Yup, my "85" 1.9L Vanagon also has a Sept 84 West Germany born-on
sticker......I've whisked her away from Seattle, shown her the likes of
Maine, Pennsylvania, and now have forced her north of the border to make
home in Toronto. Quite a 30 years!
-Scott, Heidi and our trusty van Patsy

On Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 4:42 PM, Eric Caron <ecaron1@comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi Don,
>
>         You may have missed it's birthday.  I have a 85 GL but the sticker
> on the driver's side door jam has two dates.  My friends read them to me.
> One was something about a unfinished  chassis date, and the other was the
> finish the date.  My 85 was completed in September of 84. So I'm considered
> it's birthday was September of 2014.  Now my math skills are not good but I
> think that makes my 85 30 years old so your 84 is now 31?
>
> My math is probably all wrong but it is so much mor fun to tell people my
> van is 30 rather then such a young 29.
>
> Eric Caron
> 85 GL Auto Westfalia
>
>
>
> On Nov 3, 2014, at 10:41 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> > My '84 Tin Top with Westie interior turns 30 sometime soon.   Of course,
> > the motor is just 21 years old.   The chassis/odo has 334k miles now.   I
> > would guess that Vanagons are one of the few vehicles who's life cycle
> > includes a 30yr birthday.
> >
> >   Now I may seem silly for thinking this,  but it would seem that during
> > 30yrs...someone somewhere should have come up with an even better camper
> > van, but that is certainly NOT the case, is it?
> >
> >  My own Vanagon has assumed a very high ranking amongst my personal all
> > time favorite vehicles.   It sits right with my 1957 split window bus, my
> > 57 356 Porsche coupe and my ~600hp Porsche 928 roadracing car...I guess I
> > should include my high school ride, a 1951 Ford station wagon with a
> > flathead V8 and a centrifical overdrive...That one took me and my surfing
> > pals everywhere on the West coast, chasing waves and getting me 20+ miles
> > per gallon on $.18 cent gasoline! (I recall that we needed $.75 whole
> cents
> > to make it(down and back) from Long Beach to the Trestles surf spot near
> > San Clemente, Ca...)
> >
> >  Lately I have been simply piling on the miles on my van with repeated
> > windsurfing trips of 100 miles out and back,  and various 'riding around'
> > outings, just to enjoy the spectacular colors and light of the late fall
> > Northwest mountains.   I really really enjoy the way the Vanagon feels
> and
> > works, it's an outstanding vehicle and a pleasure to have.
> >
> >   So to all the other 1984 Vanagons still running out there, Happy
> > birthday, too!   I hope you are treating your owners as well as my
> vanagon
> > seems to be treating me (right now)
>

--
Scott Ladley
130 Ivy Ave
Toronto, ON M4L 2H8

+1-647-882-LADS (5237)