Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 09:19:40 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Cost of Ownership
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-15
One local VW Specialty shop in my neighborhood only works on Type I
engines.
On a very rare day I might see something with a Type IV engine in their
service waiting lot.
They won't even touch a Wasser Boxer except to special order parts or
sell a part that will interchange with early VW.
With my recent purchase of a 912e Porsche I've had a lot of high numbers
thrown at me for generic VW parts that will 'also fit' the Type IV engine
in the Porsche.
With WBs at least there are list vendors that cut you a decent deal on
your parts.
Stan Wilder
On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 22:44:56 -0500 Donald Baxter <onanov@MINDSPRING.COM>
writes:
> I have NEVER figured out why mechanics are so reticent to work on
> Vanagons--even at the VW dealer. This vehicle is about as simple as
> they
> come these days. Sure the cooling system might look a bit
> frightening at
> first--but in reality it's actually quite simple as well.
>
> What scares the hell out of me when I try to work on my VR6 Passat.
> Truly,
> the Vanagon is a model of simplicity compared to that.
>
> Donald Baxter
> Iowa City, Iowa
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Leon" <korkwood@WSHOST.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, August 15, 2003 11:16 AM
> Subject: Re: Cost of Ownership
>
>
> > Good assessment!
> > There is one more factor that plays major role in how much people
> > spend to keep their Vanagons running.
> > Competence(or rather incompetence)of mechanic.
> > In many cases not doing anything works a lot better as there is
> little
> > chance mechanic can screw up anything if he is not working on
> Vanagon.
> > There are soooooooo few good Vanagon mechanics around that chances
> of
> > running into bad one are pretty high. They either don't do any
> work
> > and charge you or do very sloppy job and charge a lot.
> > Lots of "newbies" end up wasting lots of dough and still end up
> stranded
> > in the middle of nowhere. Archives are full of those stories.
> > The ONLY way to keep Vanagon running is... to learn as much as
> possible
> > about it and read manual and do regular maintenance yourself.
> > Go under and check leaks etc. Check boots etc. Lube if needed.
> > Replace fluids etc etc.
> > It's not Honda Civic. Leon
> > 85 Subwagen Westy
>
>
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