Hi Brendan:

        It's like I've always said. There is a hierarchy to owning a
Westy or VW Van.
At the top of the heap are the 'Splitties' then come the 'Vanagon'
models (arguments with the 'Bays' still arise here) then  the 'Bay
Window' AND at the bottom of the list lie the Eurovans, (Phew! open
the windows in here)

        Proper etiquette says that you wave to equals and of course
the upper echelons. Only if the lower classes wave first do you
return the wave and only then if you are feeling generous.

        The reason the Euros have taken possession of the lowest rung
is the loss of the rear drive train set-up and the loss of ground
clearance. To say nothing of the interior by Winnebago in place of
Westfalia.

        The Bays would have locked into second place with their
air-cooled engine but the Vanagon model was such an improvement in
space and interior design plus the loss of the split window was to
lose any collector's value.
        Even within the splitties group there is a hierarchy with the
safari window models coming out on top or the 23 window version in
the 'deluxe' van.
        Although early Vanagons had an air-cooled engine it was the
diesel models in 82-83 that established a higher sub-class with-in
the vanagon series.

IMHO                    David (dsl82westy)

P.S.:  In my 'Second Life' , I'd love to own a centre pop-up 67
safari 21 window Westy.. but not at the cost of losing my 82 1.6TD
Westy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>I've been waving when I see other Vanagons and sometimes at older busses and
>Eurovans.  The Euro's almost never wave back, the older airheads mostly do
>and the Vanagons almost always wave.  Hmm.  Any thoughts?
>
>
>Brendan Slevin
>Roastmaster
>BELLATAZZA
>tel 541 593.9750
>I have measured out my life with coffee spoons. -T.S. Eliot