hood River, Oregon on weekends, festooned with bicycles and
>sailboards..These types often don't wave at me Perhaps they think I am a
>"POS but does the job" guy and I won't wave back, or that my old turd-brown
>is 'beneath them" or something. This type, the few owners I have talked to,
>seem to be more into how exclusive their vans are than what they are good
>for... Some of these ones I very much covet.
> Then the third type are those I see being used as I travel about. I see
>plenty here in the Columbia River Gorge during summer. This type van, they
>usually aren't totally buffed out. But you see many that have been improved
>with bigger wheels and SA light kits..This type, the owners know they have
>a pretty special vehicle, but one that should be used. Most look like the
>may get washed now and again, but they also look capable of going down a
>forest road without the owners worrying about a scratch, or perhaps a rock
>chip to one of the displayed toys hung on the outside..I put myself into the
>third type, I guess. These 'guys' usually wave at other vanagons..
> If I had extra cash and fewer other hobbies, I would love to have a fancy
>tricked-out Syncro to drive only on Sundays to Starbucks, too. Or a
>collector's edition Westie, maybe. But I would probably "trash out" that
>type vehicle by using it and it'd soon no longer be a collectors item...And
>I seem to be always out in my semi-crummy turd brown camper van doing
>something else,...
> Don Hanson
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