Date: Thu, 7 May 2015 17:23:36 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Awesome Vanagon Close Encounter
In-Reply-To: <CAFnDXk2eN1dj1YOiS7x0aem=uxvfyj0JOXYLX1sevj5p=az0NQ@mail.gmail.com>
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I just have this vision of all you dieselheads bonding while sitting around the tailpipe huffing that sweet exhaust, and savoring the melodious sound of that engine rattling away. Beats a campfire for you guys, I’m sure! ;-)
It’s a great story, where’s the selfie?
Stuart
From: Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2015 5:00 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: Vanagon mailing list
Subject: Re: Awesome Vanagon Close Encounter
You are, of course insinuating that my car has body odor? Will see you at sunset with the weapon of your choice, sir!
Jim
On Thu, May 7, 2015 at 6:58 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com> wrote:
No doubt you all got high on diesel fumes!
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Jim Felder
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2015 1:43 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Awesome Vanagon Close Encounter
Today I had a lunch meeting so before that I stopped off at Home Depot for a few things I would need this weekend. I was leaving the parking lot when I saw the chocolate brown 86 Westy of Nick, a former Vanagon mechanic at my local VW shop so I turned around and parked to talk with him for a minute.
When I returned to my car, there was a guy about my age standing behind it and asked if I had time for a few questions. I told him I was waiting on a phone call about the exact time of a meeting, so until that happened, yes, I did.
He told me that he was in the Air Force in Germany in 1892 When his dad, back in the states, became obsessed with owning a Westy. The son explained that they worked out a deal: The exchange rate was good, so the son put a westy just like mine on layaway at a dealership near Rammstein. Dad sent the money for some time, then the son drove it during the rest of his hitch in Germany with the agreement that dad would pick it up and own it after it got shipped back to the states.
Dad's ownership of the Ivory diesel was legendary in the family. It was the only car he owned or drove regularly for the next 20 years, and in fact soon after the keys were taken away from him by the family, he passed away.
The fellow telling me all this introduced himself as Travis Reeves.
I asked him if his father was also Travis Reeves.
He said that he was.
"Then this is the car you bought in Germany in 1983" I told him. "This is your dad's car."
An outing is planned for the few surviving family members to go somewhere in it.
As we were leaving, here comes Nick in his brown Westy leaving the parking lot. I introduced Nick to young Travis as the guy who worked on the car throughout his dad's ownership. The old mechanic remembered the car, the dad, and Travis when he was a young man.
It was quite a reunion.
Jim
