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Date:         Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:17:45 -0700
Reply-To:     Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: body work vs. mechanical work
Comments: To: VW Doka <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <2f18aa9f0803101920j60a1956dx4388c025336a4ccd@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

A couple of years ago I reroofed a piece of rental property, taking the five hottest weekends of the year to get the work done, and I basically saved the contractor's labor portion of the bid. Still had to pay for materials and spend my time doing it, and don't forget that good ol' opportunity cost (the economic principle of "what do I give up to get something else?").

A nice little lesson in cost/benefit that can be learned in a case like this. Admittedly, it would be more fun putting a Sube in my Westy than doing that roof, but the same rules still apply; pay the man, bust your knuckles, or find something in between. Or do without.

Stephen

--- VW Doka <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Don't get me wrong, I'm not against conversions or > doing it yourself. I > just think it is unrealistic for anyone to say that > their time is free. > Everything has a cost, including "free time". > Sorry, it's just those damn > economics classes that I had to take in college > kicking in... TANSTAFL > > So... just how much of your "free time" went into > the conversion? > > Cheers, > > Jeff > > > On 3/10/08, Rob <becida@comcast.net> wrote: > > > > Time? Of course there was time on it and that time > didn't cost me a > > dime, hell I enjoyed it! > > More time than I expected but this isn't about > what I or you do with > > our free time, it's about "I have never heard of > anyone doing a > > conversion for less than just replacing the > waterboxer with a rebuilt > > one". Now you have. > > Now if he had said that it was a lot faster to > buy a ready to go > > engine I'd have to agreed with him. Not more fun, > not cheaper but faster. > > <shrug> > > > > Rob > > becida@comcast.net > > > > At 3/10/2008 05:38 PM, VW Doka wrote: > > >How many hours? And what is your time worth (be > honest)? > > > > > >I know that some people don't count their own > time as part of the > > conversion > > >cost, but does add up. > > > > > >Cheers, > > > > > >Jeff > > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > > >From: Vanagon Mailing List > [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf > > >Of Rob > > >Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 5:00 PM > > >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > >Subject: Re: body work vs. mechanical work > > > > > > > > >At 3/10/2008 02:55 PM, Kenneth Wilford wrote: > > > >Andrew, > > > >I have never heard of anyone doing a conversion > for less than just > > > >replacing the waterboxer with a rebuilt one. > > > > > >Here is what it cost to put a '91 Subaru 2.2 into > my 1987 Vanagon > > >after the VW engine put a rod thru the case. This > is from a post I > > >sent to the Subaruvanagon list after I was done. > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` > > >$2109.87 was the total spent (near as I can tell) > including shipping and > > >taxes. > > > > > >The header, mount, wiring guide, throttle kit, PS > hose, Shiels thermo > > >housing, adapter/flywheel, was $1137.94 > > > > > >When you include a new radiator (my helper over > torqued the bleed > > >bolt and cracked it), oil psi gauges, clutch & > cat converter I spent > > >$500.42 at BusDepot. > > >These things were not necessarily part of the > conversion, just things > > >that needed to be done. > > > > > >$164.08 at the Subaru dealer (on-line). This was > a new timing belt > > >and assorted seals & o-rings. > > > > > >The donor ended up costing $185. > > > > > >I have $122.23 in misc receipts from assorted > FLAPS & hardware stores > > >including the hoses & hardware. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Rob > > >becida@comcast.net > > >

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