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Date:         Tue, 9 May 2000 16:16:39 -0400
Reply-To:     Mack Paschall <mpaschall@CPT.FSU.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mack Paschall <mpaschall@CPT.FSU.EDU>
Subject:      was fuel tank, now cost, performance, and risk
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>> The answer to your question will be hard to come by, >> 'cause no one who went >> the cheap route and had poor results will want to >> admit same. They will go >> to great lenghts to justify the wisdom of their >> compromises. Any problems >> that develop will surely be blamed on >> something/someone else. >> >> >> >> T.P. Stephens >> San Juan Island, WA >

With each decision regarding replacement parts for a vehicle, you are taking a chance. I've finally come up with a rubrick that helps me make my decision: risk, performance and cost. Risk is first: is this part critical to the operation of the vehicle (as *you* use this vehicle). Second is performance: will the part do what I want it to do, if I use it as suggested. Third is cost: which is cheaper, allowing for the potential of "you get what you pay for". First example, purely fictional with no personal experience: anything having to do with the fridge on a Westy. Lots of mail on the list regarding these, and many opinions on what to do. In the context of a three-times a year camper, risk is kind of small- vehicle is functional for driving, but not as good a camper. Performance- will an aftermarket product work as well? Maybe, maybe not. Cost- aftermarket product usually wins. My decision- I would opt for the aftermarket item, unless I was planning on going on that Panamerica trip (I've had a Syncro for 7 months and this would be the ultimate trip for it, oh how I wish I could go!). Now another example, based on experience. Stabilizer link on the Vanagon broke. No, repeat no aftermarket supply, dealer-only item. Asked for help from the Syncro list- lots of info, mostly suggesting I take it to a welding shop and have them make one (its really a very simple design). Risk: this is my daily driver, for a 45 minute commute on two-lane highways. I had driven it with the broken link for a couple of weeks and noticed the lean in corners, but not any other problems. Probably could get away with a patch job. Performance: less able at taking higher speed corners without it, so I need it- but would a welded job have that interesting slightest of curves to it, and would that change the performance? Cost- welding a replacement would have been maybe $25, $50. New piece from the dealer- $170. Ouch. OUCH OUCH. So what did I decide? The dealer piece- all I could think of was potential problems for the front end (which can get *very* expensive on a Syncro) and possible less-than spec handling. Risk and performance decided it for me. Salt in the wound: about a month later, the other side broke. Sorry about the length, hope this helps someone, somewhere, sometime.

Regards, Mack


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