Part of the 'differences' between a vw bus and a newer van is it's
history, it's place in American culture, the American myth. You did
not have to take part in all the counter culture stuff that went on
in the mid 60's to appreciate the vw bus but if you are not aware of
it & it's connection you are missing something. Part of what made the
bus popular back then was the easy of repair and the uses you can do
with it... What makes it different today is (mostly) the reputation
it picked up in the mid 60's.
Not quite as easy to pull the engine on my '84 as it was on my '59
but the brakes are easier to work on.

My world has changed since 1966, in ways that my kids just don't
believe. The VW bus is (for what ever the reason) a symbol of that.
My kid's friends are always amazed by my "hippie bus" & I'm not sure why.

Rob

At  3/25/2011 12:00 PM, Old Volks Home wrote:
>Rob -
>
>Yep, that's what has happened and for better or worse, it's called
>"progress" whether you (or I) like it or not.
>I was the consumate
>"splitty bus" owner, driving that thing everywhere and cross crountry,
>but never once partook of the "counter culture" scene regarding the
>venerable VW Bus - it's just the way I was raised and having seen too
>many of my childhood friends either kill or seriously injure
>themselves in the drug culture made it repulsive to me anyway.