Great story! Thanks for taking the time to type it out.
Having just spent $1300 on my diesel Vanagon I understand the pride at
owning a well maintained old schooner!

-- Gnarlie
http://www.Gnarlodious.com/Vanagon/Vanagon.html

Entity Warren.K.Lail-1 spoke thus:

> Hi all,
>
> It was 14 degrees here this morning when I walked past ole "Billy Bones," my
> 88 Westy, on my way to the office.  Billy is named after "Billy Bones," the
> old sea dog of a sailor who took up residence at the Admiral Benbow Inn in
> Stevenson's "Treasure Island."  Billy, the character, was rough - sort of like
> my bus when I found it.  He was the man who sang the song everyone is familiar
> with: "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, drink and the devil had done for the
> rest - yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."
>
> So, I stopped and paused for a moment to think about the transformation
> Billy's going through. When I came across him, he was on his last leg.  His
> owner had thrown in the towel and was going to pull anchor and heave to (Billy
> does not know this but he was about to be put out to pasture - for good).  He
> came to me with some dents and dings, a broken windshield, a torn and tattered
> topsail (pop-top canvas), broken skylight, grimy interior, bad tires, broken
> shifter, and an engine that leaked everything everywhere.  When I saw him I
> knew that with a little TLC he could offer many more years of service.  After
> all, he was a one-owner and had no rust.  So, I took the old boy on and sealed
> his leaks, scraped off the barnacles and gave him a decent paint job, replaced
> the topsail, gave him a new windshield, and now I've pulled his old heart out
> to give him a new AVP transplant.  Ole Billy looks pretty good these days even
> though he's still in dry dock.  I'm looking forward to getting my eng
> ine from Leonard - and Billy looks forward to the day when he leaves dry dock
> and repays me with many voyages across this great land of ours.  I've spent
> many years behind the wheel of VW buses and some of my very best memories come
> from my bus trips and the other neat bus people I meet while traveling around.
> Yup, these things are way more than just sheet metal and hoses and moving
> parts.  These vehicles have been transformed into cultural icons that bring
> together a diverse group of people under a single umbrella that we call the VW
> Vanagon.  I'm happy to know that there are lots of fellow drivers out there
> indulging themselves in this simple but expressive lifestyle.
>
> Warren
> 88 Westy "Billy Bones" (in dry dock)
> 87 GL
> "He drank rum very strong all day, looking up somethin' fierce when spoken
> to."