Date:         Mon, 3 Nov 2014 07:41:26 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Happy 30th birthday, my van
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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)