Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 12:12:41 -0400
Reply-To: Donald Baxter <dbax@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Donald Baxter <dbax@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: demographics of Vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I am 40, single, gay man living in Atlanta, Georgia and I got my 1985
Vanagon used 3 1/2 years ago. It seems like yesterday, and I never thought
that the near junker that I paid $2,250 for with 124,000 miles would still
be rolling around (albeit with a new engine) now at 182,000 miles now.
I had a 1971 Bus, Kansas Beige when I left Atlanta, Georgia, to go off to
the University of Kansas in 1977. I was also the psuedo-hippy type; one of
those people that Spiro Agnew would have referred to as a "nattering nabob
of negativity" (he did have a way with words, didn't he?) I had really
long hair, I was a junior veteran of the McGovern campaign; at least looked
like I should have been driving a VW Bus. I have always disliked the
Grateful Dead, however! :-) Due to metal fatigue in the case (it would
not hold heads to the case, no matter what was done) and lack of funds I
had to sell it to a deserving VW dealership, carefully warming the engine
up to conceal the exhaust gas leaking from the heads before I took it to
buy an equally reliable used 1975 Rabbit. At the time I was glad to get
rid of the bus, and the Rabbit was fun, but over the years I missed the bus.
I was driving a 1992 VW Passat Variant (nice car) when I was diagnosed with
a potentially fatal disease in late 1993. For some reason, the first major
thing that I did was go searching for an older Vanagon. I suppose that I
figured if I wanted another bus I had better get one soon. I kept the
Passat for almost a year after getting my van, but I hardly ever drove it
anymore. I sold the Passat to a couple that read my ad on the internet.
These folks lived in Maynard, Mass., and were willing to meet me halfway to
pick up the car. We met in Washington, DC, and I flew home to use the
Vanagon as my daily driver.
I've had some trying times with the Van mechanically, keeping it running,
learning it's arcane little mechanical secrets. I remember that Joel
called me on the phone and helped me though my first coolant flush, fill
and bleed. Inevitably, the heads began leaking. I decided to get the
whole engine replacement from VW and don't regret the money I spent. I
have had very few problems with the van since. It looks like hell, but it
runs great and is now very reliable.
I know I can't keep this thing forever, the parts will get too scarce or
too expensive and this will happen in the not too distant future. I keep
driving and enjoying it despite the fact that the prognosis for my illness
has changed quite a bit. It looks like I am going to live. My partner
hates the van, but it moves his stuff around enough that he lives with the
thing well enough. He won't drive it for fear of learning how to drive a
manual transmission (he's afraid at 5' 4" that he might not be able to
reach the pedals.) David sticks to driving his 1996 Jetta :-)
I figure in a couple of years if the health holds, I'll get another Passat
Wagon, perhaps one of the new TurboDiesel ones. I'll hang on to the
Vanagon even if I just use it as a planter in the back yard. I need a new
storage shed anyway.
Me and my van can be seen at www.mindspring.com/~dbax (the never finished
web page)
_________________________________________________________
Donald Baxter
dbax@mindspring.com (home) 404 872 0351
donald.a.baxter@cpmx.saic.com (work) 770 729 3938 x 3061
dab1@jhk.com (alternate)
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