Speaking of "True Believers," I don't know if I fit the category or
not.  My first half dozen vans were all split windows, mostly '66.  I
bought them because they were cheap  and suited my needs; but I looked
on the new "bay window" vans as being strictly the province of the rich
and prosperous.  When a friend bought a New '72, I looked at him in a
new way...OMG how can he afford this?  .  Another friend bought a new
'79 Westy...I might as well have been seeing a spaceship from Mars.  So
slick, so many features, so expensive! Then the Vanagon came along. I
was skeptical...Is this really a Volkswagen.  Once I began to accept
them I would have traded up in a heartbeat, but it took a bit longer for
those wonderful Vanagons to drop into my price range (my first one was
$300).  In retrospect, though, I realize my experience with split window
vans was quite special and I wouldn't trade any of those memories for a
brand new Sychro Westy, even the many memories of push starting when the
old 6 volt starting system failed.  Only those who have actually paid
their "splitty dues" can sing the Split Window Blues.  Something about
sliding that window open.  Something about having the front door filled
with insulation so it closed with a real solid "chunk."  Something about
those two doors swinging out on the side with a prop-up table.
Something about replacing the front windshield for $25 bucks.  Something
about sliding that engine out the back on to a milk crate, doing some
work  on it and sliding it back in all by yourself with just a pocketful
of tools.  Maybe I am a true believer, but I believe in the Vanagon too.

John Jensen
johnjensen@johnjensenartist.com
http://www.johnjensenartist.com
bluesbug@verizon.net

On 10/19/2011 6:31 PM, Tom Buese wrote:
> Heck, in the eyes of the "true believers", Bay window buses are not even  "legitimate" members of the VW Cult, not to mention Vanagons-see pulled samba thread for BBB 2012&  whether non split window buses should be allowed to park on the grass next year?
>
> YMMV,
>
>