Date:         Fri, 13 Mar 1998 22:41:53 -0600
Reply-To:     Holly and Chris <hbandcmills@TNTECH.CAMPUS.MCI.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Holly and Chris <hbandcmills@TNTECH.CAMPUS.MCI.NET>
Subject:      Type IV
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>Got under my Type IV for the first time in a long time due tot he weather.
No real problems but wanted to verifiy that the heater connections were all
tight - always hope that I'll find that loose connection that will give me
the heat of a watercooled sedan.... HAHA. Really have missed being around
my old bus and fiddling with her. I don't have a garge and only have the
sky above so the weather outside is the weather in my 'shop'. Looking
forward to the sunny days and long afternoons of summer.
>
>Am planning to paint both my Beetle and Bus this summer. Grand
undertakings I know (for me) but really enjoy tinkering.
>
>I finshed, shimmed the motor up 1/4" on the rear cross member b/c it's
mounts are original and sag a little and the exhaust was rattling against
the trailer hitch crossmember that my father and I built last summer. I
know it is a just a temporary fix but I don't want to spend money on things
that will not get used for long as I intend to install that Corvair engine
this summer. Now I can hear some of you grumbling about the choice and
short of any real information telling about problems in the Corvair + Westy
conversion, I'm not sure I really care because what lurks under the hood
isn't half as important to me as cruising down the road following my
friends for a weekend of camping in our Westies and long talks around the
campfire late at night. The rest of the bus is what really counts to me. I
think the VW engines are fine, fine engines but in my case due to the use
(mountain climbing on the 65 mph highways) my bus recieves = 67 HP isn't
enough and I don't want a hotord engine with narrow powerbands and short
life spans.
>
>The important thing I wanted to teel you about was the wonderful feeling I
got today listening to that little 4 banger ticking over after a little TLC
after a couple of months of getting out of the bus and running into the
house due to the cold. I wasn't neglecting her but we weren't spending time
'together' like we should.
>
>I think of my old Westy like a pet. And I just enjoy her in any way I can
- washing her, driving her, or spending a weekend sleeping out in her. It's
the best vehicle I have ever owned and the most versitle to say the least!!!
Good Travels!

Holly and Chris
Cookeville, TN

'78 Westy, '65 Beetle ('57 rollback top, '65 body, '69 chassis,
           '72 Ghia front disc brakes, '74 914 rear
  disc brakes, '78 Transporter engine)