"...1965 Chevy Panel Truck..."

Hooray for old Chevy panel trucks!  I had a '55 that came with an unopened pack of Doublemint in the glovebox, and I left it there for the 10 years I owned it.

Stephen

--- On Mon, 8/18/08, David O'Shea <DOShea@GEOMATRIX.COM> wrote: From: David O'Shea <DOShea@GEOMATRIX.COM> Subject: Re: What's the strangest think you've found in a "new" Vanagon To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Date: Monday, August 18, 2008, 2:09 PM

The previous owner of my Westfalia cleaned and emptied the van pretty thoroughly to prepare it for sale. The most exotic things I found when I got home were candy wrappers, coins, pencils and a comb (in the small areas to the left and right of the cabinet under the folding bench seat/bed). I had quite a different experience with a 1965 Chevy Panel Truck I once bought at a police auction of vehicles impounded from the streets of San Francisco. I got it for $225 after making sure it didn't have any fatal mechanical flaws. I wasn't concerned about the "junk" piled in the back. I drove the thing home and grabbed some trash bags to empty it out. After spotting a hypodermic needle cover, I went back inside and grabbed some heavy leather gloves, then very carefully emptied the back. I found no needles thankfully but found plenty of snipped balloons and tiny plastic bags. Amid the miscellaneous debris were probably 20 empty Thunderbird-type fortified wine bottles, beer cans, assorted clothing, an empty purse and finally a Spanish passport. After I disposed of all this I didn't know whether to head straight to the car wash or immediately arrange for an exorcism.

That vehicle actually served me pretty well for the 5 years or so that I kept it. After replacing the tires, battery, brakes and coolant, my only expenses were oil and gasoline. The Westy has required a bit more. Not that I'm complaining.

-Dave O.