Date:         Tue, 26 Sep 95 18:50:22 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "William R. Kennedy, NJIT CIAT, 201-596-5648" <kennedy@admin.njit.edu>
Subject:      Self-Introduction

=========================================================================
Date:         
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ADMIN::KENNEDY      "William R. Kennedy, NJIT CIAT, 201-596-5648" 26-SEP-1995 18:46:28.23
Subject:      

Just realized that I never sent this, during the last spate of self-intro-
ductions.
Bill Kennedy, almost 47; I head up a computer consulting group
serving small businesses, municipalities, nonprofits; work out
of NJIT, a 7000-student public university in Newark, NJ.  Can't
remember how many VW buses I've owned, maybe 10 or 12, but never
more than one at a time.  Paid $65 for the first one, $1600 for
the latest.  Dreamt about Porsche power for a VW van for years
after seeing an article in Hot VWs.  Took three tries to find a
van that seemed worth the trouble.  Or maybe I was just getting
up my nerve.  Now have 81 Vanagon "Toy Box"  which has been
6-cylinder powered since late 1993.  Current engine is from 79
911SC, nominally 180 hp.  A perceptible difference from the
original engine; you just have to get over the silly idea that
the engine should cost less than the car.  For money reasons and
to serve my self-sufficiency obsession, I did the installation
myself.  Actually installationS, as I've done three minor
refinements of my rear engine brace.  I use the car as
semi-daily driver and for family travel (w/wife and 7-yr-old
son) in NY/NJ.  Wife is forcing me (ouch you're hurting my arm)
to consider installing airconditioning, at which point the Vgon
would officially stop being a toy and start being an alternative
to a new Japanese car.
 
Don't know what it is about VW buses.  Tried a Chrysler minivan
for a few years, but even with 150hp Turbo four and a
five-speed, it was Not the Same.
 
Other current cars are 92 Nissan Sentra SE-R (very nice; wish it
had four doors), 87 Acura Integra, 77 Porsche 911S Targa
(strictly as a test stand for the Vanagon's engine layout, you
understand).
 
The Vgon list is a great thing.  Maybe a little heavier on water
cooling and propane heating than I'd prefer, but many of you
seem to share my style of  engineering -- a feeling that you get
Extra Credit if you fix it with something you already have in
the garage.
 
 
 
B.
Wm Kennedy
kennedy@admin.njit.edu