All I can say is I do love my Vanagons. In spite of their difficulties I
don't ever plan to be without one. I'm getting pretty old - 75 this year
- so don't know how much longer I will be around to enjoy them - but I
certainly do.

Funny thing - I took mine in to the local Pep Boys shop a few days ago
for a gear lube changeover to Redline MT90. The guy doing the job had
worked on a bus or two many years before, so I provided some basic
instruction. Figured that was good. While it was on the rack, I
mentioned I had a small coolant leak somewhere around the engine and
asked if he would take a peek and see if he saw anything outstanding. He
got the funniest look on his face, then kinda strolled around under the
van looking up. I asked what he was doing and he said "If you had water
dripping it must be water from the hard rain last night, but I don't see
any now!" I laughed, told him the engine was water cooled. He was
incredulous and redfaced! It was pretty funny!  I showed him the big
coolant pipes going forward and said there is a monster radiator up
front - he looked and just kinda gaped, said you're right - a monster,
'Course I had to open the hatch and let him take a peek inside. He was
pretty amazed.

BTW - he did find a leaking hose which I replaced at home.

John

On 2/21/2014 11:03 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> There are folks who still think that Vanagons still don't have heat just
> like the old busses. Of course when they don't neither one is needed.
>
> Early busses and bugs sold due to their low cost and perceived low cost of
> ownership. During the Vanagon error they were not cheap and with their
> reliability and performance reputation they only folks that dreamed of them
> were the ones that didn't want or couldn't pay for them. Even now how many
> are owned by the original owners? I wonder. My Syncro Westy was on the lot
> for six months before I bought it and at that time in my life it was a super
> struggle to get it. However there is great satisfaction that after 5 years
> of payments I still have it 22 years later.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Stuart MacMillan
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 10:07 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: I am not alone
>
> Could it have something to do with the fact that Vanagons have no or minimal
> air conditioning?
>
> Stuart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JRodgers [mailto:jrodgers113@gmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 11:21 AM
> To: Stuart MacMillan; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: I am not alone
>
> One of the biggest Medical Universities Medical Research Centers in  the
> South is located in Birmingham. University of Alabama - Birmingham. The U of
> A main campus is at Tuscaloosa, but the UAB center has grown to the point
> that academically it outstrips the original campus.  It offers full
> undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as medical degrees.
> yet with all that - you don't see any Vanagons or buses there. It is
> strange.
>
> John
>
> On 2/21/2014 11:25 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>> University towns have always been VW centers, especially for campers.
>> The Seattle area has three VW dealers, one four blocks from the
>> University of Washington campus. They all sold a lot of campers over
>> the years, which is why we still have so many around.
>>
>>
>>
>> At least that seems to be true in the west, and Huntsville too apparently.
>> Hmm, does that mean smart people own Vanagons?
>>
>>
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 9:09 AM
>> To: Stuart MacMillan; Vanagon mailing list
>> Subject: Re: I am not alone
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm in Huntsville (Madison, technically). No shortage of parts here,
> thanks
>> to me! LOL
>>
>>
>>
>> Plus we have a really good shop here and another in a nearby town. I
> looked
>> at a Carat automatic yesterday at my local shop. It was parked out
>> front with a Birmingham tag. The shop owner said that they owner has
>> the car
> towed
>> to Huntsville for any kind of service more complicated than an oil change.
>>
>>
>>
>> About a week ago a friend with a westy stopped by for a part. There
>> were
> my
>> two in their respective driveways, and this one on the street. My
> neighbor,
>> who just bought a red passat TDI wagon, stopped and rolled the window
>> down and said "You better keep them apart! They're starting to
> multiply!!!"
>>
>>
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 10:24 AM, Stuart MacMillan
>> <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I've heard that Huntsville has a pretty good quantity of Vanagon owners.
>> Aerospace folks seem to like them. Drive up for a weekend to get your fix!
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf Of JRodgers
>> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 10:10 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: I am not alone
>>
>> For the longest kind of time I have not seen any Vanagons around
>> Birmingham, AL but my own. Never see any mention of Birmingham on the
>> Vanagon List so have wondered if I am all alone in the big city.
>>
>> Well, today, just after parking my van and nearing the steps into the
>> house, I hear this familiar engine sound, and almost simultaneously
>> hear the unmistakable sound of a Vanagon horn down by the street. I
>> turn and look toward the street in time to see TWO Tintop Vanagons
>> with cargo carriers on top - one behind the other, one blue, one
>> green, chugging up my hill. They waved, blew the horn again, but didn't
> stop. Wish they had.
>>
>> But it's nice to know I'm not alone in the big city.
>>
>> John
>> .
>>
>