Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:35:31 -0500
Reply-To: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Little VW Content but Relevant for the DIY Crowd
In-Reply-To: <141AE2F2-F27A-4E4A-BB82-65281916EABB@gmail.com>
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Hi Jim and others
I agree Finding parts is a PITA. This is why Ive purchased or kept my feelers out for the year vehicles. Ive Purchased vehicles to Part out just so I can get
the parts to keep mine alive. Ive had a few donars and Ive had a few friends that have sold there vehicles and given me the parts to pass on or keep for
the future. My main source of parts passed away 4 years ago of colon cancer and he was a VW guy on top of having a independant import auto parts store
for over 30 years. He had parts for cars that hadnt been on the road for 20 plus years. All Import makes and models up to the newest vehicle on the market.
Of course he had to outsource at the end. When he passed his wife and daughter tried for 2 years to sell the inventory and or shop. No Luck. I aquired 80%
of the store and the old parts barn that parts in there hadnt seen the light of day for over 30 years. Lots of cool stuff. Ive had the task of Liquidating it for the
past 2 years. As stuff sells I often get emails back stating that they have looked for 5 years for the part I had and cant believe it was NOS OEM. But this guy
was great for parts. I of course have hoarded most of the VW parts to support my sickness. But as for the other parts I keep a running 1500 + items on ebay
to support the other guy in there quest to keep it alive. The parts where given to me for pennies on the dollar but under the agreement to find them a good
home. With the amount of time I put into this I still must make something. I do not give it away and can not. If your board you can check my ebay store just
to see some of the old strange parts that are there. search the "other" listing. my Store name is streetbugz Im not letting you know so you can go there to
buy something. Most of the VW parts that fit my vehicles are not listed. but this was an agreement on my part to get these parts to a good home instead of
turning to scrap.
Parts is Parts and Ive got a bumper sticker that says " Will work for Parts " ( all the "o"s are VW emblems)
C-ya Jonce
>My $.02-
>When you try to find parts and service for vehicles that are a couple
>decades old and no longer manufactured, local is not likely. These
>things tend to get centralized as entrepreneurs become the conduits
>for access. But only if the market can support it.
>I know for a fact that I can't even order VW parts in Mexico because
>the VW dealers don't have a parts book, microfilche or cd for a
>Vanagon. So I order my parts online and have them shipped to a
>location on the border, and when there's a stack of boxes waiting for
>me, I drive the 270 miles to the border and wait in line for an hour
>or longer while the Border Patrol inspects each vehicle for fruit,
>terrorists and drugs.
>Coming back, I stop at Mexican Customs and pay an additional 20
>percent on my purchases so they won't be confiscated as smuggled
>merchandise. And if it's the wrong part or broken, I need to look at
>the return policy on the part and how willing I am to drive it back
>before the return period expires if it hasn't already. I don't get my
>20 percent back from Customs, by the way. (If I want to get sworn
>documentation of the broken part, present it to customs for "export"
>and return with the REPAIRED part, I can avoid the 20 percent charge.
>A REPLACEMENT, however, requires the payment of 20 percent.)
>No Mexican mechanics know waterboxers. It's all air-cooled. No
>Vanagons in junk yards.
>The answer is to do it all yourself, and create the parts if you can
>(or get a machine shop to make it for you).
>That's why this list is so valuable to me.
>Not easy, but dammit, it's worth it!
>Jim C
>71 Van
>86 Westy 2.1
>San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico -In the heart of the "No Hassle Vehicle Zone"
>>> First, the problem and one I think many have encountered when
>>> trying to find
>>> obscure parts, tools, supplies, devices etc
>>> So, what have other people found in the way of a search engine or
>>> Website
>>> that either deals with this problem or gets around it?
>>
>> I feel your pain. I have run into this problem several times. One
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Jonce Fancher
56 Single Cab
66 Sunroof Bug
66 Variant Squareback
66 Porsche 912
71 Sunroof Bus
84 Vanagon "Godfried" 24k Original Miles
85 Vanagon Westi Zetec 2.0L DOHC
2003 10 Passenger Sprinter
Fancher's Upholstery Inc. - www.fanchers.com
Not-A-VW Club - http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jaransont3/notavwclub/
Buses by the Beach - http://www.busesbythebeach.com/
Full Moon Bus Club - http://www.fullmoonbusclub.com/news.php
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