I pulled in at the grocery store next to a woman that was trying to shoehorn
two kids and a buttload of groceries into what looked like an old Honda or
the like. I don't have the middle seat in at present, and the boosters/car
seat are on the back bench; she stood up and looked into the side window and
said "Ohmigod, look at all that space...!" Then she said "That's one of
those classic vans... do they cost much?" (She may have been confusing it
with a loaf, actually.) One of the kids was diggin' it but I didn't pick out
what she was saying because I was listening to the mom. I'm sure to her it
looked like a rolling freight container right then... room for days plus
kids' seats.  : )

I told her she could probably get one in decent shape for around four grand.
That's the number that popped into my head for a passenger van, but I really
haven't looked lately. I didn't go into the whole spiel of cost/difficulty
of upkeep and so on, as I figured it highly unlikely she'd ever really get
one, assuming she could find it. I did tell her I paid $300 for it but had
to rebuild the engine and tranny in short order. (Even with that I don't
think I have more than $1400 into the thing for getting it on the road and
reliable-like.)
I still think (and I know that this is preaching a well-worn sermon to the
choir) that a modernized, mid-priced Vanagon layout would sell in bunches
and droves. It might take some heavy PR to overcome the perceptions of
front-end safety, but every body's afraid of something on a car. Too bad we
won't see it.

Like many of you I occasionally get ppl that walk up and ask about the van;
the expression on their faces when they actually look through the windows is
priceless. In the back of my mind I always think they're thinking "My god,
it's full of stars!" hehe
--
Cya,
Robert

'87 & '86 Auto GLs