Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2014 16:42:18 -0500
Reply-To: Eric Caron <ecaron1@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Eric Caron <ecaron1@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Happy 30th birthday, my van
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuLAcO3ybs7tCNmYwtH_eM2g=8QKVU7j_8D_-awBkBPnmQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Hi Don,
You may have missed it's birthday. I have a 85 GL but the sticker on the driver's side door jam has two dates. My friends read them to me. One was something about a unfinished chassis date, and the other was the finish the date. My 85 was completed in September of 84. So I'm considered it's birthday was September of 2014. Now my math skills are not good but I think that makes my 85 30 years old so your 84 is now 31?
My math is probably all wrong but it is so much mor fun to tell people my van is 30 rather then such a young 29.
Eric Caron
85 GL Auto Westfalia
On Nov 3, 2014, at 10:41 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> My '84 Tin Top with Westie interior turns 30 sometime soon. Of course,
> the motor is just 21 years old. The chassis/odo has 334k miles now. I
> would guess that Vanagons are one of the few vehicles who's life cycle
> includes a 30yr birthday.
>
> Now I may seem silly for thinking this, but it would seem that during
> 30yrs...someone somewhere should have come up with an even better camper
> van, but that is certainly NOT the case, is it?
>
> My own Vanagon has assumed a very high ranking amongst my personal all
> time favorite vehicles. It sits right with my 1957 split window bus, my
> 57 356 Porsche coupe and my ~600hp Porsche 928 roadracing car...I guess I
> should include my high school ride, a 1951 Ford station wagon with a
> flathead V8 and a centrifical overdrive...That one took me and my surfing
> pals everywhere on the West coast, chasing waves and getting me 20+ miles
> per gallon on $.18 cent gasoline! (I recall that we needed $.75 whole cents
> to make it(down and back) from Long Beach to the Trestles surf spot near
> San Clemente, Ca...)
>
> Lately I have been simply piling on the miles on my van with repeated
> windsurfing trips of 100 miles out and back, and various 'riding around'
> outings, just to enjoy the spectacular colors and light of the late fall
> Northwest mountains. I really really enjoy the way the Vanagon feels and
> works, it's an outstanding vehicle and a pleasure to have.
>
> So to all the other 1984 Vanagons still running out there, Happy
> birthday, too! I hope you are treating your owners as well as my vanagon
> seems to be treating me (right now)
|