I'll play, but first let me say I don't have an obsession for Routemasters or VW vans, nor do I have any problem with those who do. If you want to be a hippie you would love it here in Austin. Lots of them around- mostly younger ones but also some older ones that were actually around in the 60's.
I prefer VW vans. I used to own one back in the day and it was one of the most useful and fun vehicles I've ever had. It was a very simple machine- air-cooled engine, no air conditioner, no computers. It's complexity was only about one or two levels above a lawn mower. I learned an incredible amount of car knowledge working on it. I did all my own repairs, including some pretty hard-core stuff like complety rebuilding the brakes and removing the fuel injection system when it gave out and replacing it with a Holley carburetor. No way would I even think of doing anything like that to a modern car.
My van was also a surprisingly good off-road vehicle. The engine was in the back, putting its weight over the driving wheels for traction. And it was pretty high off the ground so it could go over rocks or uneven terrain without getting stuck and/or damaging the undercarrige. I used to take it camping out in the West Texas desert. Would take out the middle seat and put an inflatable mattress on the floor to sleep on. Really enjoyed the looks of amazement I got rolling into backcountry campgrounds where the only other vehicles were Jeeps and serious 4x4s. "How the hell did you get that thing out here?" Good times.
29 Dec 2006, 10:22 am
