That comparison with British car owners sucks.

We're not crazy  .  .  .  (are we?)

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Walker" <jwalker@URONRAMP.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 7:08 PM
Subject: Re: A Great Idea!!!

> > Second.  I think that the scope of this group goes beyond
> technical q&a.  We
> > are a community, and we discuss not only how to fix a water
> pump, but the
> > funny stories that go along with our blessed (cursed) vehicles.
> On Fridays,
> > we even talk about politics and passing gas (or was that
> redundant?).
>
> folks, like Ric said: this list was NOT started as a technical
> question and answer list. it was a therapy help-group. :) and in
> most ways, it always has been. yes, there are technical issues
> that pop up and are flogged to death (same as other topics). but
> basically, it's a daily group therapy session ... helping all of
> us realize that we are NOT crazy to love these buses and to
> persist in buying/owning/keeping them, even though pure logic and
> the winds of marketing blow flatulence at us. yes, it costs money
> that might be better spent on other things. yes, they are old
> and, design-wise, a bit out of date. no, there isn't anything new
> out there that works nearly as well or is halfway as comfortable.
> yes, we've been abandoned by the dealers and the company who made
> the buses, but with a little from our friends and the vendors on
> the list, we can make it and keep our buses running for many
> years to come. anybody who thinks it's gonna be easy needs to
> rethink and probably jump ship and go buy a chevrolet.
>
> we're in the same boat as the british car lovers (tr2's, tr3's,
> tr4's, etc., mg's, jaguars, and so forth) and the italian and
> french car lovers: NO factory support in the u.s. at all. so we
> scrounge parts and trade procedures on how to fix things. this is
> Old-Style Auto Repair. :) with a little bit of some digital
> electronics thrown in, just to confuse things.
>
> so when one of the group members starts off on a story about how
> his grandmother beat him unmercifully with a frying pan and that
> is probably why he hates wheel covers, let's all be respectful
> and wait until he's finished talking ... and THEN we can hoot and
> holler about how stupid he is. :)
>
> besides ... all technical makes buses a very dull subject. ;)
>
> unca joel
>