Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:37:31 -0600
Reply-To: Warren Lail <wklail@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Warren Lail <wklail@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Benny Boy Re: Need some assistance ...
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Ben,
I have never met you, but I and many, many others appreciate your
posts and your web site. I particularly appreciate the photos of the
rusty stuff you work with and with the excellent restorations you've
done. And the how-to information you provide on is invaluable! I
wish you the best in your sailboat adventures, but remember that those
of us in the Vanagon community truly appreciate you.
Warren in Santa Fe
88 Westy "Billy Bones"
>>Re: Need some assistance to see if my mechanic is overcharging me...
Robert, don't think that I'm bashing you... i was wrong if i did.
This is a GENERAL statement about guys like him or me (or others) working on
old vans!
People are people and customers, well, they will always be customers. It's a
fact of life. I am also one!
I know that there is plenty of prick (can i say that?) out there that will
try to rip you off. But common sense need to be applied here. In general,
Vanagon or Bus mechanic are not. It's a passion thing. So your post title
kind of shocked me! I'm sure you understand why :-)
Let's just say that i would charge you way more than him :-)
What you just wrote is kind of sad...!!! And it's a fact of life that i see
around me lately, honest mechanics that have devoted their life to a...
certain passion go away without any reconnaissance! Kind a sad to see a man
goes like that! One 65yo guy beside my shop told me: You will never get
rich in that business if your honest! You will just barely make a decent
living, he is so right.
I'm amazed by that guy, i won't do 1/6 of what he did (30 years), i have
seen the light. Already guys like B.Bob are forgotten, that make me sick
like hell.
Here in Montreal the best engine machinist just lost his wife... his
quitting (of what i know), good for him.
So don't take vendors and vanagon mechanic for granted, no, you are Bus
lovers and for the most part of you guys you rely on them for fixing your
old vans.
I have stop posting here about a year ago, i just stopped on The Samba, i
have stopped locally also. I lurk once in a wile but i have some new hobby
that will make me stop wondering about the VW community.
It's time i do something else than spend my free time sharing stuff that
won't give me (4 letters words here) in life.
The story of your mechanic make me real sad tonight.
My site get 3500 single hit per day in average, so what! People take and
that's hit. You have a little "thank you" once in a wile but that's it.
I have a bout 1-2 year to do in the Vanagon world, just enough time so my
partner in life make over 120k$ a year, i will keep my customers because i
have a code of conduct/honnor but for the rest of my time, i will sail!
Fixing sailboat in my shop for fun.
I would really like to shake the hand of that fellow. Please, have some
respect! He may be gone next time you need help.
For the rest of you green guys that understand nothing about my post... i
simply don't care anymore. Ask the other how i know! And damn, i know to
much about Vanagon's, you have no idea.
Spend the equivalent time on my site that i have took to build this one, you
will know everything about vanagon.
Best regards, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/<<