Date:         Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:18:09 -0800
Reply-To:     Dake Collins <wuwe423@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dake Collins <wuwe423@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Who is Mike Collum
Comments: To: kggilbert@MYACTV.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Kevin-
Good question.
To me Mike (and this group) have been an unbelievable godsend. A few years ago when I was first getting acquainted some serious health concerns I lived a in a very rural area of Maine - 45 minutes to a supermarket etc. and I couldn't be up for more than an hour without rest, my meds needed refrigeration, I had to eat often etc. I relied on WuWei, my '84 Westy, she was my independence, my security blanket and my life support system. When she blew her engine and I needed a replacement cheap and fast I put the word out to every list I could think of. I got lots of replies to my request most trying to be helpful but they didn't work and a few were down right nasty "You shouldn't own a Westy if you don't know how to fix it and expect a cheap fix." and other such replies. Mike was different - he told me of a guy in Providence RI (David Beierl) who had an engine to give away. Mike and Carlos from Nova Scotia met me in Bangor, Maine - we drove to Providence; we
 got the gifted Westy roadworthy in a few days and drove it back to Maine. Mike and Carlos were the mechanics and I was the gofer. 
Long story - short version is that Mike, David and Carlos dropped me off in Portland, they drove on to Mikes house in Houlton (5 or 6 hours north) took the engine out of the Westy (Mike used the rest it for other purposes) and a couple days later David drove the engine to Belfast where I had it installed in my beloved WuWei. It's still running strong today. Immediately after my rescue Mike and Carlos took off to rescue someone else in, if I remember correctly, Nova Scotia.
That's who Mike Collum is to me and it's  also representative of the type of people you'll meet on this list.

You're in good company with this group
regards - Dake