Date:         Thu, 16 Jul 1998 12:41:35 -0700
Reply-To:     Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject:      last weekend's Victoria VWfest
Comments: To: vw <Vanagon@gerry.sdsc.edu>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

quick note about last weekend's VW meeting at Gyro Park in Victoria...

I got there early (had to get back home in time for the World cup Final),
and cars were still arriving as I left.

More vans than I've seen before, about 8 loafs, 8 splitties, 1 syncro
doublecab, 1 syncro passenger van. Most of the loafs were westies, one of
which was accessorised with a big (2' X 4') freestanding solar panel and a
kinda neat homemade awning - blue tarp that rolled up into a plastic pipe
attached to the raingutter. The outboard side was supported by poles and the
gutter side had a series of fiberglass wands fitted that forced the tarp
into a gentle arch.

the usual things for sale, mostly for bugs and Golfs, but did manage to pick
4 plastic "wire wheel" hub caps for $15.

My good deed for the day...
 One guy was selling a Westy tent for $100. Very good condition but for a
rip in a mosquito net window. I couldn't justify buying it for myself, (just
purchased an 18' cedar canvas canoe, The Canoe of My Dreams), but did tell
the guy to raise his price to $250 and set it up. He hadn't sold it by the
time I left, but told me that another guy said it was worth $400! (remember,
these are Canadian dollars, Can$1.00 = US$0.68).

Strangest thing seen...

a John Deere riding mower with an air-cooled VW engine and transmission. It
was loud!


Wished I could've stayed longer, but it WAS the day of the Final (I can't
imagine club organizers in any country  in the world but for U.S. and Canada
scheduling an event for that day).


Alistair