I've just had an awesome email / letter

[Molbyj]

What a great history 8)

 

[Stueyd1975]

Cool story, I did the same when I got my bus, I managed to track the name of the previous owner of 26 years on some of the paperwork that came with the van, there was also the initials CGC painted on the back of the bus. Sadly I found her in the obituaries and that she died in March 2012, and had her own business Celtic Garden Ceramics. However one of the names in the obituary article matched the name on the the last registered keeper document. After some searching I found them on Facebook and dropped them a message. This is the reply I got, and we have kept in touch since.


Penelope didn't use the bus in her business particularly. She just loved driving it around town, mostly in the summers. She loved to see people smile and wave when they saw it. She was a 60's hippie at heart in the disguise of a 60+ year old working woman. She named everything. The bus' name was Lurch, primarily because of the stick shift. We did a couple of camping trips--one to the Olympic Peninsula years ago. But not much trips other than that. Penelope really was a stay at home girl. If some of the receipts date to 1986, that must have been about when she bought it. I don't know anything about the previous owner. She saw the van with a for sale sign parked in SE Eugene. She did drive it in a classic car cruise in Eugene a number of years ago--probably in the early 90's. She won some sort of prize--something like best foreign car in the show. And I think we may have taken it once out to the Eugene Country Fair--also maybe early 90's. I don't remember the scratch down the side. It didn't have a functioning radio in it. I put a new radio in it when she first bought it. And the linkage for the heater that diverts hot air into the vehicle never worked. I've crawled under it many times to wire it open in winter, and to unwire it to let it drop into the shut position. It sounds like you have some great plans for it. I'm glad someone else will get great pleasure out of owning it. The woman in Corvallis was excited about buying it. And there was a brother or brother-in-law that was going to help her fix it up. I suspect that's the piece that fell apart. You'll have to replace the gaskets around the windows. They all leak anymore. She got to where she tarped it in the winter. I assume you are not in the UK now. Am I likely to see you somewhere up ad down the I-5 corridor?

 

[jonboylaw]

Excellent stuff!!!!
A 23 year old girl in a mini skirt changing a clutch on an early bay!!!!.,
I'm sure there's a pic of this on a certain other thread on here :lol:

That's what I was thinking Lee!!


Sent from my GX64 SatCom phone using Tapatalk

 

[SiDev]

Great story, tell me you kissed that wheel....

 

[shiplee123]

I promise I would have done but it's not there any more

 

[shiplee123]

I did give it a hug and told it it was from rachel and she misses u !

 

[jonnyvolks73]

What an awesome response ! Thanks for sharing it here !


Sent from Johns iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[shiplee123]

I love spending time on this site, I get so much info and advice off u guys!

I've had a buzz today from this girls reply to me , and the fact she , just like me loved this bus!

I'm happy to share this with u all!

I hope she reply to my email? Even better maybe she will decide to look into earlybay.com and follow her busses progress?

After all seems she's got balls so to speak ! She's worked on this bus in the middle of nowhere in her skimpys to keep it running !

I couldn't have had an early bay engine out and changed a clutch at the age of 23

 

[The zer]

Wow,brilliant.This has really inspired me to write to my previous owner,as have his details on the old title.

 

[ozziedog]

8) 8) 8) How cool is that. She sounds like an epic story teller as well, wouldn`t it be fantastic if she would come on here and tell us a few of the stories, I`m an avid reader allready :mrgreen:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,I`m hooked :lol: :lol:

 

[MisterListerSir]

Great story, our buses do stir up emotions.........not always good ones but emotions all the same :lol:

 

[shiplee123]

I've sent her a letter back, if I ever get another in return I may mention earlybay.com and see if she would b interested in having a look.
Would b amazing if she was to post some of her story's on here
Keep u all posted !

 

[who?1]

Wow, that is such a great story!

Gonna pull out my old title and get writing me thinks.

 

[shiplee123]

Ok I've had another reply
It's been so nice to find this lady , a previous owner , who's happy to give me some of her time and tell me her storeys.
She seems really nice too
I mentioned I am a member on here and has asked for the site information so she can look it up so happy days.
I've got a few storeys and pics , yet again I'll post them on shiplees Cali westy thread in gallery !

 

[Foz]

Think how awesome this must all be for Rachel, to catch up with an old love of her life....and see how its doing! All out of the blue too......life really can throw up some amazing things at times!
Well done James!


--------------------------------------Own a Bay?....... Feel the love!

 

[shiplee123]

I hope she was really pleased to hear what happened to it.

Would have been even better for her if it was exactly as she left it but what are the chances of that?

Would b great if she decided to buy another bus now after my letter stirred up old memory's of happy days.

This now reminds me I must email the guy I sold my panel van to. That's now living in the south of France. I miss that bus to