Date:         Thu, 6 Sep 2007 10:33:52 -0400
Reply-To:     Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Remembering the First Bus
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Sometimes I wonder why I am so devoted to the old air cooled campers.  The
amazing practicality of the Westy for my lifestyle of course justifys
keeping it around but when I remember the first bus, and the earlier VW's my
current desire to keep it air-cooled makes a lot more sense.


The first bus in my life was a very clean, green '74 Westy with all of the
trimmings, a 914 engine and an auto trans.  Among the many early memories of
that van I remember claiming the way back as my own and vaguely the
imaginary world that spread from rear hatch to bench seat.  I remember being
tucked into fold out bed on late night drives with my older brother and
sister and my first time behind the wheel sitting in my father's lap when he
actually pulled his hands off of the wheel for a few seconds as we cruised
down the road.  That first van was a part of my life from right after I was
born until I was 5 or 6? and after owning a few beetles the first bus that I
purchased when I was 16 was again a '74 Westy.

My last memory of that bus was my trying to talk the guy from Florida out of
buying it by pointing out the weak brakes, scratches and such as my father
successfully did the opposite.  Did any of you buy that camper and take it
away from Grenada MS to Florida?  That would have been in '82 or '83 I
believe.

Jonathan Poole
'82 AC Westy