Many years ago, I had one awesome driving machine.
"I've got a '34 wagon and I call it a Woodie." - Brian Wilson and Jan Berry
She had a long and fruitful life, and I miss her a lot...
Here is the true story of my now retired Surfmobile.
"I've got a '34 wagon and I call it a Woodie."
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures and http://pixabay.com
"Well, it ain't very cheery - It's an oldie but a goodie." - Brian Wilson and Jan Berry
It's now sometime in the 1990's. During the past decade, I've taken up bodyboarding and then surfing. Surfing has become a hobby, a passion, and now my primary exercise program. As a direct consequence, my town car has assumed a new identity.
No, I don't drive a classic Woodie...
What I actually have is an old, ’83 Chevy Van I've cleverly disguised as a mild-mannered, basic transportation device. She's not much, but she gets me back and forth to work. More important, my van gets me to where it's all really happening. She gets me to the beach.
On the outside, my van looks like any old beater. At heart, however, she has a superpower. In reality, this particular Chevy is my Surfmobile.
Jan and Dean Sing "Surf City"
Written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry, courtesy YouTube
Every morning, and especially when I am on a Surfing Safari, my Chevy is the ideal base of operations for a wave rider. Up front I have my radio and a companion seat in case there is someone with me to ride shotgun. The heater works well enough to take the chill off those really cold winter mornings.
In the back of the van,
I years ago built a couple of padded benches out of 1x2s and Lauan plywood. Lightweight, removable, efficient. Storage underneath.
There's plenty of room back there for my surfboard, a couple of body boards, gallons and gallons of hot water, a first aid kit, quilt, pillow, change of clothes, shampoo... In short, can you possibly think of anything else I might want or need?
My 1983 Chevrolet Van is a Beater
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
At the break,
I lock her up and head out into the waves.
After my surf session, I set up my hot shower, clean up my gear, hang my wetsuit from the Surfmobile ceiling to dry, and get dressed for work.
For a while, I had a real high-tech shower built in. Picture this:
A five-gallon jerry can under the hood, with a copper U-turn hooked to the van heater circuit. As I drive to the beach, the engine heats the water. It stays plenty hot during my surf session. Then an electric demand pump squirts it through the low-flow nozzle hung off a gantry on the side of the van. Voila! I'm clean again.
She still gets me where I want to go...
Photo courtesy of Levi Morsy and http://unsplash.com
"But she still gets me where I want to go." - Brian Wilson and Jan Berry
Have you ever gotten attached to a car?
At the end of the day, my Surfmobile is my home away from home. I don't think I could live without her. She is part and parcel of my life, and haunts my memories in a wonderful way.
My Surfmobile: Home Away From Home
Photo courtesy of frank mckenna and http://unsplash.com
Postscript:
I put more than 200,000 miles on the Surfmobile, went through a couple of rebuilt engines and transmissions. The sad day finally arrived when I had to retire my Chevy, but I'll never forget her. She was the launchpad for many an adventure, my home on desert campouts, and my office by the beach where I developed an awesome global technology. But, most unforgettable of all, she was my beloved Surfmobile.
FIN
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