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Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:27 pm

For Enterainment purposes only:

Last year, the top dogs at work felt that in light of recent wage freezes, demotions, and layoffs, morale is kind of low. Ya think? :roll: I imagine the meeting went like this. "Hmm...looks like more layoffs this summer. What we need is an event to bring us all together! Aren't the quarterly meetings enough? No, something fun. Hey, how about a car show? I just bought a brand new Vette. I'm sure my employees would like to see it"
The Show n Shine was born. Lots of nice cars showed up. Corvettes, Camaroes, Mustangs, all serious muscle cars but there are some jokers in our bunch so there was also a low rider bicycle, a riding lawnmover, I think there was even a skateboard. Problem was, no one wanted to stick around after work. Hey, we have beers to go drink. This year they wised up and served some food. That is better, but it'd be a lot cooler if there was a keg. And we're still pissed about the layoffs. :evil:

I've gone crazy with my van lately. Body work and paint, new carpet and wood floor, new stereo, CLKs and tires, new canvas and lots of little things too. My buddies insist that I participate in this circus, and I've never resisted peer pressure before so why start now?

I show up and the guy directing participants where to park tells me it is Chevy's on the left, Fords on the right, and everything else down there. Yeah? So it's like that, huh? :roll:
Alright, whatever. So I put it down on the end and pop the top. So many people came up with stories about some family member that used to have one of these and what good memories they have. It was really cool to find out that one the big bosses used to have a 87' Westy!

So of course, this is a competition. Guys had their hoods up and we revving their engines. Everybody voted. Best car went to the 66 Chevelle (sweet ride). Best truck went to the 65 Bronco. Best motorcycle went to one of the Harleys. Not sure which one. And committee choice went to...(drumroll)...the 85 VW Van!

Pretty funny, huh? I don't take this stuff very serious, but I think some of the others guys do. Oh well!

Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:58 pm

Congrats! That's awesome! Chalk one up for the Vanagons!

Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:15 pm

schweet!!! i guess you cant make a cuppa in a camaroe.
just hope your boss doesnt say those with prizes collect your cards next week!

Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:14 pm

Congrats, and great story!

Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:17 pm

Looks like the vanagon is slowly inching toward "classic" status. But that fuel cap is not original!

Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:30 pm

+1 for the home team. :D

Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:29 pm

Awesome story jkidd152. That is what I am talking about. When are you doing the Sub Swap and who is doing it for you?

Van is looking great! 8)

Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:52 pm

Congratulations on your win! I took Big Dodge, my '70 Dodge Dart Swinger, out to Denver's Colfax Cruise last Saturday. The pictures, BTW, are HERE:

http://cid-110c89cd09710c61.photos.live.com/browse.aspx/Colfax%20Cruise%202010

It's a very informal event, people get the old iron out of the garages and take it running. I've thought about taking Winston, just so people can see what a Vanagon Westy's all about--but Big Dodge deserves her day in the sun. Very glad that they recognized the worth and beauty of your van, though.

Best!

Sat Sep 25, 2010 4:02 am

Hi: Initially I wondered why you didn't back into the parking spot like everyone else and then realized "duh!" to show the engine of course :lol:

Sat Sep 25, 2010 4:27 am

pioneer1 wrote: Hi: Initially I wondered why you didn't back into the parking spot like everyone else and then realized "duh!" to show the engine of course :lol:

Maybe he hasn't figured out how to find reverse yet? :wink:

I have always had a lot of fun with the car show crowd. When I have driven across county I will stop at car shows and enter my old Bus just for heck and the fact that they will often give you a dog and some free beer for doing so. Have gotten some awards and a lot of positive comments on the paint job over the years, though the crowd will thin out pretty quickly when I tell them that it just took 13 cans of Rustoleum to do it.

Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:50 am

a ray of sunshine. Kool

Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:17 am

Congrats! I've always wanted to pull in to the local car show and pop the top...maybe this is my motivation for next year!?

PS - like your wheels: what are they?

Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:25 am

Don't see to many vanagons in shows. I was at the eureka springs show last month and there were only 4 vanagons out of hundreds of vw's. 3 aircooled and one really nice silver watercooled.

Sat Sep 25, 2010 8:15 am

Great story John! And it's good to know your boss understands why you really need that raise.

Sat Sep 25, 2010 8:36 am

A somewhat similar experience for me.
I tried the concours d'elegance on Rodeo Drive last year, but didn't get the entry papers on time. Maybe they'll have a spot for me next year.

Aloha
tp

Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:45 am

Thanks everybody!

pioneer1 wrote: Hi: Initially I wondered why you didn't back into the parking spot like everyone else and then realized "duh!" to show the engine of course :lol:

I was directed to park on that side, and I wanted my slider open towards the show so that meant nose in. Had I been permitted to park on the Chevy side, I would have attempted to find reverse :wink:

daahvers wrote: like your wheels: what are they?

Thanks! They are Mercedes CLKs. Very popular choice amongst us.

Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:52 pm

You'll have a sweet 2.5 Subie in there for next year!

Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:07 pm

John,

Great story, thanks for the post.

And . . . with the Tristar Eric deluxe 2.5 Suby engine coming soon, you'll be going for another class of trophy next year.

-CJ

Sun Sep 26, 2010 5:14 am

Thats a new twist on peer pressure at work !!
I've entered my Doka in local Lion's Club or Kiawanis Club shows, the trucks gets good comments from most of the folks, a few snears from the Rednecks, the funny cracks are from the die hard ACVW ONLY guys, saying it's not a real VW as it is a "Water pumper" :roll: 9 out 10 would love to own a Vanagon Doka, but maybe not say it out load...... 8)

Sun Sep 26, 2010 7:36 am

It isn't a real VW to them because it has heat and can keep up with traffic for hours on end. :wink: