i had a ’72 vw van way back in 1987 or something. it had no heat and i drove it from phoenix to laurel, montana in 24 hours on december 24. i bought a propane heater and an army blanket in flagstaff because it snows there, and that’s what i had to look forward to all the way to big sky country. the heater took turns between my feet and after a short nap in utah, helping me scrape the ice off the inside of the windshield.
sometimes, i steered with my knees. one hand holding a 15-lb heater and the other scraping ice back onto my lap. i think they call that “shrinkage.”
after getting through yellowstone, i turned east as the sun rose. it melted the ice i’d driven narrow and dark windy roads most of the night through.
if you have ever driven from jackson, wyoming to livingston, montana, you know that’s some crazy s**t. i had to shift, steer, and keep 12 inches of window from icing on me so i could “see.” it was a laborious task from salt lake until i turned east onto interstate 90.
1,200 miles with “MONTANA OR BREAST” signs on the van and 450 miles of being fearless and invincible.
i sold the van for what i bought it for, $500, and bought my first motorcycle for the same amount.
anyway, some guy has this ’72 volkswagen microbus for sale in canada, eh, and i think he wants too much. he might trade for an xs650 bobber, though.
he ought to sport for a canister of armor all, vacuum the inside out a bit, and there’s a photo of old sneakers between the seats that makes me think the interior smells like foot sweat but whatever. it’s cool-looking.
you can read more about it and see a lot of other photos (including the sneakers) here.
should the link ever die, that means the van was sold. enjoy the pix.
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