Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 16:30:18 EDT
Reply-To: Route87 <Route87@AOL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Route87 <Route87@AOL.COM>
Subject: Demographics
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
I really hadn't had a clue to what "demographics" means, but now I've read the
notes..oh duh..basically a biography...when I get to the VW part, it'll
probably end up on how VWs changed my life and you can tell Im just a little
obsessed
I'm a 26 year old SoCal resident, schoolbus driver for Laidlaw Transit who is
very child-like in nature. I wish I was 18 again!!!!!!!!!!!(well, 15 but then
I couldnt drive my VW!) Im a single mom of a 3 yr old boy who is slowly
learning about VWs, last w/e I opened up the vanagon's engine cover and named
the components for him and he's just learned to say '"vanagon"; when he sees
another one he says "mommie like that van" which means- "it's like mommie's
van" and he's VERY serious when he says that :-} !!
I was born here in SoCal, Mission Viejo to be precise-I even had my son at
the same hospital as I was born (and one of the nurses said she was around
back in 1971 and possible could've been there when I was born!!) But I moved
to SoFla in 78 and grew up a bit, I hated it because I never had a steady
friend or school because we moved alot. Mom's b/f was a looser and never paid
rent so we got bumped out alot and on to the next place. We were usually
comfortable though; mom made sure we had LOTS of food...boy we used to and
STILL do go crazy at the grocers!! Mom became an RN and we moved back to
SoCal (YAY!!) in 1983...thats when I discovered STAR TREK! (no im nota trek
geek now, but I used to be) And attended my first convention I gotta shake
Deforest Kelly's hand, (dr McCoy-my favorite from the oldseries) And then I
discovered DrWHO, a cheapo BBC SF series with great storytelling with bad SFX,
wobbly sets and pepper shakers who grate out "exterminate"!(you should hear my
son, he LOVES Daleks as they're called and exterminates me a few times a day).
Then I took driver's ed...then before driver's training, I discovered a 1969
green w/ white top VW bus with a for sale on it. Driving by it, I joked to
mom, hey I'll buy that van! Problem was, I couldn't get my mind off it!!
It was a short walk from home so after we returned I went to check it out. The
owner
was there getting ready to take it in for the night. I chatted with him, then
mentioned it to my step-dad(not the looser guy but not far from it) and since
I've already had $500 saved up, he'd match it and a couple days later I had my
first type 2. She was generally CLEAN! 1600cc single port..slow as
molasses!(anyone who is in north county san diego, would know the grade that
leads into valley center...up that in 3rd gear going 35 or less!) Sad part is,
after finally getting my driving license, the smog & registration done up, a
week later, I insisted on driving to the mall. I parked inthe S4 parking lot,
went in and an hour later we returned to find it gone. All that was left was
the little oil drip on the ground. I was in shock.
Then, my s-dad was so kind enough to replace it. Looked in the trader, and
circled alot of vans but the first one I looked at tugged at my heart. 1971
Kombi. Yellow with the inside still shiney red, it's original color! Ok
interior. Good strong fresly rebuilt 1776cc dual ported engine with many Berg
parts, this guy built it himself. Wood on the sides & ceiling(stupid me, I
didn't knwo the wood on top was normal and I took it down and never could get
it back up!) I had to do minor fixes like the horn wasnt working. but Mr.Ed
was MINE! $1650 and well worth it. He kicked off my VW love. I gotten the
idiot book, and the Bently and worked on him my self. Changed the starter,
tune ups, put in a new fuel pump, pulled the motor 2x...once for clutch and
once for rear main seal...help from my brother who was already a VW
veteran...the ol boy lasted me a good 5 1/2 years until he decided not to
start, I was 9mos pregs and wasn't about the roll under it to fix even thought
I had just bolted on a new twin quiet pack muffler. It wasnt much to look at
by then, had an big dent and the brakes were bad, the fluid leaked (the oil
didnt though!)...the only goodthing was the engine. But I regret selling
him...for a measly $200....but by the nI had already gotten Bessie, my 1989
Vanagon GL. Who proved to be mechanically a piece of (!@&$%. The dealer said
on yeah it's great..blah blahblahblahblah...lesse...2 new heads(I still owe
granpa on!) alternator, waterpump, brake master, and a water hose patching
later I dumped her(not to get me wrong ,we had a GREAT time but she was
costing me too much and I had a feeling she was going to do another trick on
me soon, I saw in the Pennysaver an ad Commonweath VW had in it, 1989 Vanagon
Carat, $10,995, xlnt condition. Ok hell...it was too tempting so I went and
looked. He was a nice shiny flahs silver, with all the Carat body trim looking
great, the front bumper needed repainting, the interior was well kept and
clean. I crawled underneath (probably looking silly, but so what!!!!!) . The
engine was clean. I poked my finger around the heads, gotta flashlight up in
there and it looked clean, so I figured they're not leaking. The coolant was
very clean. the oil was clean. the dealer must have scrubbed the engine-you
could eat off it. Everything underneath it looked find. and when I drove it, I
fell in love. power everything..wow! the a/c worked! shifted smooth!
Everything felt right this time about the van. I traded Bessie for it, and got
a WAY lower price than what was advertised! With the trade in, it ended up
about $6500! The best part is when Iearned I DID make a good choice is when
the previous owners spotted the van and we got into a parking lot and chatted!
The husband was a mechanic, he did all the work on it, he pulled the motor
(about a year ago now) and cleaned it up, put on new rebuilt heads, and a new
clutch. He said he meticulously cared for it. Coolant was flushed every so
often, he flushed the brake lines, did oil changes...everything.
I named the van in rememberance of my 71, Mr.Ed....and I still think I've
gotta winner.
it's NEVER had a major repair while I've had it. Coolant is still clean. Still
runs great. I think there's a shift coupling or something that needs fixing
(im getting a little grinding and THUMPS once in a while) but it's a GREAT
van. I had to give the Vanagon line one more chance, Bessie didn't deter me
away from them that easily.
Glad I did.
I wouldnt mind owning a New Beetle either....
uhh see I told you it's be a long bring tale about my VWs and how obsessed I
am.
But there isn't much more to me...I love SF, VWs, Schoolbuses, Animals( I LOVE
RATS!!!!!! I've got enough to prove it!), and getting online and typing junk
like this...
sorry if I put you to sleep!!
The Buslady
me? Obsessed?? Naaaaaaahhhhhhhhh
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