Date:         Fri, 15 Nov 1996 19:43:42 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Austin <austins@ix.netcom.com>
Subject:      mileage / cup holders

Hi volks !

Mileage - ref '87 2wd Vanagon, 98k miles; I've been getting a *very*
constant 21.8 @ 65mph, 19.4 around town since I bought her new.  This
declined ~.5 (1/2) mpg since the introduction of 'reformulated' fuel here in
Northern California.  In the winter we are forced by the aparatchiks in D.C.
to support Archer/Daniels/Midland (supermarket to the world) to buy fuel
that has a little 90 proof added - mileage goes down by *2* (two) mpg from
November through April !!  To give y'all an idea of how I drive, I still
have the original pads/shoes on the brakes (although I have to admit I have
a new set of rotors/pads for installation this spring - pads are down to ~1/8")

Cupholders - the ultimate cupholders are those sold by ship's chandleries
such as West Marine - they are fully gimballed so nary a spill will spoil
your carpet, & mount at all kinds of weird angles so they can be installed
in lotsa different places (& they're fun to watch as you subject them to
blinding accelleration or go sliding around corners).  Now where you folks
in Nebraska are gonna find a boat store, I dunno.  (actuallly, West Marine
has a catalog & sells mail order - RV stores might have them also).

Austin