Date:         Sat, 12 Mar 2005 04:54:58 -0500
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Wilder's Law
Content-Type: multipart/mixed;

Seems to me that if we're going to have a "law" we need to think about it more carefully.

First, routine operating and maintenance costs of any vehicle irrespective of its condition shouldn't be included.

Second, one would expect that the more the van costs to start, the less the repairs should be after that, since presumably the cheap vans are those that need more investment.  So there would be some midpoint value where the cost of the van and cost of initial repairs should be the same, but for cheaper vans repairs should be higher, and for expensive vans they should be lower.

Third, we need to control for where it was bought (east coast vans are more than west coast, due to lack of supply), what model it is, and other factors that influence sale price that aren't related to condition of the van.  We should probably also factor in that repairs (labor cost) are higher in large cities than in rural areas or modest cities.  (I speak from experience!)

Fourth, we should factor in the value of labor that people put into their vans, so paid-for repairs come out comparable to repairs done oneself.  Those who can do their own repairs have invested lots of time in learning how, whereas those who can't have invested our time in other things that we enjoy, and (hopefully) in ways of making a living that make it possible to pay for car repairs.  But the value of the repairs should be the same whether we do them ourselves or pay for them.

Then we might get some interesting data to look at regarding cost of van and how much has to go into keeping it running!

Aren't you sorry to have a data geek on the list??


Joy

****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy

****************************************************************

:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Robert Fisher
:::Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2005 5:32 AM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: Wilder's Law
:::
:::I paid $300.00 for my '87 GL passenger van, and I've got roughly $1400.00
:::into it, so I guess I'm helping Tom pull up the average, at least from a
:::percentage standpoint.
:::BTW, I tend to think that these figures shouldn't include tire
:::replacement;
:::I don't see it in the same category as replacing a radiator or a head or
:::whatever. Can't really think of anything else off the top of my head that
:::I'd exclude, tho. Brakes, possibly; that's another limited lifetime
:::wear-out-and-replace item. Hmm.
:::
:::Cya,
:::Robert
:::
:::----- Original Message -----
:::From: "Aleksandr Milewski" <zandr@ASPERASOFT.COM>
:::To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
:::Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 6:40 PM
:::Subject: Re: Wilder's Law
:::
:::
:::> Tom Sinclair wrote:
:::> > I'm not sure whose law I'm following.  I paid $2700
:::> > for my Syncro in 2000 and towed it home. I've spent
:::> > about $20k on it since then but never driven it.  What
:::> > does that make me?  On second thought I don't want to
:::> > know...
:::>
:::> The good news, is that Wilder's Law, like much of quantum (or Vanagon)
:::> mechanics, only really applies to the average. By spending $16,300 more
:::> than Wilder's Law requires, you've allowed four other people to simply
:::> drive their $4000 Vanagons with no additional outlay.
:::>
:::> I'm sure they thank you, whomever they might be.
:::>
:::> -Zandr
:::> '85 Westy, which caused my father to swear never to buy another
:::> Volkswagen again. He now drives a Land Rover. Last Laugh TBD. :D