>> I just heard on the news that the U.S. Border Patrol is buying up
>> hundreds of old Volkswagen busses in southern California and southern
>> Arizona to be used as stealth vehicles for patroling various backcountry
>> areas along the U.S.-Mexico border looking for drug smugglers.
>>
>> They quoted some guy named Vince Claypool, a USBP spokesperson as saying
>> that they were planning to put some sort of big 6-cylinder engine in 'em
>> and modify the suspension to handle better in high speed chases but that
>> the outside would be left as is.  Aparently, they are looking for busses
>> from the years 1968 to 1979 because of their resemblance to Mexican 
busses.
>> He said the high ground clearance of the busses is also a plus for this
>> operation (code named 'hipster').
>>
>> Hmm, I wonder how much they're paying for busses, I've been trying to
>> sell my '73 Westphalia.  And will they sell the busses back to the public
>> when the operation is done?
>>
>> Anybody else heard anything about this?
>>
>Yuck!  I can't believe they're going to ruin hundreds of old VW buses
>like that!
>
>They'll probably sell the buses back (or auction) but the buses will be
>torn to crap by the time the Border Patrol gets done with them.

Who would buy a used 6-cyl bus anyway?