Fellow Volks,
It's a joy to know that there are other people around who would rather
keep good old cars running, rather than make car payments.  It seems
like most "normal" folks think it's unAmerican and subsversive to abhor
making payments.  I appreciate knowing that there are other weird Volks
like us around, even if it was intimidating to go away for a week and
come home to 938 incoming emails.

For those of you who read my latest emails on my cars, here's the latest
update.  The dealer installled the Parts Place rebuilt standard
transmission into my '86 Westy wkender.  It works and the Parts Place
did send a truck to pick up the old one.  Our sweet '87 Quantum syncro
5-cylinder is going to have sheet metal welded onto the cracked
firewall, next week for $600.  The car is intact, otherwise, so this is
cheaper than buying something else.  And we're gonna stick muffler tape
and whatever works on our rather loud '85 Quantum 4-cylinder 2-whl drive
station wagon.  For two drivers, we have two cars and an extra when one
is getting worked on.  And I don't have to worry about an air bag
decapitating anybody or make car payments.  I feel wealthy! :-)

 I should also mention that our Westy has stayed in parking lots of the
best hotels in the country.  I don't like paying for motels, either. I
rigged up a portable shower with a Basic Designs shower enclosure that I
hang up with a bungee cord, one of their showers, and a large Rubbermaid
plastic storage box that the bather sits in while showering. No hauling
all our stuff in and out of motels and no huge credit card debt.  And my
traveling companion (my husband) and I still like each other.  Life is
good!

Thanks for listening-
Valerie Chandler