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Subject:Re: SA Vanagon in Adventure mag
From:Evan Martin
Date:Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:50:08 -0500

>
>
> On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 11:55 AM, Don Spence <dkspence@telus.net> wrote:
>
> > I'm sure the Xhosa , Zulu, and Sepedi folks enjoy a  dip in the
> > swimming pool before settling in the gazibo to enjoy a Saturday
> > gathering around the "bryfleish" up in Soweto Township.  Heck I bet
> > Nelson Mandela and the good reverend Tutu host a great Fleish Fry
> > before they set off on a weekend crime spree....  Probably to steal a
> > vanagon, oops Microbus or two.
>

that was the interesting thing about the transporter/kombi in SA- it had the
reputation of being less prone to theft than the HiAces and Nissan vans,
probably due to being less suitable to carrying 10+ people, in addition to
relability  issues and the cost of repairs. Some people I knew, not
particularly prosperous small business owners in JHB- tried buying a HiAce
as a family hauler in 1990 bucause it offered a equal level of equipment to
the 2.1 Kombi for quite a bit less $$. It was stolen from a locked garage
within 6 mo......

3L Ford V6 conversions were fairly common in both the T3 and Type II, the
latter usually with a fairly hidious radiator mounted over the front bumper,
makes the Mexican/Brazilian liquid cooled Type II's look positivley
graceful.

1st generation Golf is still in production there, sold alongside the MkV or
whichever model is current, maybe I'll try to post a link on Fri..