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Date:         Thu, 6 Sep 2007 09:47:04 -0700
Reply-To:     Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Remembering the First Bus
In-Reply-To:  <090620071543.28638.46E0200A000BA82F00006FDE2216554886C9C9CDCB020E03020100@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

While in the Air Force in Texas in the early ‘70s I bought for $800 a ’63 hatchroof Westy with a roof rack. It was white over orange with orange curtains and that is THE color scheme to have in Austin, home of the University of Texas, if you do anything stupid and hope to get away with it. I imagine it does not work as well out of state, but I never got that far in the bus.

I only owned it for a few months. The thing was miserably slow getting up to speed, so I developed anticipation and dodging skills that amazed some of my friends. Amazement was not the goal; preservation of momentum was the goal.

While I was home on leave the bus was in the care of a semi-trusted buddy who managed to get the side doors severely creased while partying at Lake Travis. When the brakes went out shortly thereafter, I initiated a repair but only got as far as trying to jack it up. What appeared to be a fairly decent body crumpled as the jack, instead of lifting the vehicle, simply pushed up through the rusted-out-but-nicely-filled-with-Bondo-and-then-painted-over rocker panel. Sold it for $300 and never missed the vehicle itself, only the idea of a camper.

About five years ago a friend finally quit Bay buses after owning two of them over 30 years. I was never much interested in Bays (or microbuses after my experience with the '63), but was suddenly seized with the need for a Vanagon Westy. I may have waited too long to get another camper, but this is a good one and we’re enjoying it.

Stephen

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