Thanks for following along! Half the fun is sharing the journey.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoxsterGT
Gabe-
I searched for more info on your Vanagon you mention occasionally. Do you have a separate post on it?
I am very interested, since I have a couple DOKA's needing resto.
Len
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Hey Len,
I haven't started a build thread on that one yet. I started building an AHU/1Z TDI for it and stalled out when I needed to get the mk3 injection pump bracket machined for the mk4 pump. My cousin has had the parts since August and ended up getting super busy and not being able to get to the machine work since then.
It's a 1987 Vanagon Syncro tintop, non-locker.
I might as well update you all on life updates too since everything is interrelated.
After going back "home" to the midwest in August/September we really got the bug to move back there. We've been in Los Angeles for ~10 years and in the last 1.5-2 years it's really changed for us. We've had a lot of friends leave and the cost of living has gotten so extreme that it's just a constant state of frustration. There are still a lot of things to love about being here but I'm not sure it's enough to keep us. We'd rather be closer to family at this point.
I've been working from home for ~6 years and my wife has been remote since the start of the pandemic and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. With that as our new reality we've really started to consider it.
We've settled on exploring the Twin Cities area more and after spending last week there exploring, Golden Valley seems like the place we'll land when we find a house we like.
So while our house has only a few furniture pieces we want to bring back, the garage is a PRETTY BIG issue since I have/had three disassembled projects and a total of six vehicles. As of two weeks ago we had:
- 1986 Porsche 911 - Project Avocado
- 1973 Porsche 911 - The Potato. A shell that I started turning into an RSR.
- 1974 Chevy C10
- 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro
- Audi Q5 TDI
- Audi RS3
The Avocado isn't going anywhere. I'm pretty attached to that car. It's getting the rust repaired, widebody, carbon roof, and the suspension/brakes from the Potato shell.
I sold the Potato a few weeks ago. I was initially sad about it but then when I realized how much space I got back physically and mentally, it was a really nice feeling!
I put my truck up for sale but only halfheartedly, I think I want to keep that one.
The Vanagon was purchased to build an exploration vehicle for dispersed camping. A big part of that was probably from pandemic fatigue and wanting to get out of our house. I'd probably consider selling that one either with or without the TDI swap so I don't have to move it.
The RS3 was an impulse purchase so I had something to drive for the Overcrest rally. It's a frickin sweet ride and it's nice to have something new with all the bells and whistles. I probably should have just rented something though because now it just sits in the driveway... upside is that it's already worth more than I paid for it so if I let it go it won't be devastating from that perspective. I haven't driven it since we got back from Minnesota because I don't want to be lured into it...
When my wife and I bought our Q5 I really wanted a Cayenne diesel but she didn't want to spend more to get one. The Q5 is an incredible road trip car and is a bit quicker than a Cayenne/Touareg because it weighs a thousand pounds less. Ideally, I think I'd still like to pick one up, sell the RS3, Q5, and Vanagon and get back down to a three-car household again. Once we move I can see if there are other projects I'd like to get to based on the amount of garage space we have
My automotive life seems to have come full circle and if I end up with the Avocado, my truck, and a Cayenne it's the same fleet I envisioned 3 years ago, lol.