Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 17:17:19 -0800
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: What ever happened to Westfalia?
In-Reply-To: <691522.9147.qm@web62403.mail.re1.yahoo.com>
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Westfaliawerke was bought out by Daimler-Benz several years ago, so
they've had no incentive to continue providing replacement parts for
VW-based Campers (or to build new campers for an automotive competitor
for that matter). An inquiry I made to them a couple of years ago
about obtaining any leftover inventory proved fruitless at the time
and a recent inquiry through a German contact proved to be just as
useless.
As far as reproing the luggage cleat in the original style shouldn't
prove to be a legal hassle as VW is finally obsoleting whatever
Westy-specific items from their inventory by the end of next year
according to my corporate contact. And to make such an insignificant
item (in Benz's view) will be nothing less than a "blip" on their (and
VW's) radar.
I'll bet the owner of GW (Lucas) probably had a small shop locally
make theirs in a short production run, it can be done. They tend to
do things like that for the odd item here and there.
I guess it all depends on how much dinero you wanna sink into making
an item. I'm not surprised that mass-production tooling is upwards to
$6000 and don't forget how much of a minimum run you'd have to make to
bring the unit cost down to an affordable level to you and your
customer - and - Then figuring how many you can push into the consumer
in around 5 years. If can't turn it over in that amount of time or
less, it's not a worthwhile investment. Every day I have to consider
these variables at VWG/Airhead when researching to develop and
possibly repro an item (or items).
It would be wonderful to be an independently wealthy VW enthusiast to
make these neat items for VWs without much of a consideration of
getting some money back. Hell, ya can't take it with ya.....
--
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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On Nov 8, 2007 2:00 PM, roger sisler <rogersisler2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The Westfalia Works in Germany? Did they go out of business, or get bought out? Can I contact them some way? Im looking to have some luggage rack tie downs made up in a style almost like OEM , in stainless steel.Nobody makes this in stainless steel. Looks like it is going to cost many thousands of dollars to do this. Maybe 5 or 6. Have to get a tool and die maker to make the pattern and then get a minimum order casted. I just dont like those GW style wire stamped tie downs. Sorry.
>
> Anybody know if copying this pattern, like this OEM tie down, is legal? I mean a tie down is a tie down, and I dont think this particular one can be pattended. Just dont know, and I dont want to look even bigger bucks in a squabble with VW.
>
> Go Westy sold the OEM style tie down, but now does not do so. I am wondering why not. I managed to buy a new OEM tie down from my local Vw dealer today. It cost about $8.25 without bolts. GW was selling their OEM style tie downs for $3 each.The math dosent work if the tie down they sold was a VW tie down.Perhaps it was copyed and the manufacture got pinched.Anybody know the story on this GW part?
>
> Thanks,Roger
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