I'm glad your wife is okay.  It's sad about the van, but that's just a piece
of hardware after all.

Joy

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Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy

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:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Townsend, Michael D
:::Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 4:34 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Vanagone
:::
:::Well,
:::
:::After 6 fun years of Vanagon ownership it is over.  My Tornado Red 1990
:::Vanagon Carat (Wolfsburg Limited Edition) 4spd. has been totalled.  :-(
:::Although I have only been lurking on the list for the last couple of
:::years, I have really enjoyed this chapter in my life and all the wisdom
:::that I have learned here.  I maintained the Vanagon with the
:::list-recommended procedures and have replaced practically everything.
:::Too bad the insurance company doesn't understand the _true_ value that
:::Vanagons give when they give you their payout valuation!  :-(  Most
:::importantly, no one was hurt in this accident -- it could have been a
:::lot worse.  All it takes is a windy day, curvy road, and a panic swerve
:::to cause even a lowered Carat to go into oversteer mode.  My wife (who
:::was driving alone) lost control, ran off the other side of the road,
:::into a shallow ditch, out of said ditch, airborne for 20 feet, began a
:::180 degree rotation in the air, landed on right rear wheel shearing it
:::off and then rolled the van completely over (maybe more than once)
:::ending up on it's left side.  The windshield popped out in one piece
:::like it's supposed to with only a slight deformation in the right
:::A-pillar.  She took off her seatbelt and crawled through the windshield
:::hole to get out with only seatbelt bruises as injuries.  The seatbelt
:::locked up like it was supposed to and probably saved her life -- hint
:::hint.  While the rear-engine design may have contributed to the
:::oversteer condition, I'll have to admit the body and frame design did an
:::excellent job of protecting the occupant.
:::
:::I have already sold the salvage, including the square E-codes headlights
:::that I purchased from Calle in Sweden, to my mechanic.  I think he
:::appreciated the opportunity to get a 2.1 longblock rebuild with only
:::35kmiles for a good price.  I don't know if he has plans for the
:::interior or not, I presume he will strip it out in the next week or so.
:::If you want to make offers for Carat interior parts, you can call him.
:::His name is Lonnie Long, his business is "University Auto Center," and
:::his phone number is 919-309-7898.  It is located off I-85 (exit 173) in
:::Durham, NC.  Hopefully, the parts from my dear-departed Vanagon can be
:::used to keep many more on the road for years to come.
:::
:::Thanks all,
:::
:::Michael Townsend