> Hello All. I am 42. My first Volkswagen experience was when I was 16. I
> had a new job delivering prescriptions (among other things) for a local
> pharmacy in NE Iowa. My first delivery was in a blizzard . The pharmacist
> handed me the keys to his VW bug. I had never driven a manual transmission
> car before. I learned real fast, and have loved Volkswagens ever since.
> I did not actually buy a Volkswagen until 1990. I bought a new  VW Fox
> Wagon and drove it until 1997 (240,000 miles). If I could have bought
> another just like it for twice the price I would have, but no more wagon
> after 1990.
> I had always admired the looks of the Jetta and bought a new Jetta in
> 1997. It now has 206,000 miles on it. Not nearly the car (utility wise,
> too low slung) as the Fox.
> In 1999 I bought my 1984 Vanagon. It had 164,000 miles on it (now
> 196,000), and I have loved this thing since the day I got it. I have owned
> and driven many cars and trucks, but my Vanagon is the absolute favorite
> vehicle that I have ever driven. I use it for back woods fishing and
> camping, and I go where most four wheel drive guys won't because they are
> afraid of scratching up their shiny paint jobs. Yeah, she's a little
> dinged up, and somewhat rusty, (not too bad for a 20 year old van), but I
> don't care about that. I prefer utility over fashion, and this van really
> suits my needs to a tee. (would be nicer if it was a syncro, but oh well).
> The best Vanagon advice I ever got was from Sid, the VW guru (Adams, WI)
> who I took this van to soon after I bought it. He changed the tranny
> grease and put new axles on. When I picked it up from him, he said "just
> drive it, Volkswagens want to be driven". He was right.
> For the first couple of years I read this list religiously. I have learned
> much. I have a hard time with the volume on the list now, and subscribe in
> digest mode. I then take a limited sampling of the digests to keep
> somewhat connected. I have referred many people to this list, and I don't
> think there is another listserv out there that has the quality of people
> that we find here. The archives are full of amazing data on anything that
> can, and WILL go wrong with your van.
> If there are any list members in the North who want to get together
> sometime, please count me in.
>
> Tim Root
> Birnamwood, WI (soon to be Wausau)