Date:         Wed, 28 Aug 2002 12:28:18 -0700
Reply-To:     Gary Lee <gary2a@TELUSPLANET.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Gary Lee <gary2a@TELUSPLANET.NET>
Subject:      Re: Spare Parts List - Input
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

About 10 years ago I was in baja with my diesel westy.  The van had a dealer
rebuilt engine in it which was bad when I left ( I know), and got much worse
by the time I got to Mulege.  It was burning large amounts of oil.  I
decided I would re-ring it in Mexico.  I was able to buy all the parts and
tools (rings, ring compressor, hone, rod bearings, head gasket, timing belt
etc.) in La Paz, and Cabo.  In the end I didn't do it and just drove it
home.  But I could have done it.

On another trip I bought and replaced the front shocks on a vanagon in
Loreto.

On another trip we just came out of the jungle on the road from Flores
(Tikal), Guatemala in a mitsubishi station wagon.  These vehicles were only
sold in Canada, not in the US or central america.  The front struts were
completely kaput, having leaked and pumped out all of the shock oil on the
very rough road.  The car was undrivable due to vibration and no steering
control.  In the small village where we stopped, I bought a large pipe
wrench from a roadside vendor.  I unscrewed the tops on the struts, while
they were still in the car as well. I was lucky caps were not welded on.  I
refilled the struts with motor oil and went on our way, eventually back to
los angeles.

The point of this silly story is that you can get things you would not
expect to in the weirdest places.  I'm sure the WBX is a different situation
though.

Gary
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/vanagonrack.htm