Date:         Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:05:49 -0700
Reply-To:     Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Just in Case: where to get a wiring harness
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2007103020431087@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Ah, but keep in mind that when replacement FI  (plus regular) harnesses were
available from Volkswagen for Vanagon as recent as 10 years ago they were
commanding at least $1500 to $1800 at the dealer, private importers around
$1000 to $1200.  I know, because I use to sell them when I was bringing them
in from a contact in Europe in the late 80s to mid 90s at the time for late
70s Buses and 80s era Vanagons.  Of course, they're a NLA item now and like
a dum-dum, I didn't save one for myself at the time (even though I've not
yet had a need for one).

$400 to $500 sounds pretty reasonable to redux an existing harness, I mean
think of all the work a biz like Kyle's has to do to tear it apart, repair,
put it back together and testing - very labor instensive.  A legitimate
outfit like Kyle has gotta back up his work, so there's gonna be $$$
involved.

Bob Nodvik at Wiring Works in San Pedro (I've personally dealt with him for
almost 20 years) builds harnesses for the Beetle and early Bus and they
start out @ $240 on up.  He won't do FI harnesses or late Bus or Vanagon
regular harnesses because they're just too complex and labor intensive and
some of the connectors are just not available or too difficult to source and
when you do find the connectors, they're expensive because you have to make
a 10,000 piece order on just one connector configuration to get a price
break to make it worthwhile.  Multiply that by a couple of dozen different
connectors and you gotta lot of $$$$ sitting on the shelf.

But, like Geza, a few years back I picked up a used but excellent condition
FI Harness for around $40 as a spare for my 84 Westy "just in case" and I
scrounge for connectors all the time.
--
Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
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