Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:42:57 -0700
Reply-To: Syncronicity1 <syncronicity1@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Syncronicity1 <syncronicity1@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: recommend good shop- Oceanside(san diego) CA?
In-Reply-To: <468120CF.8000608@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1250"
Mike,
Thanks very much for the detailed description. Your experience sounds
horrible, almost like an intentional sabotage. This was my first time at VW
Paradise, so I was a bit nervous somehow as well, since as you point out
they are affiliated with this chrome-hot rod offroad buggy stuff in the
front. I did get one very solid reference from a north county syncronaut
(has about 3 or so), and the presence of very many Vanagons helped my
confidence.
I hate the way the shops structure their service so you never know the
individual doing the work, you deal with the front office person and can
only rarely get to know, and thus evaluate, the mechanic actually doing the
work. In this case I wanted to have a shop experienced in Syncros, since
they are doing drive train work. But that doesn't mean I'll go to them for
other stuff. For reference, I had an incredibly bad experience with another
north county "VW expert" with a new Beetle. A simple miss in the engine
ended up costing thousands and they finally sent the car to the dealer to
get the real repair. Should have been a couple hundred $.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Elliott [mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 7:21 AM
To: Syncronicity1
Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: recommend good shop- Oceanside(san diego) CA?
Hi Roland, I'm glad they did good work on your synchro.
I had a very bad experience with VW Paradise a few years ago, and I
personally would not use them again even to have a headlight changed.
W/o going into a lot of boring history, my 71 T2's PO had them install a
1776cc engines that they had built. It had "VW Paradise" stamped into
the case. After I had the bus for a few months, I took it to them for a
carb transplant. On the way home, the coil fell out of its mount -- they
hadn't tightened it down. OK, anyone can make mistakes. However, a month
or so later, the gen belt broke (not their fault) and before my wife
noticed the gen lamp, the engine had been baked.
I hoped to rebuild the engine. With help from a lot of guys on
rec.autos.makes.vw.aircooled (RAMVA), and even more help from Bob Hoover
(including some loaner tools), I proceeded to take it apart. As I did
so, I discovered one horrible lazy, thoughtless cost-cutting monkey-boy
mess of mis-matched parts, stripped bolts, and desultory assembly after
another. I fished out spare hardware they had left in the bottom of the
case. I also found a turned piston rod bearing -- no telling how much
additional damage the overheating had caused. So it was pretty clear to
me that the damage we'd caused combined with the miserable quality of
the engine to start with was probably not going to result in a really
reliable engine given my meager mechanical skills. I threw in the towel
and bought a new factory stock 1600DP engine from an authorized VW
dealer in Tijuana. The Wonderbus has been running just fine since.
I am not saying that my experience with VW Paradise is any example of
the majority of their workmanship, but it certainly put me off them.
Their store was oriented toward kiddie stuff, chrome and performance,
with no indication that thoughtful, careful work was appreciated. The
shop was noisy, more grab-ass than good work. Things may have changed.
By contrast, Hugos European Car Service 10 miles down the highway in
Encinitas, is quiet, very clean, a place where quality workmanship seems
to be valued. Everything they've done on Mellow Yellow
This is not meant to be a "bash the vendor" post. Just a description of
my experience with this one shop. The 2003/2004 archives of RAMVA will
contain the details of the endless woes I experienced at the the hand --
and foot -- of the VW Paradise craftsman.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
Syncronicity1 typed:
> Ryan,
>
> Try VW Paradise in San Marcos on Grand Avenue, (760) 744-9081, probably
> about 5 miles from Oceanside. I thought they were more bug/aircooled
> oriented, but it turns out their lot / service bay is very full of
Vanagons.
> They did the R&R on my Syncro for my recent trans rebuild.
>
> Roland
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Michael Elliott
> Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 3:29 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: recommend good shop- Oceanside(san diego) CA?
>
> Hi Ryan,
>
> In Oceanside I don't know. I have have good work done in Encinitas at
>
> Hugo's European Car Service.
> 110 N. Coast Hwy 101
> Encinitas, CA 92024
> (760)436-7862
>
> Good luck!
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> KG6RCR
>
>
>
> Ryan Haagensen typed:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I am at my wits end. I bought a 1983.5 Vanagon that had been sitting for
> about 8 years (seized motor). I bought a 'good' used 1.9l motor,
installed
> it, got it running- for awhile, and now it will not start. I have checked
> everything- I think. I want to tow it to an experienced Vanagon repair
shop
> in the Oceanside (North San Diego area) and get them to see what is wrong.
I
> figure pay for 2 hours of labor rather than waste 8 hours of mine. Any
> recommendations? Thanks in advance.
>> Ryan Haagensen
>>
>>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.9.7/868 - Release Date: 6/25/2007
> 12:20 PM
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.9.7/868 - Release Date: 6/25/2007
> 12:20 PM
>
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.9/870 - Release Date: 6/26/2007
10:07 AM
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.9/870 - Release Date: 6/26/2007
10:07 AM
|