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Date:         Sat, 13 Mar 2004 15:36:20 -0700
Reply-To:     Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      VW Mechanic Experience Report
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Bugs 'N Bunnies Salt Lake City, UT Owner/Mechanic: Mike

I took the van there for diagnosis of what turned out to be a bad right front wheel bearing. I took it back to drop it off for repair Monday 3/8. Mike confirmed it was that bearing and "it may be both of them, hard to tell"; I ordered both from an online vendor. Quick delivery on Wed. 3/10. I stop by his shop on Wednesday on my way to work just before noon to deliver the bearings and my van is up in the air, on a lift, with the drivers side mudflap broken off because he "needed to crunch it to lift the van. They're all that way, you know? (I begin to feel like I'm in trouble with that one and almost remove the van from his shop, but I don't; my bad); Mike says: "we think the same way; since I'm going to be in there might as well replace them both." Mike told me he'd get to the right one Wednesday afternoon, then finish up the left one Thursday morning. On Wednesday, just after I left his shop, he called me to let me know the right outside CV boot was ruptured, grease all over the place, he had no boots. I contact another vendor who gets the boots to me next day, Thursday at 0830 (very quick but I later find out that a local vendor has them on his shelf; John at Aircooled.net). I take the boots over to Mike so he can finish the job. He says he can finish it up by Thursday night, both sides for the bearings + the right side boots. I call on Friday morning to see when I can pick up the van and he has not gotten to it, but it will be ready Friday afternoon. I call at 2pm and he says it will be ready at 6pm. I go over to the shop at 6 and he is not done, is 30 minutes or so away from finishing the right side, and was not able to get to the left front: "it's (bearing) good and doesn't need replacing." Mike then told me I was lucky he didn't go into a fit and snit and just stop working on it when he had trouble with a couple bolts while undoing the right inside CV boot. Gee, I felt so lucky. He seems to have done a good job. No more noise. No grease flinging all over.

I won't be going back there.

My next try in the Salt Lake area will be Millcreek. I haven't found anyone who is as straightforward, knowledgeable and honest as Ed Rogers in Ogden. My experience with Contract auto has already been reported on this list so I'm running out of places close to home that I trust.

Bob Stevens '87 Westy Syncro


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