E-mail your VW story To naclark2005@earthlink.net

1000 MILES IN 22 HOURS ='74 WESTFALIA  another adventure by Westy Steve  

I had worked out a trade of my splitty bus for a '74 Westfalia. The only problem was that the bus was in Tennessee, and I live in Florida. Map quest showed that I needed to deliver my bus 500 miles away to make the swap.

So, on Friday night I loaded up my bus on a friend's trailer. I put every little doodad that I owned for the splitty restoration inside figuring the new owner could use them and he'd been cool with me.

I have an SUV, but my dad has a Dodge Diesel pickup truck and he said he'd like to go with me. So on Saturday morning, my Dad rolled up to my house at 7:30 AM. I was ready to go, so I threw my bag in the back, we hitched up the trailer and we were off.

The original plan was to drive up there early. Since we were going through Chatanooga, we figured we'd stop off at Bugapalooza since it was just off the interstate. Now, if you do the math on this, the cost of Diesel is over $4 a gallon, so even if we got 20 miles a gallon (and we got a little less than that), a 1,000 mile round trip was going to cost me over $200 in fuel. Because of that, my Dad recommended we spend the night in the camper in the back of the truck to save a little money. So we brought sleeping bags, air mattresses, and even some Coleman gear since my Dad is an avid camper. I was hoping that we could pick up the Westy on Saturday night and crash in it instead on the way back, but the guy I was trading with wasn't available until Sunday morning, so that idea was scuttled.

When we got outside of Atlanta, the traffic slowed to a crawl because of lane closures due to construction. This really cut into our Bugapalooza time, and we lost at least an hour there. On the way up, me and Dad caught up on how things were going and discussed the merits of Bay Westys.

We finally arrived in Chatanooga at 4 PM. We rolled up to the parking area in plain site of the show and guys were drawn to the splitty bus we were hauling like buzzards to roadkill. It was a '67 Kombi walk-thru project with bay seats that needed floors by the way. So we checked out the show and though many folks had packed up and left, the bay westy folks mostly were there because they had campers and planned on staying the night. So I took some video of the show and interesting Westys and then we were on our way. Still gotta buy a T-shirt for that show somehow...anyone know where I can get one?

The owner of the Bay Westy I was swapping for wasn't available on Saturday night because he was at a rod run, so Dad and I started thinking we should check out the car cruise there too since we had time to kill...only we didn't know where it was being held. So I called him, and learned that he could have one of his part-time guys there to meet us that night. So the trade would be completed in the early evening and we could head back the same night!

So we go there, and before unloading the Splitty, looked over the Bay Westy, and took it for a spin. Needed a muffler, timing was off, but it seemed like the engine was OK even if it was dumping lots of oil on the exhaust manifold, possibly sending out obscene smoke signals. The interior was semi-complete, and there were mismatched pieces from other Westys in there too. Canvas on the popup was toast. It was in an odd state of preservation...the inside, and the battery trays were rust free, but the outside, where it wasn't "very nice" had horrible rust bubbles. Not perferated through. Looked like maybe at some time in the past someone had stripped the paint, then forgot about the bus, and many years later, it rust treated with a few spots missed, then skim coated with bondo and painted. On balance, it looks like the bubbles formed where they were going to form and the other areas won't form bubbles. I thought about stripping it all down and rebondoing, but the skim coat of bondo was done very well (way better than I can do), so I'm going to address the rust bubbles, feather in bondo, scuff it, and then repaint the whole thing. On balance, the bus was a keeper, mostly because I really wanted a Bay Window Westfalia.

So we loaded up, and headed back. We stopped off to eat a good meal since I was starving, and as we began the drive back, I was thinking about sleeping in the Westy since the bedding was there until Dad mentioned that we could drive straight through.

His Magellan told us that we'd roll to my house by 5:30 AM. 1,000 miles in 22 hours? That's like driving from Tallahassee to Chicago! It was crazy, but cramming in college taught me alot about how to select the right chemical/carb mix to stay awake. So I said, "Screw it...lets go for it".

It was a struggle toward the end...had to make a couple stops for caffein, but the Magellan was right...we rolled into town at 5:30 AM. We dropped the trailer and its eyesore payload in the street much to my neighbor's disappointment. I thanked my Dad for a great trip and that's the end of this story.  

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           A GREAT FEELING
Anyone who loves to drive any of the VW "vans" will appreciate the following account by Steve Reecy about his first time driving a split bus! He loves air cooled VWs and has tinkered with them for many years, and is now  busy restoring a ’67 Kombi which he traded for a ’66 beetle. 

Steve likes the way the split busses look, and with a family, had decided to get a bus. He especially likes the way the old busses ride, and one of his most memorable experiences was a 200 mile trip to a car show in an old Binz with a fellow VW club member.

BUT...he'd never actually driven a split window bus until one night recently at a Tallahassee VW meeeting.  He wrote a review of that test drive for Samba, and we include below some of his observations, understanding full well just how he felt.        

MY FIRST TIME DRIVING A SPLIT BUS
The “test vehicle” was an early 60’s model double cab. It is painted O.G. Red, and is the pride and joy of Jason, one of the club members of the Tallahassee Vintage Volkswagen club. A beautiful bus that you may have seen at some of the car shows in North Florida. Jason is an active member of the club, a great all around guy, and always willing to lend a hand on a VW project. As an enthusiast, he takes the bus to a lot of shows and I know that the bus recently made the trek to a show in North Carolina.

So I opened the door and slid onto the seat. I always marvel at how light the door is, and how I have a tendency to slam it, so I was careful not to do that. The seat was comfortable, and as a 6-foot tall guy who could stand to lose a few pounds, I had to maneuver my legs around the steering column. It was dark out, and the light played off the Rueben red dash of the bus. I marveled at the antique appearance. Honestly, I just sat there for a few seconds, soaking it in…the metal dash, the split window frames, the black knob and the big steering wheel. Jason equipped the bus with a stick shift extension that has a little bend in it. I understood why, as the shifter felt like it was in the right place with this accessory and I felt I’d have to reach too far forward without it.

Now I had to turn on the lights, and I looked down at all of the black knobs. I started wondering where a German engineer would put the lightswitch in the 1960’s and figured it had to be the easiest to reach. I guessed right, the lights flickered on, and the warm glow of the speedometer greeted me.

Feeling priviledged for the opportunity, I pushed in the clutch. Jason had already started the motor and it was purring quietly. Being inside the doublecab, I was impressed with how quiet the engine was…but that makes sense, because it's “outside” and 5-feet behind the back of the cab. I reached past the gear shift and released the emergency brake…just like a beetle brake, but sitting upright…very weird and cool. I gently slipped the bus into reverse and there wasn’t quite enough clutch for the synchro so it thunked a little. I took a look behind me and then revved it up a little high so I wouldn’t kill it, and let the clutch out. As I started backing out, I knew to expect the bus to turn weird since my butt was over the front wheel, but I wasn’t ready for the small rear window. The visibility was low, and I was paranoid I’d hit something backing out. I should have checked my sideviews, but I didn’t think to do it at the time. I backed out as little as necessary and slid her into first. Revved it up again, and let out the clutch easy. “We’re moving!”

I had to take a right turn almost immediately to get onto the main road from the parking space so I signaled and made my turn. I eased into the throttle and made my turn. The wheel felt funny being so horizontal and the bus rocked back and forth as we bounced across the shallow gutter between the parking lot and the road. I then revved the engine some more and was impressed with how peppy the engine was, and how early I needed to shift. The reduction gears were slowing us down but we were accelerating quicker than I thought we would. I worked my way through the gears and was disappointed to see a single red light between me and a long open road.

Waited for the light to change, and felt consolation that I got to go through the gears again. Saw a gal in the car next to us look over at us. The light changed, and this time I accelerated up beyond 40 mph onto a nice smooth section of the road. The bus seemed to bounce on every little divot in the road as it groaned and complained. I thought to myself that to many people the bouncing and whining would be a drawback, but to me, this was a feature…I was truly experiencing the road, not being sheltered from it. As I settled into cruising speed, I started to relax and notice things. Holding the steering wheel with a wide grip made me feel like I was flying like Superman holding my arms out. If I adjusted my position and rotated at the waist, I would “fly” in that direction. The wind helped with the Superman feel too. I noticed that the windwing was on the bus door where it was bent near the hinge, and this had the effect of putting the windwings diagonal to the direction of travel. This plays a big role in the experience because driving with the windwings open is like having a big hole near the corner posts of a regular car…it lets in a suprising amount of air! I had always thought there would be less wind in a bus, than a beetle, but it was the other way around.

The rest of the drive was without incident. I went as far as I thought I could get away with driving someone else's car, and reluctantly made a u-turn at a convenient spot. I was complimented on my smooth u-turn, which reinforced my desire to drive a bus again soon. Made my way back to the parking lot and rolled into the space. Set the quirky emergency brake and saw my relection in the window…I was smiling. Started thinking of all the stuff I needed to do to get my bus on the road, and began figuring out how I can do the restoration faster. That was so cool!
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A KOMBI WITH A FRENCH CONNECTION

A professional specializing in classic cars with low km and good original conditions, found a treasure for sale in the south of France near Monaco.... a wonderful "like new" 1966 Kombi Camper with 71.000km. Marc sent along a collection of photos to illustrate this VW's beauty, adding that it's in perfect driving condition, and the kind of original 35-year-old car classic car enthusiasts love to find.

Read his descriptions:
WV Kombi Camper 1966 71.000km Yellowish 1� lack, Grey skai front seats, front nose Antenna. Wonderful original condition. It was bought in 1966 in Belgium by a Belgium fellow who lived
in Monaco. Kombi always stayed in a dry garage, and was used in that area of France for holidays.Wonderful first lack. Only bumpers, wheels and hub-caps were painted. No dent on the carrosserie, except one very little touch on the roof and on rear right corner (see on Pictures). No rust... exceptional original condition like new under the car. Bottom of right middle side of carrosserie ("bas de caisse") just beginning to get a small rusty colour. Wonderful original details everywhere one looks. Chromes are perfect except around front headlights. Exceptional int�rior like new. Front part is strict original condition like new. Carpets, seats, dash-board... are perfect. Steering wheel is a bit used (owner had a ring on his finger). Rear Camper int�rior was restored like new 3 years ago: Cloth of bench, curtains, plastic floor were replaced with high standard quality materials...Everything looks new !!! Perfect original shape under the rear hood. Always perfect maintenance. Kombi stayed 10 last years without moving in a Monaco private garage. It was sold in Nice in 2000 to the 2nd owner (with 64.000km). Mechanics had a big check-up last year. This owner drove 5000km last year. Brakes were rebuilt, Ring was changed in between engine and gear-box (no leaking)...Tyres are good. Exhaust pipe is OK. Perfect driving condition.
FOR SALE - PRICE NEGOTIABLE

Contact Marc MORET-BAILLY <mmb.sm@wanadoo.fr>
The French Connection, Montpellier - South of France
7 Bis, all�e des platanes
34980 Montferrier Sur Lez
Tel./Fax: +33 (0)4.99.62.00.32
Bien vous
Marc
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      GYPSY TOUR IN A KOMBI

ADVICE REQUESTED
BrianFarquharuglymonkey@shaw.ca
Subject: '69 VW van
Brian wonders if anyone has any info on this particular year of Volks van. He plans to get rid of his '93 Golf to buy a 1969 Camperized VW (not Westfalia) and wants to hear from anyone who has any experience with them. Are there any things to look out for? Things that go wrong often? The owner is asking $2500 Canadian, is this a good deal? There is not very much rust and it had an engine rebuild 10,000 miles ago. Just slight repairs and clean up needed? Should he go ahead and make the deal? Any info is appreciated!!!

Brent needs any helpful opinions about VW Camper Vans:
years and models. He loved owning a 1969 Westy for years,
and now wants to buy another camper van,
BUT he'd really like to weigh the pros and cons of later models,
pancakes, vanagons, water-cooled, diesels, etc.
email any help to
brentmart@yahoo.com

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DID TODDZO & LEELOO FIND A VW CAMPER FOR THEIR
TRIP IN THE NEW ENGLAND AREA ?
toddzochainsaw@yahoo.com

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HOORAY....'74 VW CAMPER SOLD, LOST, FOUND.....HOORAY
Warren and Marg Matthews (westair@avon.net.au) wrote us sometime ago regreting the sale of their VW, saying they had great memories of their 1974 Camper van (factory model), and only thing wrong was that they sold it. They bought a '72 with straight panels, which was "just" running....and tried to decide what to do, since they had also acquired a '76 Mercedes Benz 309 camper (only 2 previous owners!). NOW, they write about refurbishing the MB, the fun they had, but selling it because it could not go where the VW could. Then began a fruitless search for the '74 camper. So they bought two VW campers thinking to restore one with the best parts. Both vehicles turned out to be good enough for restoring, after one was sold, and about 3 weeks before finishing the yellow one, they FOUND THEIR ORIGINAL VAN.....restoration has begun!.

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Rackety-Boom GOES WEST --Russ Butler is sure their beloved blue 1968 Kombi Bus is still chugging along somewhere, continuing to be a treasure for its present owner. In the beginning, he purchased it in northern Vermont for their family of 6 to use in a relocation trip to the West Coast.

The Kombi was a shell, bare inside, no rear seats, no insulation, and the resulting personal touches included: wooden storage cubbies, great for the kids’ clothing; curtains; foam rubber bedding; insulation for the wallboards; a built-in wash basin and a lashed down ice refrigerator. A used VW seat bolted down in the far rear was a finishing touch.

Off they went, the 4-cylinder, rear-engine putt-putting along and being called the Rackety-Boom, because that's the noise it made! Everything was fine until they reached the Continental Divide. There were more and more "racketies and booms" sounds of "the little engine that could" as the Kombi struggled all the way to The Dalles, Oregon on the mighty Columbia River ....and then the engine literally blew up (no one was injured). Incorrect service had occurred back in Colorado, when oil lacking the correct density number to climb the elevation ahead was used. This incorrect oil viscosity did so much damage that the local VW shop could only replace the engine, and four days later there was a rebuilt engine from Portland!! (New ones were not obtainable). The VW shop replaced the little rear engine, after lifting out the old. Their trip continued to Salem, Oregon. More stress here, however, when promised employment had vanished - the owner Russ contracted with had sold the radio station in Salem a week earlier.

The travelers headed south, and upon arriving in San Francisco at dusk over the Golden Gate Bridge, they found a place to park the Kombi bus right in Golden Gate Park. Assuming this was an authorized camping spot for overnight accommodations, they were there for the night. As the famous fog rolled in from the ocean, it crept into the VW fogging the windows and forming condensation which accumulated and dripped droplets on everyone.

The next morning, realizing they had camped in a restricted, grassy area, they quickly and quietly drove the bus outside the gate hoping not to be noticed. Now, whenever Russ sees that famous photograph of San Francisco houses painted in different colors used often in many commercials, he vividly remembers parking on that grass knoll overlooking this row of painted houses.

Of course, 'ol Rackety Boom managed to wind down the famous, crooked Lombard Street with great ease - but trying to crank up those hills of San Francisco with that little four cylinder engine was the real challenge.

But, as it turned out, this VW trip was the "trip of a lifetime" for all of them! With the ups and downs, rackety and booms - they made it traveling West, and then found an even better job in San Francisco which eventually led to a long career.

Years later they traveled eastward cross country again in the Kombi, but traded it at the end of the trip. Even now they all hope Rackety-Boom’s owner loves it as much as they did, and they believe it's still chugging out there somewhere!!
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IT'S ALL PART OF THAT VW FUN STUFF
Jeremiah's VW story from Nova Scotia tells of getting a 1978 campmobile, and the road trip
he made almost immediately in August of 2000. He and three friends decided to drive about 200 km east to Pictou and catch a ferry to PEI. But they missed the ferry , and camping at the dock turned out to be the highlight of his first VW experience. Plans to catch the first morning crossing proved futile when with a few minutes to spare, he “fired up the loaf for loading,” and the oil
light stayed on. A check of the reserve, showed very little oil, maybe half a litre. Using one litre stored under the back seat, and scrounging another from a nearby trucker, they were satisfied that this do for getting on and off the ferry and to the nearest gas station. However, the camper wouldn't start, just a click when the key was turned. Maybe the starter was stuck? Using information from Mr. Muir’s book (on loan from a friend of his father's), and then a scrounge for an insulated piece of metal, he crawled under the bus and attempted a jump start by hot wiring the solenoid. By the time it was running, the ferry had left, so they went back into town for more oil and something for themselves. After some crude calculation, they figured that his vehicle was averaging about 11L/100 KM gas and 2L/100 KM oil, with more than frequent hot wiring.
The disadvantage with the defunct starter was that it was coupled to an auto trans,
preventing any cheating with the aid of hills.

Six months later, after trying to find a reasonably priced, competent mechanic and then disputing over incompetent engine work and financial liability, a travel worthy camper was produced. Determined to have a real Volkswagen experience, and even though it was the middle of April, snow still on the ground, Jeremiah was soon in the middle of another complicated camping trip. He managed to get it stuck on a beach in Tony River with some school chums. He jokes that at least the camper didn't really cool down inside...... as it was never warm to begin with.

WHAT ABOUT FEYNMAN’S VW & HIS MATH SYMBOLS?
Did scientist Richard Feynman ever drive an old VW Van upon which he had painted some of his math symbols? An interested reader asked, and so far the only information found concerns his Beetle......at
http://home.earthlink.net/~jeauxy/miarvw.htm

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SPECIAL FIRST RIDE .....Kalina loves to take a birthday spin in her family's Volkswagen......it was her birthplace seventeen years ago!

She named it Bubby when she was about three, and says it was her parents’ first brand new vehicle. A 1976 VW bus, blue with the white top and pretty tri-blue pin striping on the sides., which got them through every kind of weather, took them all over the country, and even helped them settle down with a family.

Her two older sisters had the boring birth of countless hours at a dull hospital, and her mother expected the same for her third child. She began that Saturday morning taking care of her family, letting dad know “this would be the day.” After breakfast, the little girls were strapped into the middle seat, and with mother in the back seat,they started for town. But less than a half hour on the road, her calm voice was asking dad to pull over..... no waiting for a hospital delivery. Thinking it a joke, he kept on driving. A bump in the road hastened things along, and the children were saying, "There’s a baby back here." Somehow, he was able to stop and get to the back seat in time to capture Kalina in his arms.

The nurses and doctors were appalled, and the paramedics were baffled as to how to retrieve mother and baby from the third seat. After listening to the talk on whether to remove the middle seat, or lift her from the back, her mother simply stood up and said, "How about this way?" and casually walked out of the bus to the waiting stretcher.

A VW magazine article complete with baby picture was forthcoming, and Volkswagen also gave the new arrival a bond. The family still has this bus, and enjoyed years of adventures with it, including several trips to Disneyland, and a major crash (no one was hurt and repairs were made). These days, Kalina drives a Cabriolet, and says her heart will always reside in a VW.

UPDATE ON VW DREAMS

The Roses report that Kristen's 1973 VW Van, "Herbie" has found a new and happy home......A 17 year old boy from her school bought him for $1,000. More than a few offers for "Herbie" had been turned down because he was going to be disassembled, and after all, he WAS part of their family, but now "Herbie" will be on the road for them to see daily. His personality continues to blossom and now with a man behind his wheel, he won't be a "sissy" anymore. The curtains will probably go and a new paint job is in the future. Here's hoping new owner Shelton will have many years of pleasure with "Herbie" and will love him like the Rose family did. His dad plans to help him finish fixing the van up ....The tradition continues! Passing their old van on the road after selling him, meant some tears for the Rose family mixed with happy thoughts both for Herbie and his new owner. Now, however, he's like an old friend you meet on the road, they say, back to his "OLD" smiling self again! All of them remember the excitement of their work which now almost overshadows the headaches which went with the fun! Kristen has not "replaced" Herbie yet....she hasn't been able to find anything as special.......Maybe someday she will finish her dream of a VW Van.....Saying she'll keep in touch with our VW web site, Minnie Rose in Franklin VA closed with a Happy Vanning wish.
(*To read Herbie's history with the Rose family, go to our VW STORIES #7)
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THE GREAT WHITE HOPE FINDS A HOME
Richard has a buyer for his Westy: a retired Marine who plans to bring The
Hope back to its former glory. Sadness reigned as he left the Carter
family, but they're glad a good home was found, with someone who will take him camping, and enjoy lots of happy driving.

Why the new owner wanted this VW Camper:
The "Hope" is a peach and HE loves to camp and do road trips,
Facts: 1969 Westfalia poptop campmobile with a rebuilt engine, brakes, shocks, clutch, exhaust, cv joints inner and outer both sides, and a nice interior. It starts, runs, drives, and stops well! Original paint, never wrecked, minimal surface rust in some small spots. Floors are solid, rockers are solid, wheel wells are solid, totally restorable, or drive it like it is for another 32 years!!
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TENT MADE FOR VW BUS
Folks with a '84 Westfalia say they've enjoyed many trips, but recently sold their
tent made exclusively for VWs, because they no longer needed it. We asked them to find an old photo, showing the 8' X 10' tent with 2 side windows and a doorway with an awning, which hooked right onto the sliding door! The tent sold in a couple of days when they advertised it at $400.

WHAT model VW should Russ NOT consider in his quest to purchase an older van? Any years in particular? Send ideas for his search to rjarnott@home.com.

THE WAY WE WERE, THOSE VW MEMORIES, THE BEST KIND!

A real Volkswagen zealot wrote in from Buffalo, starting off with his recent procurement of a 1971 microbus, which joined several VWs at his house, including a new 98 Beetle, plus ‘71 and ‘75 convertibles. All the recollections on our web pages charmed and enticed him to tell
HIS VW STORY: He and his wife were just out of high school in the early seventies, dating and in love with each other, and enjoying the fun of riding around in his first VW. An 8-track player installed in the glove box provided music for their long country drives along the bike routes he trained on in preparation for races. Hundreds of miles of hills and beautiful country roads rolled beneath blue bug’s wheels as they listened to Croce, Crosby Stills & Nash, and heard Simon and Garfunkle sing to them about silence, and Joan Baez plead causes that were so real.

In later years, they often wondered what had happened to those days as business, educations, homes, children and daily grinds got in the way of those long journeys to nowhere important. BUT THEN while on a business trip, he found a BUG in a field. Fixing it up meant just about living in the garage (which wasn’t too popular with the family), but when it was time for the first drive, his wife was in love all over again, and he drove that car at every opportunity. Sometimes wrestling for the keys in the morning they’d have to flip for the chance. Their preteen daughter loved flaunting it before her friends and everyone enjoyed the way their St. Bernard would stick her head out the sun roof.

Later, he decided that this car just could not be sold unless there was a suitable replacement, which turned out to be the new Beetle for his wife's commutes.....BUT then he still couldn't bring himself to sell! SO, he found a convertible in need of restoration and purchased that as a winter project. Upon that completion, they could finally let go and sell the old sedan which had revived so many memories. Now, the restored convertible has provided just as much fun during both summer and winter. The peace signs and the smiles their cars bring as they traverse the byways of America are still treasured. Readers can contact IRFAST@aol.com with good wishes.

WE FIGURE THEIR LIVES ARE REALLY GOING TO SPARKLE NOW....with that ‘71 BUS under renovation. All their special adventures might have started with an old beat up sedan back in the 1970's, but as VW VAN FOLKS will always tell you.....THEY AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!!!!

RECENT MAIL FACTS & QUESTIONS

LUCKY RECIPIENT
Back in 1999, LVDubbn@aol.com was GIVEN 2 running Volkswagen Vans by someone who had previously sold him a Bug. He and this friend shared the same love of VWs, and that was the main consideration! After putting batteries in them, both vehicles were driven to their new home. Saying it's a fetish thing, this proud owner calls the 1969 and 1974 vans his babies (his pride and joy) ......along with his Beetles ('69 & '72 models).

NEEDED IN FARGO ND: Michael is searching around for a VW Van. Like the rest of us, he doesn't have a ton of money, so is looking for a wonderful buy..
(Editor's hint: a Volkswagen van IS.) Send advice and encouragement to
mableiter@worldnet.att.net

SW FL SEARCH: Brett sold his '74 Westy, but now he's looking for another one, '69-76. Since he likes fixing them up, it doesn't have to be in perfect health, but must still have some life left!! Help him out if you can....
Spreadphan420@aol.com

VW FOLDING BACKSEAT NEEDED: Drew's 1973 bus didn't even run when it became his in the early 90s, but over the years he learned how to work on it and how to keep it going. Now he's working on turning it into more of a camper with cabinets and screens etc., and needs a folding back seat/bed. Any suggestions on where to find one can be sent to him at drewb@wt.net

GLOWS IN THE DARK
A thirteen year old wrote in saying how much she loved every camper van on our website, and vowing to buy one and live in it forever, (as soon as she's 17). The smiles we had from reading this note grew into grins when one of her friends also emailed us, complaining and joking that this gal's obsession with Volkswagens was making her eyes glow in a funny way.

We older VW fans understand....another message recently received
from Greg in NV, summed it up nicely: "Volkwagens have a heart and soul. You get hooked on these Buses and it's like magic. They have good moods and bad moods, but they somehow give you unconditional love."

Last August, Jules bought a brilliant orange '74 Westfalia after seeing it only once! Leaving on a planned trip to Costa Rica, they called back to say, "don't sell." Money transfered, a tow was arranged to Dunnville Ontario, and Volkswagen became part of their lives. Pointing out that he too was born in 1974, Jules swears he loves the color, but cannot ever recall orange plaid being so cool!

1974 VW DILEMMA.....WHY WON’T THIS VAN RUN? Deb wrote in about her son’s ‘74 VW van. He spent all last summer restoring the body, replacing all molding and cosmetic parts. Several local repair folks tired to get it into top running shape, but finally after 4 months and about $3600, and assurances that it was up and running, THIS VAN DOES NOT RUN! ....on the way home from the shop it broke down 3 times, the last right in front of their house. They pushed it into the garage and there it sits. The whole family is just sick, and open to any suggestions. She says it’s beautiful looking!! Send any ideas to Deb Fisher, mobile@peakmobility.comEmail

Email your VW story to naclark2005@earthlink.net