Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:31:52 -0800
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Vngns ARE junk! Wilder's Law
In-Reply-To: <001901c52667$d9018690$bfe75e44@noner4688xfd1h>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I have seen lots of Vanagons where the new owner spent very little in
the first year of ownership. It is called buying right. If you buy a
clean, well loved machine then there are less likely to be big things
that have been ignored. It is simply human nature for many owners to
start to neglect maintenance and repairs as they start thinking about
selling. A thorough inspection is always called for. If there are a lot
of little things that could be fixed easily and cheaply then you can
figure that as a sign of neglect. I just love vehicle ads that say this
or that little fault could be fixed for $50 or $100 so buy my $10,000
car. If they are too cheap or too stupid to fix the minor things as they
come up what can you expect they did with the major things?
As for Larry, he made what seems like a classic mistake to me. Some
people figure that you can preemptively replace enough stuff as an
insurance policy to ensure a more trouble free trip. Time and again
this has proven to be a waste of time and money. Fix what is truly
broken and save the rest of the money until you really need to spend it.
Mark
Stan Wilder wrote:
>You're absolutely right!
>I've seldom seen a $2000.00 vanagon that the new owner didn't spend $2000.00
>within the first year.
>Of course there are exceptions like Andrews Westy and he may have spent
>twice the purchase price in the first year.
>With labor rates, parts and the delivery charges it's real easy to spend
>those big buck pretty quickly.
>I think Larry had a dream and he went after that dream.
>I'd speculate that if everything had been trouble free he'd been able to
>stay out another 6-9 months.
>
>Stan Wilder
>Engine Ceramics
>214-352-4931
>www.engineceramics.com
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jeffrey Earl" <jefferrata@YAHOO.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 10:52 AM
>Subject: Vngns ARE junk! Wilder's Law
>
>
>
>
>>Stan sez:
>>
>>
>>
>>>>I think you'll find that most people that buy a
>>>>
>>>>
>>$10,000.00 Syncro don't spend an additional $10,000.00
>>on a new engine and preventive maintenance and
>>accessories before they start a trip. Larry is a true
>>exception to this.
>>
>>
>>But Stan, isn't that precisely the definition of the
>>oft-quoted Wilder's Law: whatever you spend to
>>purchase a Vanagon, plan on spending an equal amount
>>to bring it up to snuff?
>>
>>Seems Larry is right on track ...
>>
>>
| 
