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Date:         Wed, 15 Dec 2004 19:41:24 -0800
Reply-To:     Zoltan <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Zoltan <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject:      Re: Gypsy is gone...
Comments: To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

I could not hep laughing at that statement. I my logical thinking and years of experience, the average mechanic is not going to let you know of coming trouble. That would be against his business. Even if he is acting like a nice guy for a small thing, making you believe how nice he is, he won't let you know the big one that is to come anytime now. That is his harvest. Saving money for you would be robbing himself. It is obvious. There maybe one, who soon goes bankrupt, that tells you all the right things, truly to save you money and may still be mistrusted for trying to make extra money. I have just seen too many thieves, unscrupulous cheaters who day after day from morning to the night do nothing but think of how he can steal from the very customers who support him. No wonder that one of the most mistrusted business is a mechanic's. Good mechanics must disagree. In fact an average mechanic can't wait for your car to have the trouble that he is expecting. He can almost tell when it will happen. Some of you would think that I am pessimistic and a distrusting person. But if you think of it, by logic, in a society that has money as God, and most successful businesses are making money by heartlessly taking it from anybody and using all kind of trick of the trade to get you in the door, the mechanic is one of the worst bandit who will hold your car as an insurance to get that outrageous, unfair bill paid. Woman are at the mercy of these modern day legal highwaymen. And there is no alternative to them. And while labour is already very high, they don't mind to charge 150% for the parts they get for you. A job that can be made by you for fifty bucks may go up to $500 at the mechanic. Am I telling anything new? This very reason was why I decided to settle with a Vanagon and learn to fix it. Even now I may have a time when I have to resort to going to one and almost without exception come away disappointed. Most often I find out that I know more than they do. Eventually it is I who will fix it most of the time. They don't mind and probably would want to also, to change some of the most expensive parts, claiming that is the one causing the problem, while it is just a bad ground or cleaning something small or a vacuum line broke. I believe, they can't make money if they don't steal your money this way. They are not all doing it all the time. Some all the time, some half of the time, some most of the time. Can't prove them wrong and if you could what can you do? Pay up and shut up. Sorry if I upset a few good fellahs. That is not the point. The good fellows know that they are fine and this don't fit them. They are comfortable with themselves knowing how good they are for the customer by being fair and as helpful and protective as possible. But that does not make money, unless the labor charge is way high and his productivity is very good. Some can do it. And I take my hat off to them. This got a little too long, but I don't remember having anyone giving it this way. My regards to all the Honorable Members of the Vanagon List. And wishing you all a nice peaceful time for Christmas. (how I laughed when O'Reilly said that is funny that having a worlwide birthday and one is not supposed to mention the name of the one that is celebrated). Not that I believe that God is an old white man, but rather the collective spirits of my ancestors, although Jesus' idea of love is very important and we can feel it in this group as well, as we all are instinctively good, loving, kind, noble individuals. Cheers Zoltan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 1:05 PM Subject: Re: Gypsy is gone...

>I had an engine fire in my 1983 Westy. > It took two 5 pound fire extinguishers to put it out. > I'd estimate the damage at $500.00 if I'd paid someone else to make > repairs. > I had a spare FI wireloom and spares on all the plastic parts that got > smoked and deformed. > I was 10 feet from my extinguishers when the fuel flashed and the whole > flaming process was less than one minute in duration. > When I got my 76 one owner 912e Porsche with 58,000 miles on it, the first > thing I did was replace the FI lines and every other rubber, plastic hose > in > the engine bay and up front on the fuel pump. > It had the original lines and the car was running on borrowed time or > better > described as a TIME BOMB. > It smelled of fuel but the only way I could see fuel leaks was to shine a > very bright flashlight at the lines and I could see sparkles at the leaks. > It was evaporating so quickly it didn't leave a trace that an un trained > person might even find. > If you neglect everything else try not to neglect checking your fuel lines > at least once a month even if they are new. > I've had clamps to slip and hoses to slip on the steel fuel connector > manifolds. > I've had new PepBoys hose to split and crack after just a few months use. > The thing that surprised me most was that the PO of the Porsche bragged > about how his favorite mechanic always watched out for him and saved him > money by catching things early. Well 27 years on the original fuel line is > just ridiculous. > > > Stan Wilder > Engine Ceramics > 214-352-4931 > www.engineceramics.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Darren Lastfogel" <dlastfogel@PLYFORMS.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 2:31 PM > Subject: Re: Gypsy is gone... > > >> I volenteer to be the chair person to lead the (replace your fuel line >> cause)lets unite. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Detroit Bus [mailto:detroit.bus@GMAIL.COM] >> Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 2:23 PM >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >> Subject: Re: Gypsy is gone... >> >> >> Perhaps the "best" possible response to Deb's sad misfortune would be >> the upgrading and replacement of fuel lines on old VWs all over the >> world during the next several weeks. We could make this a joint effort >> of sorts. Obviously there are other factors that cause vehicle fires >> but as Ben convincingly states fuel line problems are the primary >> instigator. (Can't wait to visit your shop next time I drive up to >> Montreal, looks fun!) >> >> Last month I bought several meters of the correct high-pressure fuel >> line and FI clamps from one of the list's vendor members, and have >> been planning to retrofit my new Vanagon right after New Year's after >> all the holiday obligations have ended, and while I have access to a >> garage in Michigan (assuming I make the 700 mile journey from NYC to >> Detroit without event!) In the past the *very* first thing I did to >> any of my air-cooleds was to replace the fuel lines and clamps, even >> before changing the oil. As no doubt hundreds of people on this list >> will attest, there is scarcely a more miserable experience than >> watching an engine fire devour months or years of work and care. My >> brother once lost a fine Beetle convertible like this, just an hour >> before he was supposed to finalize its sale for several thousand >> dollars--in fact he was driving it to the new owner's house! The next >> day he sold it to a junkyard for $50 (this was a while back...). >> >> Anyway, if anyone else has been planning to re-do the fuel lines on >> their VW, perhaps we could all do this at the same time, say the >> weekend of Jan 1-2, after you sleep off that hangover? That way if >> anyone has questions or problems (I myself have never done this on a >> Vanagon engine) there will be a lot of combined activity concentrated >> on the same job simultaneously; as they say two heads (or fifty) are >> better than one. For instance, I'm sorry to say that my fuel line >> clamps look like little crusty brown barnacles so I'm already >> anticipating some issues with removal, it would be great if I could >> talk to someone who had encountered the same problem just minutes >> before while every little detail is fresh in their head. Maybe we >> could even spread this effort to other VW lists (vintage buses, >> beetles, etc.) and make it a one weekend fuel line mass effort? >> >> This also gives anyone who wants to participate a week or two to order >> and receive the correct hoses and parts (don't just use cheapo hose >> clamps!!). If we get even ten or twenty classic VW's outfitted with >> new fuel lines that weekend, it will be a great tribute to Deb's lost >> Vanagon, and almost surely prevent a disaster somewhere. >> >> Any interest? I'll post again in January when I am in a dry garage >> looking down at that first fuel injector... >> >> >> >> -- >> Garrick in Queens, NY >> '87 GL Weekender >> >> ***** >> With fond remembrances of: >> '77 Beetle >> '67 Bus >> '59 Pickup sn# 460440 >> '67 Beetle >> '76 Camper Bus >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >> Version: 7.0.296 / Virus Database: 265.5.3 - Release Date: 12/14/2004 >> >> > > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.296 / Virus Database: 265.5.3 - Release Date: 12/14/2004 >


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