Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:27:02 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: The Price We Pay For Being "Cool"-A story
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I remember the Ford Falcon as a child. Both my parents grew up in Brooklyn
NY, (Canarsie). My father was the first on both sides to drive. He took
lessons while I was in Kindergarten. I remember him getting a '61 Falcon. We
were always getting stuck in it. It was this car that introduced my parents
to long island suburbia and we moved to Islip Terrace during the summer of
'65. That car died for some reason shortly thereafter and was replaced with
brand new Comet. I think it was the transmission that went some years later
and it was cheaper to trade for another new car than fix that one so now
came the '69 Torino station wagon with V8 and front Disk brakes. My dad was
real proud of that beast. No keep in mind that there was still only one car
and both mom and dad worked. While pregnant with my brother Dan, mom fell
asleep behind the wheel and ran the Torino into a telephone pole. In October
of '70 here comes the first VW, A '71 Powder Blue Beatle. Next year after a
3 day trip Lake George with the family of six a '67 bus was soon there as
the second car. I have "bussin" ever since. I learned the basics working on
those two cars. Did my first engine overhaul on the Bus at 15. The VW story
just gets deeper from there.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Scott Daniel - Turbovans
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 11:21 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: The Price We Pay For Being "Cool"
is it fridae ?..almost.
Reminds me of the Falcon with the 260 V-8. a very collectible car.
I never say VW vans are not built well..
they very much are.
and you are probably right ..more 1960 Buses alive than '60 falcons for
sure.
and there is SO MUCH to love and like about VW vans ...it's natural that
they should survive for a long long time.
My first one was a 56 Commercial Bus ......side doors on both sides, no
windows . wow ...55 yrs old now ..could still be alive. If you don't let it
rust, or crash it ..it's repairable forever.
what amazes me about a ford falcon is how utterly cheaply they're built..
looks like the entire car cost ford about $ 400 to build.
and ....it was part of the american car company response to VW's and other
smaller european cars.
At least ford didn't make a their version of a rear engine air-cooled small
german car, with swing alxes no less.
and when something is not fun and rewarding ...it's better not to do it at
all.
but ...........and ....members do need to get their thoughts out ..share
their aggravations etc...
all part of the process. It's being part of the vanagon family. It's nice.
happy everything,
scott
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Felder
To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 2:51 PM
Subject: Re: The Price We Pay For Being "Cool"
Now there's a challenge-finding one! Bet there are a lot more 1960 VW
buses still around, despite the fact that Falcons probably outsold them 20
to 1.
Jim, who had a 1960 Falcon Wagon
or buy say, a 1960 Ford Falcon.
