Necessity is the mother of invention, in my 1977 VW Westfalia the accelerator cable broke, so I temporarily use a rope run through the upper engine lid to the driver seat, challenging but doable to get me home. Better than 10 starts limit.
Had the accelerator cable break on my '72 god awful bright yellow vw bug driving back from Canyonlands towards Grand Junction on I-70 in Utah and used tied together shoelaces from the carb thru the back vents back to the drivers window to accelerate. Tighten it up till highway speed, roll up the drivers window on the cord and voila, cruise control..
My 1968 VW green and white hippie camper van was a delight to drive but a pain with multiple breakdowns.
Had a foam pad in the back and window curtains and that was my build.
In the early 70's sped up in San Diego at a yellow light left turn at an intersection.
My friend and I had on a AM radio station with a fire and brimstone preacher raising hell.
We were making fun and saying hallelujia and praise the lord in a call and repeat with him.
David was resting on the double back doors eating an apple and I heard a bam as I accelerated thru the turn, I looked back to see my him gone and the back doors wide open.
Locked it up at the curb and there was my my buddy, slightly dazed, in the middle of the intersection but OK.
Picked up the various stuff that had fallen out (including David) and went back to the bus with drivers at the intersection, green light both ways, still stopped and and trying to digest what they just saw.
Not sure where that apple is now, but I'm still friends with David.
Loved driving that bus but enjoy the power, safety, and room of my Sprinter a bunch more....
Dan