Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (December 2012, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 7 Dec 2012 18:17:56 -0500
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Friday musings on the pleasures of the  "old car hobby"
Comments: To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <014f01cdd4bc$ca2e8940$5e8b9bc0$@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I have a 1923 Haynes! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haynes_Automobile_Company

Hasn't moved in some 8 years or so. Needs some work and all parts will have to be made.

I have had a 1988 560 SEL, now have a 92 600SEL and just got an 84 380SL. It is amazing how many parts are still available even from the dealer.

Miss my 79 Beetle and 81 Rabbit convertibles.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Stuart MacMillan Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 3:53 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Friday musings on the pleasures of the "old car hobby"

I'm fortunate to have chosen two vehicles, both of which were in production when I bought them, that are now classics and are my "old car hobby." One, of course, is my current '85 Westy, which replaced the '84 Westy I owned from '86 to '06, as well as a '97 EVC I owned from '06 to '09.

The other is a 1965 MGB which was actually a college graduation present for my future wife from her father in 1969 (at my urging, and we chose it over a '65 Mustang, being somewhat unusual people). The MGB has grown into a collection. My daughter has a '70 MGB-GT and my son is working on a 1964 roadster project.

The point of my musings is that without vendors finding and producing parts and accessories for these cars there would be no classic cars on the road.

The range of accessories available for both is truly amazing. For my MGBs I can now purchase a custom designed and manufactured supercharger (if I were wealthy), a Ford 5 speed transmission, modern shock absorbers, air conditioning, leather upholstery, etc., as well as a huge number of replacement parts.

The Vanagon also has benefitted from enthusiasts finding, importing, and making parts and conversion kits, and I'm hopeful that Volkswagen's "Classic Parts" effort will be robust. When the MGB went out of production in 1980 British Leyland put all of their documentation and tooling in the public domain (British Heritage Trust) to allow for unencumbered aftermarket parts production. This has kept the hobby possible and affordable. Maybe VW will do this too someday.

I can readily build a $20,000+ MGB or Vanagon Westy that is every bit as drivable and reliable as any modern car (well, almost), and would be a lot more fun and much cheaper than anything available today, not to mention head turning.

Appreciate our vendors and celebrate the old car hobby, since you are all hobbyists now by default.

May you have lots of Vanagon parts under your Christmas tree!

(I'll have a '93 Subaru donor car under mine.) ;-)

Stuart

'85 Westy, '65 MGB


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.