

| Subject: | Re: The three classes of Vanagons..(long) |
| From: | Joseph Fortino |
| Date: | Thu, 5 Jul 2007 10:41:27 -0700 |
ok,, im type something ;) ohh i have a SMILE sticker on my back of the van.. LOL kills people here in vegas.. last night i drove to watch the fire works right, did some semi 4x4 in my 2x 85 blue dream wagen.. its loves when i talk nice to it and hears every POST.. ;) some dude says hey remember that movie, yada yada.. cant remember right now, but he was tring to poke fun at our ride.. 2 kids inside wife, and dog all happy, talking to his freind out the VW van that the clutch when out and the pushed it every day,, DOH its not a wasser pe#nis.. hehe what im getting at is people really think these news cars will make life eazier for them.. nope some tell me i need to buy a new car or say that i must not get paid well to drive it.. LOL ok.... Joe -----Original Message----- >From: "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET> >Sent: Jul 5, 2007 10:19 AM >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Re: The three classes of Vanagons..(long) > >Don, > > >Nice write-up! > >Let's see... I put my self as a type 2.5 I was a pure type 3, when I got my >84 "Turd Brown" Westy Wolfie in 1987. And used it as an every day driver, >as well as the family vacation, and while my kids went through scouts. Now, >that the kids are grown, and I have more time to put into the memories of >this wonderful vehicle, it will have ten coats of wax over the resent >re-paint... keeping it Turd Brown however. I will be a bit more careful >around the trees and it will be kept clean. I also will not drive it in the >Michigan winters or on ski trips like I did in the past. By the way, I do >waive at ALL other Vanagons, and flash and honk at ALL Westy's. > >You don't see too many Westys in the mid-westy! > >Jack > >-----Original Message----- >From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of >Don Hanson >Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 11:57 AM >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: The three classes of Vanagons..(long) > >So... >Since I've owned my 84 low top semi-westie, I have come to recognize three >major types of Vanagon as I travel around or do my daily thing. > The most numerous of 'My' 3 types, at least in my home area of eastern >Wa. and Or. is the "POS, but it does the job". This type van (and owner) >usually has dents in the back corners, rust on the surface, faded paint, >etc. The owners usually are distracted and never wave, though they >sometimes look around when I wave, perhaps wondering what that other nut is >referring to with his headlight blink or hand in the air. I think they >probably don't even realize that they are driving the same vehicle as the >one I am in...These owners and drivers would probably much rather be in some >other vehicle...a new minivan, a bigger SUV, a Cadillac...but they "got the >van already" so they just drive it and don't think much about it, except to >rail against how slow it is, or how "old" is it..... > Second type is the Collector...These are the Lifted, buffed, alloy >wheeled, subie powered Syncros and the totally restored Westphalia's that >gleam with ten recent coats of wax and usually have all kinds of Zoot, >Bling-Bling gear and toys on racks hanging on top. I see lots of these in >Hood River, Oregon on weekends, festooned with bicycles and >sailboards..These types often don't wave at me Perhaps they think I am a >"POS but does the job" guy and I won't wave back, or that my old turd-brown >is 'beneath them" or something. This type, the few owners I have talked to, >seem to be more into how exclusive their vans are than what they are good >for... Some of these ones I very much covet. > Then the third type are those I see being used as I travel about. I see >plenty here in the Columbia River Gorge during summer. This type van, they >usually aren't totally buffed out. But you see many that have been improved >with bigger wheels and SA light kits..This type, the owners know they have >a pretty special vehicle, but one that should be used. Most look like the >may get washed now and again, but they also look capable of going down a >forest road without the owners worrying about a scratch, or perhaps a rock >chip to one of the displayed toys hung on the outside..I put myself into the >third type, I guess. These 'guys' usually wave at other vanagons.. > If I had extra cash and fewer other hobbies, I would love to have a fancy >tricked-out Syncro to drive only on Sundays to Starbucks, too. Or a >collector's edition Westie, maybe. But I would probably "trash out" that >type vehicle by using it and it'd soon no longer be a collectors item...And >I seem to be always out in my semi-crummy turd brown camper van doing >something else,... > Don Hanson
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