Amazing!  Did Travis have any idea that he might be looking at his old
van?  What was his reaction when you told him?
Edward

On Thu, May 7, 2015 at 8:23 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
wrote:

> I just have this vision of all you dieselheads bonding while sitting
> around the tailpipe huffing that sweet exhaust, and savoring the melodious
> sound of that engine rattling away. Beats a campfire for you guys, I’m
> sure!  ;-)
>
>
>
> It’s a great story, where’s the selfie?
>
>
>
> Stuart
>
> From: Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2015 5:00 PM
> To: Stuart MacMillan
> Cc: Vanagon mailing list
> Subject: Re: Awesome Vanagon Close Encounter
>
>
>
> You are, of course insinuating that my car has body odor? Will see you at
> sunset with the weapon of your choice, sir!
>
>
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> On Thu, May 7, 2015 at 6:58 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> No doubt you all got high on diesel fumes!
>
> Stuart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Jim Felder
> Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2015 1:43 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Awesome Vanagon Close Encounter
>
> Today I had a lunch meeting so before that I stopped off at Home Depot for
> a few things I would need this weekend. I was leaving the parking lot when
> I saw the chocolate brown 86 Westy of Nick, a former Vanagon mechanic at my
> local VW shop so I turned around and parked to talk with him for a minute.
> When I returned to my car, there was a guy about my age standing behind it
> and asked if I had time for a few questions. I told him I was waiting on a
> phone call about the exact time of a meeting, so until that happened, yes,
> I did.
>
> He told me that he was in the Air Force in Germany in 1892 When his dad,
> back in the states, became obsessed with owning a Westy. The son explained
> that they worked out a deal: The exchange rate was good, so the son put a
> westy just like mine on layaway at a dealership near Rammstein. Dad sent
> the money for some time, then the son drove it during the rest of his hitch
> in Germany with the agreement that dad would pick it up and own it after it
> got shipped back to the states.
>
> Dad's ownership of the Ivory diesel was legendary in the family. It was
> the only car he owned or drove regularly for the next 20 years, and in fact
> soon after the keys were taken away from him by the family, he passed away.
>
> The fellow telling me all this introduced himself as Travis Reeves.
>
> I asked him if his father was also Travis Reeves.
>
> He said that he was.
>
> "Then this is the car you bought in Germany in 1983" I told him. "This is
> your dad's car."
>
> An outing is planned for the few surviving family members to go somewhere
> in it.
>
> As we were leaving, here comes Nick in his brown Westy leaving the parking
> lot. I introduced Nick to young Travis as the guy who worked on the car
> throughout his dad's ownership. The old mechanic remembered the car, the
> dad, and Travis when he was a young man.
>
> It was quite a reunion.
>
> Jim
>
>
>