> Budd, you can see photos of my sunroof 9 pax on Tom Carrington's pages, at
> http://volksweb.relitech.com/party/1998/party98.htm . You can see that
> divider and the full width middle seat pretty well. The front seat is
> exactly as you described. My interior is all brown vinyl - ruff and tuff.
> Like the one you saw, mine is a 83.5.
>
> The irony is that the engine in my 9 pax is formerly yours! You sold a van
> to a fellow in Ohio that later parted it out, and I bought the engine...
>
> Tom F.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Budd Premack [SMTP:bpremack@WAVETECH.NET]
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 2:51 AM
> Subject:      9 Passenger Van Sighted (and Caught!)
>
> Last week I parked next to a respectable looking Vanagon.  (How many
> others
> of you take every opportunity to park next to one whenever possible?)
>
> The unique aspect of this Van was that it was a 9 passenger version, with
> a
> regulation bucket seat for the driver and a matching bench seat for the
> other 60% width in front.  This front bench seat appeared to be almost
> identical to the 2 person bench seats available for Westys.  There was a
> full width vertical divider panel (about 2 feet high) just behind the
> front
> seats, so that pass through was not possible.  This panel was obviously
> factory installed, as the vinyl backing on it matched the vinyl side
> panels.
> There were full benches in the back and middle (with a folding section
> next
> to the sliding door.  All upholstery was matching brown corduroy.  The
> exterior was white.
>
> Has anyone ever seen an interior like this in an U.S. spec Vanagon, or is
> this a European model that somehow ended up in Minnesota?
>
> Being a curious sort, I left a friendly note, including my phone number.
> The next day (right in the middle of Car Talk) the owner gave me a call.
> We
> chatted for a while and he informed me that it was a 1983 1/2 which he has
> had for 2 years.  I told him about the List and LIMBO (as he has no
> computer
> at home, but is computer-literate).  I also gave him a crash course in
> Vanagon maintenance, and pointed him to two good local VW mechanics.
>
> He is looking for a set of seat covers, as the drivers seat is getting
> rather worn.  Any suggestions as to where to find that, or does anyone
> have
> a spare brown bucket (preferably with armrests)?  He is a missionary, and
> as
> you might expect, cash is a concern.
>
> Budd Premack
> 86 Syncro, 73 Super
> Minneapolis, MN (Land of Sky Blue Waters)