TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:40 pm

My web site is gone (benplace.com), I lost my shop due to Covid.

I had to get a job. Do you remember me? I was a guru here for so long.

I miss you, I miss the feeling... the craziness about going in road trip.

I gave you so much advice over 15 years. I miss the Westy way of thinking.

I fell sad...

145 stock engine rebuilt, over 135 Subaru engine conversions done. 39 vanagon fully restored. All that over 18 years period.

I hope you are all having a good life.

Benny

Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:59 pm

Yup,

You are missed.

Things will get better Ben.

Alistair

Wed Feb 01, 2023 11:01 pm

Ben I hope you get back on track
Happy, healthy enjoying life again.

Tom

Wed Feb 01, 2023 11:45 pm

I agree with the above posts. You contributed a lot to this community. Please keep moving forward.

Jim

Wed Feb 01, 2023 11:49 pm

Je me souviens :P

What do you do now?

Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:00 am

ftp2leta wrote:
I am so pissed right now, FUCK you all

Miss you every single day

Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:46 am

You are missed and you are not forgotten.
Your name and contributions to helping the community are brought up in regards to your website being so helpfull.
Hope all good things come your way. You deserve better.

Thu Feb 02, 2023 5:57 am

Sorry to see you gone, but you were pretty hell bent on shedding it all.
Several members tried to point out the folly of parts of your decision.

Sadly, you went ahead, full speed ahead.
You did what you felt was right at the time.

You are well loved and overall respected here, you are always welcome here, Vanagon or no Vanagon....... you are one of the old wise masters of Vanagon lore.

Come on back, join in the posting, give us advice .........

Dave

Thu Feb 02, 2023 6:01 am

You are missed.

I hope you are in a better place in your life now.

Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:21 am

Ben,

Your website and your input on The Samba showed you to be one of the experts, a person with sufficient experience and brain power to be a go-to guy, someone that had solved most of the mechanical problems you were confronted with, and had the ability to explain methods and solutions. Then something happened outside your realm of experience.

Each of us gets our own set of challenges, some more than others. The whole point is to solve the problem at hand or deal with not solving it. Epictetus said, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters". So, here you are.

Like most of the people that have benefited from your expertise in one way or another, I remember you. I also respect the body of work you created. Now, I'm waiting to see what you're going to do for an encore.

Get up.

Dan

Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:37 am

Hi Ben, I hope you found a good new place. You are missed, Also, as per syncrodoka's message and quote above, an apology would be nice.

Do you still own a van?

À bientôt

Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:42 am

Hope you eventually get help for the demons which have haunted you.

Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:55 am

I sure miss you Ben. When I started my restoration project in 08 your site was super helpful.
Why not get another van and get back into the game, but this time just do it for you?
I get a lot of questions about my van and everytime I tell people that this community as well as all the resources now available make having one of these relics doable. And fun, all over the world there are people who for one reason or antoher love these vans, we are a community. Almost every day a new Vanagonught joins us, starts using the search, asking questions (dumb and otherwise) Those with knowlege to share really help those that need it. It matters. You are indeed missed.
SAMBA SIEMPRE

!

Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:57 am

Zeitgeist 13 wrote: Hope you eventually get help for the demons which have haunted you.

You're referring to his support of putting Suby engines in Vanagons aren't you?

Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:17 pm

I think the love/hate thing many members have had with Ben totally resembles all our relationships with our Vanagons.

-Rob

Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:23 pm

SCM wrote: Zeitgeist 13 wrote: Hope you eventually get help for the demons which have haunted you.

You're referring to his support of putting Suby engines in Vanagons aren't you?

No, just the late night threats of violence, and general unwarranted rudeness.

Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:48 pm

Zeitgeist 13 wrote: No, just the late night threats of violence, and general unwarranted rudeness.

Wait, are you talking about Vanagons, or Ben? :D

Thu Feb 02, 2023 3:12 pm

Jeffrey Lee wrote: Zeitgeist 13 wrote: No, just the late night threats of violence, and general unwarranted rudeness.

Wait, are you talking about Vanagons, or Ben? :D

That has to be the Vanagons. I know I've threatened mine with violence on more than one occasion.

Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:47 pm

I hated my Vanagon (AKA Moneygone) just tonight. Time heals, the doctor takes the cash.

Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:16 pm

Thanks for letting us know your status. Your advice certainly missed. Maybe you and Everett could come up with an agreement on having a "Ben's Place" added to the technical section or just as a sticky. Either would certainly be a huge benefit to the community.