Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 00:41:10 -0400 (EDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: william killian <killian@gcr.com>
Subject: Re: philosoph.advice
On Wed, 12 Apr 1995, corbin blaine connell wrote:
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 10:30:00 -0600 (MDT)
> From: corbin blaine connell <cconnell@mesa5.Mesa.Colorado.EDU>
> To: vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu
>
> Subject: philosoph.advice
>
> Hello to all,
>
> I have a '65 split window, original paint, original interior (excpt
> uplstry), only a little rust (under the battery), with a '71 1600 SP,
> original leaking trans, original leaking weather stripping. It sounds
> pretty desperate but it runs well and looks pretty nice too.
> My wife and
> I are planning to move from Western Colorado (Dry) to the Twin Cities (Wet).
> I am continually wrestling with the idea (and the cost) of a complete
> restoration, but sometimes I feel that it is necessary in order to keep
> this 30 yr. old vehicle on the road.
> I would like to hear some opinions regarding the restoration of such a
> vehicle (the guy who sold it to me felt it should be placed in a museum)
> i.e. NOT DRIVEN, but he also pieced together the enging using misc. parts
> which I have subsequently removed and replaced- so he really showed some
> inconsistencies.
> Where should I begin?
> Are there any anti-rust compounds (I've heard of a zinc/nitro mixture???)?
> Will a move to Minnesota be the death of my bus?
> Should I stop driving it in order to save it- This doesn't seem to do
> her justice.
> Any advice or philosophical discourse (to drive or not to drive) (to
> restore or not to restore) would be greatly welcomed.
>
> Thanks,
> Corbin Connell
>
>
OPINION TO FOLLOW: Please find your grain of salt now.
The concept of a volkswagen is utilitarian. Within reason my thought
would be to keep your bus useful. VW itself has a museum - not EVERY old
bus or bug should go into a museum- that would be a waste. Utilitarian
implies useability. Modifications that make a VW more useable make sense
- hacking the body to put Baja Tires on a street vehicle does not. I'd
keep stock what you can but not sweat what you can't. DRIVE IT. I would.
bill killian
'93 EV MV
'73 Thing
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