Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 22:04:00 -0500
Reply-To: kazzpar@JUNO.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Thomas Bartnicki <kazzpar@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: 85 Vanagon Purchase....( horst Fischer story... more like a
novel)
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
Hey Karl,
Thanks for the info and letting me know that there are people in DE with
interests.
It's funny U ask about Horst Fischer , because I was just telling a
friend of mine today about him. I worked at his shop on Old Capital Trail
about 7 or 8 years ago for about 3 months (i think) . I am very
mechanically inclined and I saw his ad in the News Journal for a mechanic
or trainee. I kind of had long hair, so I put a cap on, tied it back, and
tucked it under my shirt. I went in there, talked to his wife (who does
the books), then talked to Horst. The first words out of his mouth were,
"So you want to turn wrenches....." Classic. Spoke with him for like 5
minutes and he hired me on the spot.
Anyway, I definitely have the skills to work on autos, but didn't have
any work related references or ASE. It was my first "real" job in the
automotive field. That guy IS the most knowledgeable person I have every
met when it comes to cars. Especially Volkswagen.
He is a Volkswagon Master Mechanic from Volkswagon in Germany. He use to
race Beetles on a circle track circuit ("run the circles" as he would
say) back in Germany when he was younger. So, I was hired in with no
experience as a "Trainee" and was pretty much the grunt... oil changes...
maybe brakes...more oil changes... gopher for sub-jobs.. and so on. It
took a while before he would trust me to do things on my own (faster
pace). He let me use his tools, taught me allot about the VW's. And in a
matter of 3 months, I quit.
He was hard to get along with because its his shop and I was still cocky.
(plus he's straight from the German old-school of mechanics.. they teach
them moral over everything." German products are superior...",
which they are)
He was a really good teacher and the work environment was like a family
(because he was always yelling at me) lol.. He gave me hands the on
experience on the air cooled by engine removals and tear downs.( I filed
a set of heater boxes with a file by hand until it met Horst approval.
about 3 hours)
Don't get me wrong.. He's a good man and the best mechanic ( in my
opinion) around. So, I learned allot from him and the other guys at the
shop (there was a Jason and i forget the other guy name but he's probably
still there.. drove a mustang) ANYWAY, I got to work on Beetles ,
Vanagons, the crappy Audi 5000's, A VW Thing.. karma's... I was in
heaven.
Things turned sour when he gave me an Audi that was in for a coolant leak
in the radiator. He gave me the keys and I went out there, wrote the
sheet up , and popped the hood. No leaks under, no antifreeze markings on
the rad itself. So I drove it into the bay and told him there was nothing
wrong with it. He just started screaming at me... kinda dumping on me,
saying stuff like " you walk around like its a country club around
here... " so i was pissed because i knew that the car was fine and I kept
telling him (as he yelled) ...
he came over to my area, took over, started yelling at me to get tools
(Degrading), called me a pollack,(my last name is Bartnicki) and in the
middle of pumping up the radiator with a pressure tester, his hand
slipped and gouged his finger.(bloody) Then he REALLY got mad. Stormed
away. I was so upset.. the other guys wouldn't look over,just kept
working. I went home numb. Woke up angry.. packed all of my uniforms on
the back of my motorcycle. Went to work.
It was Friday, i walked in and he just ignored me.. wasn't angry.. just
ignored me. I was quitting and i really didn't want too. Lunch time came
around. i got on my bike... and never went back... I later learned (after
I already quit!!!)from Jason(the younger mechanic) that he gave me the
wrong car.. there was another Audi same color/model/year .. in the lot.
Things I did to piss him off:
1 turfed the gravel in the lot
2 left one of his screwdrivers inside of a rail on a jetta..then test
drove it
( he later found it on the road and yelled)
3 almost flattened 2 tires on a car backing out of a bay
(left the arms of the lift out) he yelled
Things I learned from him:
1 VW's Audi Volvo Mercedes experience
2 the value of OEM parts (theres a reason why there so expensive)
3 Diesel fuel injection timing
4 How to do a complete clutch job in 20 minutes
5 Boxer engines ( never had any experience with them before that)
6 honest work gets honest pay (gave me 4 raises in 3 months.... see how
stupid i was)
and so on...
But the most important thing i learned was the German Engineering is art
and the BEST IN THE WORLD. You really see what the engineers were
thinking when they designed these cars when you actually got to work on
them. REMARKABLE.. I took pride in that job and i still really miss it.
Anyway, SORRY for the novel!!! i got caught up on this earlier and been
regurgitating it all day. I think about that job all the time and wish i
never quit. I was young and very stupid. And I'm pretty sure I burnt my
bridges with Horst ...BUT If you go back there anytime soon........
Ask if he remembers Tom Bartnicki from 7 years ago. I had a red 74 Nova
and a white/blue Honda motorcycle. Tell him I bought a 85 Vanagon and a
1990 Nissan 300zx twin turbo (350+hp) and that I really want my job
back!! I bought my own tools and cabinet (he gave me a raise just to by
one) seriously!
I've grown up and STILL miss that place. The cleanest shop and the MOST
knowledgeable AND honest teacher out there. HORST RULES!
later,
tom
Wilmington,DE
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