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Date:         Sat, 19 Aug 2000 09:45:25 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Schiesser <fruitlands@yahoo.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Schiesser <fruitlands@yahoo.com>
Subject:      Re: 90 westy price
Comments: To: cdelrio@concentric.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

HOses-I've had trouble with hoses about 8 times in the past 3 years, Scottsdale AZ, Reading CA, Cambridge MA, Seattle, its more expensive when you are on the road with few tools and they have to get parts in a hurry. I had a mechanic on Vashon Island in washington who seemed to charge a premium for hose work, might say I got hosed.

If you are in MAss, I had pretty good luck with Schools Street Garage in Acton MAss, competent and honest, a little quirky, but overall I trusted the guy after over $3,500 work on 2 VWs.

Trying to get back into doing work on my own, living in appartments doesn't afford the same benefits as being close to Dad's Garage (Rochester NY) but I'm trying to do more on my own again.

--- Carlos Del Rio <cdelrio@concentric.net> wrote: > Thanks for the heads-up on Metric Systems in > Cambridge. Owning a Vanagon in > MA, who was beat up a bit by "Ernie's Garage" the PO > used, I'm always on the > look-out for places NOT to go. > You really spent $1000 on hoses, or was that an > exaggeration? > From what I read, POR-15 seems to be perfect fro the > rusted propane tanks. > TIA > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List > [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf > Of michael schiesser > Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2000 2:29 AM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: 90 westy price > > > I would say make a check list of all the things that > are not working or may > need repair. > Was it exposed to salt in the east?undercarriage > rust? propane tanks go > first. > orig paint? > Seats on a scale of 1-5 > What does "blown engine" mean? How much to fix? If > it's more than a few K > you might look for a new one, an alternate to the > maintanence hungry > engineering feat I dont pretnend to have any > nostalgic affection for. > top ripped at all? screens? > Does it have ac and does it work, theres no way for > you to know unless the > answer is no. > Does it have a sound system? Alarm? > Does the frisdge work? > Aux battery? > Aux heater? > Windows intact, cracks? > Tires new or old? Quality tires like michelen or > Peice o crap like decateur > firestone? > Brake service recent? > Front end/tie rods serviced? Allignment in last 20K? > > I am almost embarrased to tell this story of how > much I paid for my vanagon > and I got ripped off so bad. I feel so damn naive, > like a sucker so since > it's Friday (again) the list serve can double as my > psychotherapy, keep in > mind this all happened 3 years ago, so 89 now is > different than '89 in '97. > > I was looking for an 88 or newer westy in may of > 1997, decided to sell my 71 > bus, my 1960 camper and my 73 bug and go water > cooled. I was looking for low > miles, white, captains chairs Poptop, the westy > thing, had to have it right > away. Within 12 hours of when I decided what I was > looking for I was getting > off the ferry from Vashon Island with my then > girlfriend, now wife and saw > the exact van of my dreams sitting there with the > top up and a for sale > sign, cleaner than a whistle, it loooked new. > Supposidly 64K miles, $18, > 400.. Putting together cash was sort of a > technicality for me, I figured Id > take out a loan and put whatever didn't make the > blue book on my credit card > (Blue book $12K). > > Dissappointments included > Fridge wouldn't light-$85 > LP gas leak > Winsheild cracked (noticed on my way home)-$225 > AC busted-$1000 estimate (I am the one recently > posting plans to rip out the > AC, make more room, who needs it?) > The worst was when I filled it up with Gas and the > thing leaked all over the > station and all the way home. I had to drop the gas > tank the first week I > had it and spent 2 days under it fixing it-$100 for > new gaskets etc. > Told it had one new head -it did but wasn't put on > correctly. $2000 two year > later for 2 new heads at 95K > $1000 in hoses (par for the course) > The vehicle had been painted, didn't find that out > til later, I just thought > it was in good shape. > I wonder about the speedometer being set back too, > the guy I bought it from > was some Hippy dude named Tim In Seattle, hen owns a > sandwich shop in the U > district, a worthless prick IMO > THere is a westy serial tag on the side and the > serial #s are all scratched > out deliberately, I always was curious what that was > all about. Probably a > stolen rig.Hope this doesn't sound too familiar, > it'd hate for it to get > repossesed. > > I figure the only way to get my $ out of it is to > love it to death and drive > it into the ground. > I've camped in it over 150 nights, took platy of > naps and cooked a billion > lunches on the road, it's the best. > > A mechanic in Mass said it was worth $2500, I told > him to go to hell. > $2,500, can you beleive that?!!!! He said he was > some sort of regional > expert on Vanagons. Metric Systems in Cambridge. > None of the stuff he said > was going to go bad on me ever did. He told me my > tranny needed a complete > overhaul and was leaking fluid all over the road, I > went to a tranny > specialist and they charged me $43 to look at it and > said it was perfect 15K > miles ago. What a total Jerk.He was bragging about > some squeeky clean rig he > had figured was worth about $15K. > > > Michael Schiesser > 89 Westfalia > Seattle WA > > >

===== Michael Schiesser MD 1732 18th Ave #J Seattle WA 98122

"Fruitlands" is name given to the region around Harvard Mass by early settlers. We dont live there any more, but I did when I chose fruitlands as a user name.

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