Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:10:11 -0700
Reply-To: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Friday Old Bay window...
In-Reply-To: <BANLkTikBgy316fJGMCUWfNJmk51JOROzgw@mail.gmail.com>
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The best thing I like about my water-cooled Vanagon compared with my 1970 air-cooled Bay that was it's predecessor, is that I don't have to adjust the valves. I used to check/adjust the valve clearance every 3,000 miles; I put 125,000 miles on that bus, so that means 42 times I did that adjustment...no, I don't miss that at all. But sure had a lot of fun with that first bus...the first summer I had it I put 15,000 miles on it driving completely around the USA. Good times.
Rich
San Diego
________________________________
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 11:25 AM
Subject: Friday Old Bay window...
Last evening as I entered mainstreet of The Dalles, Or...an old city with a
'historic district' downtown...4 stoplights along about a mile of brick
storefronts...I happened to coincide with a nice looking Bay window. 3rd St
is one way, so we were driving alongside for most of it...Blue lower, muted
yellow upper, spare tire cover on the front, those louvered windows in the
door...curtains hanging. It had one of those extractor exhausts we all had
back in the day. Couple of youngsters driving it....spitting and popping,
slipping the clutch to get going at the stoplights...They seemed to not care
much about that....just blissfully cruising alone in their Bus.....Going pas
the JC Penny store and the local jeweler/watch repair shop...a flash from
the past....
I was struck by how much progress had been made between the bay window and
the vanagon. Carbs as opposed to injection...sort of quiet as opposed to
tinny and noisy sounding... With the further modifications and
modernization done to my own personal vanagon...Jetta gas inline motor and
good exhaust system mainly...the difference is fairly substantial.
But they were enjoying themselves and so was I, so not really so different
after all. They coulda been me, 25yrs ago.
I don't miss having to take an aircooled motor out all the time to fix it,
but then if you weren't too picky, if you simply turned up your tape deck or
cassette a little louder and smoked another fattie, and you didn't notice
when it was not running properly....I bet those young folks were...probably
listening to an MP3 though, as they ignored and enjoyed....
Don Hanson
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