My camper van has actually driven the Autobahn

I was cleaning out my 72 VW Van yesterday and found an old journal and a comic book. It was stuck between the seat and the wall. The journal looks like it was written by a girl probably a teenager. Rusted to the journal was a nail file. It was only a few pages and most of them are stuck together and molded. From the pages I could read i got this:
had dinner in Helmsted, Germany, In are camper and for the first time ever got to go on the autobahn - like our free way in U.S.A. Had great bread in Germany. Spend the night at a rest stop, we had to drive about 214 miles. Sure beautiful country even though its raining. Went to the bar and drank all my moms beer.
ANOTHER PAGE:
Left at about 11:40 in our new van. We enjoyed it until my dad had the stearing wheeled he was excited. Then the horn got stuck. Since your not supposed to honk we would get a fine. Since the van honked so much we called the van honk!

(this is a funny comment about the van since when I first had the van it had the same problem 30 years later. The horn finally broke though.:( )

Computer Repair

BC Computer Repair Fontana
Poping up all over the place are these small computer repair shops. I know of more than ten in my city of Fontana California alone. These shops are usually accompanied with computer gaming as it tends to draw a regular crowd. For around $2.50 and hour a user can loaf around in a decent office chair and game it up all day. For now the craze is for a select few gamers and Myspace freaks. On a computer at home the atmosphere is deadly quiet with the dull hum drum surroundings you see everyday. In a computer lounge there is more of a feeling of belonging to a certain group than alone as an individual. Nerds love to stick together.

Actually, do nerds even exist anymore? What happened to the antisocial glasses wearing guys that know nothing but computers and statistics. Maybe they became smarter with the advent of the internet. Social networking is the 3rd most common reason for a person to be on the internet according to ALEXIA WEB TOP 100 SITES. That's correct, Myspace.com is the 3rd reason you will go to browse the net. So these nerds since the 80's have been trying to become more accepted until recently. Nerds have evolved and have become an icon. Look at the geek squad. They boast of the power of their geeks to fix PCs and set up home entertainment systems. No longer are the geeks, nerds, and dorks at the bottom of the social chain. They may just be at the top.

The richest man in the world is a huge nerd worth some $65 billion in the bank. Correct me if I'm wrong. He still looks like a nerd to me. I prefer the fashion of Steve Jobs. Don't think he is a nerd though. Steve just wears long sleve black turtle neck shirts at every show he does.

1972 Volkswagon Van

1972 Volkswagen van 

This is my Old orange hippie VW van. The engine is one that may have been pulled from a '71 model. It sports a 1600 air-cooled boxer 4 cylinder engine. I believe the type is a transporter. The interior looks more like a motor home than a simple VW van. The seat in the back folds down into a bed, there's a sink, a cooler, and plenty of storage throughout. A table folds out in front of the bench seat in the middle of the van. The safari windows on the sides add a nice touch. The top of the van was fashioned with a fiberglass lid that pops up to expose a tent. Also up there is a fold out hammock. Excuse the sarcasm, but what did they forget??

One storage spot in particular is of interest. On the top right hand side inside the engine compartment is a circular cap covering a nice stash pocket. I figure is was probably made to hold spare tools, but come on, which hippie is going to use treasure chest pocket like this for tools!? They make a nice time capsule to the past since most people never notice the the plate. You could be the first to discover hidden items of the '70s. You might even find a forgotten sack of weed. :)


These have got to be one of the easiest of all cars to fix if you have the time to learn. The engine comes off with four bolts and a few wires. A strong man could lift the engine by himself. I use the help of a friend. Everything is done by hand. Timing, and carb are easily adjusted without the use of today's computers. The only training I had before I started working on my van was a short part time job at a lawn mower shop. Plus the parts are dead cheap. I bought a new exhaust kit the other day for twenty dollars. (made cheaply in China, oh well) It took a total of thirty minutes to put on. It's satisfying to know to how to fix your car. One side note on the engine- it always leaks. You have to be a magician to plug it up well enough not to spit at you. The 8 push rod tubes on the bottom of the engine are usually the culprit. Even with the hassle I still love my Volkswagen van.


You have to wonder why so many of these cars and vans are still on the road. They look so different than your average vehicle. You figure the owners would be better off with a new vehicle. One with safety features and better handling. Sure there are cars that are better on gas and honestly more reliable on the road. So why bother with an old '70s tin can?
My man, when drive an old VW van or bug, you're driving a piece of history. You have to wonder where such a car has been. I like to imagine my van has been to Woodstock or more likely to San Francisco in one of the more social mind opening events. I am an odd ball, and I love the shape of this car. It looks like a giant Twinkie coming down the road. I get a lot of looks from people walking. I'm not quit sure yet if they look in awe or disgust. LOL I wouldn't care either way.

I bought a new book from Urban Outfitters a month ago: "101 Things to DO Before You Die". Other than the extreme nature of this book to provoke it's reader do to all sorts of activities they would not have dreamed of other wise (i.e. skydiving, bunjie jumping, becoming a human guinea pig, participate in a threesome, or a police line up) I believe it's a good goal filled book for those who are seeking some encouragement. How does this have to do with Volkswagen vans you ask? There is a section on page #97 with a goal to 'live out of a van'. The picture for this item of choice displays a van of striking resemblance to that of a VW. The book also contains a task to 'Finish a coast to coast trip across America'. I always though it would be fun to preform this miracle in a vw van. That would be a feat to accomplish.


Have you heard of the burning man event held every year before labor day? This week long celebration is full of inspired artists that share a common interest in acceptance of new ideas. Maybe they're just a bunch of pyros looking for a legal way to burn stuff. (j/k) Among this crowd you will find a group of Volkswagen van enthusiast who camp together just like a bunch of hippies from the '70s. The only requirements of this crew is that you own a VW van.

Boxer 1600 cc air cooled Engine 

Visit the hit counters gallery.