So Roxie has arrived…..And she’s every bit as gorgeous as we imagined! The wait was well worth it, and our patience has paid off. She arrived from Arizona by transport truck yesterday morning, and was off-loaded by two burly (and oddly affectionate) Russians. As excited as we were to first see her sitting proud and happy atop the transport, we were thrilled to hear the first rumble of her motor, and watch her slowly creep down the truck ramp, and roll out for the first time on the roads of Virginia.
Roxie’s body is meticulously restored. And upon opening the engine hatch, we observed a clean and shiny motor, which we would very soon learn we knew nothing about. There was a loose piece of flexible tubing rolling free within the compartment, but we just assumed it was some extra part of no consequence, and drove off merrily, with the tubing careening into the engine.
Not two miles down the road, we noted smoke pouring from the engine vents, and quickly deduced that the tubing we had ignored was an essential portion of the engine cooling system.
After reattaching what basically was the “aorta” of the engine (It had jostled off in transport), we proceeded to “detail” our new daughter.
As I mentioned, the van body is gorgeous. The interior has received every bit as much attention. There was just a very thin layer of “transport dust” that needed to be removed, in order to achieve perfection…
….Until, we found the “nest”. The “nest” was a here-to-fore undiscovered clump of grass that had been embedded in the bus since the late 70s.
And here is where we found a beer can, a fishing lure, a long-dead mouse, and an empty pack of Zig Zag rolling papers.
Thank you, Former Owner, for missing this little pocket of history. It means a lot for us to know the story of our new family member.
We know now, as we had hoped, that she partied and laughed. She was hopeful and optimistic casting her lures. She was happy and loved, and her karma is grand.
And a mouse gave up his last breath just to be with her.
That’s our take, anyway….
I want a man with a slow van...I want a driver with an easy clutch.... 
How hilarious. Those look like very old style papers, before extra wide. Cannot wait until next issue of your epilogue.
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Are we allowed to make alternate stoics to explain the contents of the “nest”? This could get fun! I don’t want to haunt you with horror themes but they might add to the mystery…
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What wonderful prose. Well done and thank you.
I have a 1990 Syncro Westfalia that was my retirement gift to myself. I vigorously research the “Grey Ghost” before and after purchase. He was brought new from Santa Monica VW by a retired German couple who toured North America. They brought it back to Germany where it was used by the second owner (who is now a distant friend) to build Skate board parks. He sold it to a Frenchman, who I have not been able to contact. He sold it to a Brit from whom I purchased it. We are using it to your widely. I have reported it with a kit from ‘Bostig’. It is special.
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Thank you, Ray! Those are kind words. I shared your story of “Grey Ghost” with my husband. Grey Ghost has a fascinating history – You are lucky to know so much about him. I found two old registration cards in Roxie’s glove compartment. One from the mid 80s, and one from the mid 90s. Both were from Alaska. I’m very tempted to look and see if I can find either of them – I would love to know more of the history of my new friend
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She is a pretty van!
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