[Vwdiesel] Merry Christmas!

[Hayden Chasteen]

Loren and all, still glad to see a few familiar names.  Loren, got the Christmas card and newsletter.  Sounds like you are super busy all the time. Just as an update.  We just recently traded in our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel for a Chevy Colorado Duramax. Great little truck so far.  Haven’t had a chance to tow with it yet but I have had it out on the highway a few times for longish trips and it has given as high as 34 mpg average.  Highest on a full tank so far is 31 mpg.  My Vanagon TDI project is moving along slowly.  I should be able to get all the cabinets and beds in before classes start in January.  I don’t really need it done quickly as this is really my retirement project.  May will be my last month teaching.  After 32 years, it is about time to do something else.  Hope you all had a good Christmas.  I had all 6 of my grand kids at my house and my son announce his engagement which will add another instant grandkid to the family.  Boy am I ever getting old.  Well I have things to do so, have a happy New year and lets hope some of us will get to meet at some point.  Hayden

> On Dec 26, 2018, at 7:02 AM, pmdolan at sasktel.net wrote:
> 
> Lauren:
> 
> Thanks for taking the time out to send greetings.   We have all of our kids and grandkids here now (seldom happens due to work schedules) so for us, best Christmas ever.  Technically I retired two years ago (sold my share of the equipment to my JV partners) but stayed around to help with workload and training my interns.  Pretty much gone from May to November this year.  Need to be home building our "retirement" shop and home on farm we bought with equipment sale$.  A number of us here seem to be getting up in years, but I am glad to hang onto the last vestiges of simple, reliable cars one can actually service and repair with a band of like-minded people.  We and they are dynosaurs!  I have one TDI Jetta Variant left (from new) that will get its first ever "refresh" of suspension bushings, rutsty tailgate and front fenders, maybe 6 speed conversion, larger SMIC, etc. this year as it is an irreplaceble car.  Bought wife a really low mile '14 Q7 because I figured my last chance ever to own a useful TDI (really wanted an A8L, but not enough ground clearance for farmyard).  When I once more get settled into a workshop, I have a 2.5 TDI and several 1.9s that will go into various vehicles (best bud's Vanagon Syncro, his MkIV Jetta, my 924, maybe big kid's MkIII or a Scirocco  - not current ones as both are ice racers) so will be around a lot.
> 
> Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Happy New Year.
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 26 Dec 2018 07:14:48 +0000 (UTC), wrote:
> 
> As you can tell by the untimely timing of this, I'm generally quite busy.  I'd rather wish each of you a personal, Merry Christmas but I'm down to an hour left in the day before I finally had a break to do a group version of it.  Merry Christmas to all my friends on the list, and to those no longer on it or with us.  :-(  Some of you get a big hug along with the greeting and I'm sure you know who you are. :-)  You're all a great group of friends and several are counted as family.  (I don't see much of anybody lately including relatives, unless one come visiting or I get to visit them in the routine of doing business or fixing something!
> Sadly I've been burning a lot of gas lately but I'm about ready to park the 9 mpg Nissan Frontier (on shorts runs from house to shop, etc, 20 mpg on the highway) and start driving the TD Pickup again.  :-D  No 4x but then don't need it much in the VW and save a ton on fuel!  My daughter's Cayenne is nice for comfort, for my wife but makes about 15 mpg.  Passat wagon has been out of commission for about 2 years since it rolled across the street to scratch the neighbor's bumper yet take out the tailgate, all rear lights, latch release and part of the right quarter.  It's finally getting close to ready for paint.  Just need a bit more time and no interruptions for the shop space, both of which get screwed up daily it seems.   If anybody comes across a sub $20k TDI Cayenne (has to be '13 - '16 to be a TDI and '13 & '14 have cheaper parts) let me know.  As with the general flavor of this list, needing work is not a problem, if the price is appropriate.  Daughter or us would like one but not really sure I can afford one.  Will likely make it work if the right one comes along. 
> Other option would be a sub $10K TDI Touareg for my wife.  The Porsche is a nicer looking rig but with the same V6, I'm sure it's similar enough for the 10 to 20K in savings that I've seen lately.  I could finance that without selling any of my "nice" cars.  (nice in what they are, not really for their present state of upkeep).  :-(
> Merry Christmas, a belated Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!!!     Loren
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