Without being too trite: it is all relative, isn't it?  Having done a
trek out west from Ohio in a Type I years ago, my 1989 GL Syncro at 70
feels like a Mag-Lev train  (not the one that crashed).  Anyway, I enjoy
the ride....But then I enjoyed the Type 1 trip, too, and the chance it
gave me to see more, and get a feel for the speed of travel in the 40s
and 50s.   Oh, I don't enjoy having cars blow by me, but I also like
being able to allocate my attention to things other than watching out
for highway patrol cars, too.   When I'm in my Subrau Legacy (a nice
permutation of the opposed four) and cruising at 80 or 85, I have the
feeling that I'm saving valuable time by not spending as much of it on
the highway--but then I'm worried the whole time about being pulled
over.  All I can say is that the Syncro feels good to drive, and if I
want to pass the Beemers, I'll wait until next winter and do it then.

Barry Armitage
Editor, Materials Evaluation
American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT)
1711 Arlingate Lane
Post Office Box 28518
Columbus, Ohio  43228-0518
614-274-6003 extension 205
614-274-6899 Fax
800-222-2768 Toll-Free
e-mail: armitage@asnt.org

> ----------
> From:         Robin Davies
> Reply To:     Robin Davies
> Sent:         Thursday, June 18, 1998 2:52 PM
> To:   Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
> Subject:      Highway Driving Vanagon Style?
>
> Question for the group in response to recent (long)trip reports:
>
> How do you choose your route from point A- point B?
>
> It seems that many are happy working their power starved VDubs along
> the
> Nations I-ways. This Vanamaniac just hates taking his Syncro Westie on
> the
> interstate. Yes, Leslie can go 70 mph and suck gas with the finest,
> but I
> fear for her survival. If I have a choice I'd rather cruise the State
> and
> County highways anyway (Zen and the Art reference here), but when time
> is
> of the essence OR I'm trying to go a REALLY long ways, I guess the
> Interstate is the only answer. Anbody else have I-phobia (probably
> Freudian-dates back to travelling as a child along the mighty Autobahn
> in a
> rented aircooled Westfalia and feeling like a tree stuck in the ground
> as
> the Bimmers and Porsches rip past). My point? Do I have one? The
> Madison to
> Cape Cod trip is impending. Do I risk blowing another rod through the
> engine case on the Interstate (I know it could have happened anywhere)
> or
> plan for an extra day or five and take the two laners? And what about
> that
> draw to the PNW? Will Leslie ever see Horseshoe Bay in B.C.?
>
> Please, share your insights.
>
> Peace  R.
> 87 Syncro Vanagon Westfalia
> 95 Passat GLX
> http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/medialab
>