Itinerant Air-Cooled

Colin made a "social visit" while in Itinerary transit from Pennsylvania to Michigan yesterday. I put "social visit" in quotes because within 5 minutes of his arrival, he noticed water in the left taillight of my Bus and had the lens removed to repair the leaking gasket. We scraped gunk from the inside of the lens at the kitchen sink while discussing the presidential primary. Super glue was used to attach the gasket to the taillight assembly (instead of the lens). Based on his past experience, Colin recommended we open the super glue bottle with pliers instead of teeth.

Following the repair, we discussed dinner options. I recommended a Thai restaurant 8 miles away in the little town of Canal Fulton, Ohio. I hoped against hope that Colin would agree to the idea of me driving NaranjaWesty to the restaurant while he drove my Tortoise. After confirming I could stay crouched down in the driver's seat to avoid bumping my head on the sticky wet fresh paint on the headliner, he agreed! What a sweet Bus! It's so tight and the engine is so QUIET! I was amazed. Thank you Colin!

After parking in Canal Fulton and taking a few photos, we walked across the street and found the restaurant CLOSED Monday through Wednesday! Luckily I had a Plan B option a few minutes away. Over a tasty dinner of steak tips, we discussed distracted drivers, retirement plans, end-of-life planning, religion, sin, relativity, the miracle of creation, running your own universe, and yelling at God. Colin said God's usual response to his yelling is, "It's going to rain." As you can see in the last photo, as he headed west toward that bank of dark clouds, it probably did.

Westfalia porn....

Very cool posting...love the pics. I, too had the pleasure of driving Naranja. She is a tight bus, and yes, that engine is quiet. But what I recall most is the ease of opening the pop top on that bus. It glides up effortlessly, as though helium balloons had a hand in the lift. Mine, it feel like I'm doing a shoulder press of 100 pounds.

You should edit this picture and cut out that late model car. If it wasn't in the picture, you' think the photo was taken in the late 70's, early 80's.

Two beautiful buses.

Edited photo:

vwlover77 wrote:Edited photo:

Hello vwlover77,

I hope I did not chatterbox your ear off, but it was the culmination of some fascinating conversations with several interesting people over the past couple of weeks. Why, here's one right here:




Somehow, though we took pictures at exactly the same time, my picture was splashed with sun bleach (for you Westyporn addicts, it's like turning on the flourescent ceiling light right in the middle of . . . . . ) :

we discussed distracted drivers, retirement plans, end-of-life planning, religion, sin, relativity, the miracle of creation, running your own universe, and yelling at God. Colin said God's usual response to his yelling is, "It's going to rain." As you can see in the last photo, as he headed west toward that bank of dark clouds, it probably did.

Rained like heck in fact. With Ohio's poorly painted road lines, there were a few dicey moments where I could not for the life of me figure out if I was on the wrong side of the traffic cones hurtling towards a ditch or a pile of rebar, or perhaps on the correct side of the cones hurtling towards oncoming traffic. I drove through that rain on US 20 and out the other side into a noticeable chill, I think it was about 48* by morning with the whipping wind that has followed me to Michigan. I yelled at God AND the highway department.

Today is a challenge with 70Crew. We are installing a new engine/transmission and must button up a number of items, then break it in. Then I backtrack dizzily to visit with hippiewannabe and TrollFromDownBelow, then I drive through the night to be ready for Pearl76, the judge in La Porte Indiana by the morning of the 11th. Idiotic scheduling, I think I shall have to fire my Itinerary manager . . .
Colin

p.s. headliner is done, paint to dry over the next five weeks .. .. ..

What the hey...one more.

Great pics!

Amskeptic wrote:
p.s. headliner is done, paint to dry over the next five weeks .. .. ..

Wow! I see that Naranja came equipped with the uber-rare drivers-side Wolfsburg-edition factory issued white terrycloth seat cover, with the even rarer integrated headrest post attachment system!

Jivermo wrote:What the hey...one more.

Perfect! Welcome to 1979 again. The Doobie Brothers on the radio, a fresh beer that you had to pull the tab off to consume and a fresh VW camper van ready for it's next adventure w/it's owners..

Nicely done.

I have never worked up the courage to ask Colin to drive any of his buses .... it's kinda of like asking someone if you can ride their motorcycle or sleep with their wife/girl friend.

Amskeptic wrote:
I hope I did not chatterbox your ear off, but it was the culmination of some fascinating conversations with several interesting people over the past couple of weeks. Why, here's one right here:

Why thank you, I often think I'm just a little too boring and conventional. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to hear that culmination spill out in such a lively and eloquent manner. I also enjoyed the challenge of trying to keep up!

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:I have never worked up the courage to ask Colin to drive any of his buses .... it's kinda of like asking someone if you can ride their motorcycle or sleep with their wife/girl friend.

Hmmm.... I guess I think that Colin enjoys sharing the quality of original, untouched VW engineering with many of us that have had little or no opportunity to experience it. Otherwise I would never have the courage to ask either!

Gotta say, those are two mighty-fine, beautiful late bay Westys. Inspiring, just inspiring!

phaedrus76 wrote:Gotta say, those are two mighty-fine, beautiful late bay Westys. Inspiring, just inspiring!

At least for my Westy, the photos hide a LOT. But I'd be afraid to drive it if it was too perfect.