Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:21:11 -0500
Reply-To: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Engine is in, a new saga begins.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
......must be the turd brown color that keeps campers from gathering around?
----- Original Message -----
From: B Feddish
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 6:03 PM
Subject: Engine is in, a new saga begins.
I want to thank everyone for my continuing engine rebuild saga over the last
18 months. The engine I pulled at Chris's house, along with Ken's AMC
heads and some Bus Depot parts have all been assembled and installed in the
back of my '83. I really appreciate the encouragement of all those who
said I could put it in myself and even those who offered to help. I even
got some crazy low price offers from some list members but the logistics
would not have worked. Yes, I seriously considered doing it myself but with
2 feet of snow, which is still covering my yard, and low temperatures I got
really discouraged. Heating my garage would have been difficult and working
what amounts to 2 jobs I'm short on time. I found a place called Savich's
about an hour from me and estimated $900 in labor. It came out to be about
$1,200 in labor since I stupidly sent Suburban Engine a block that was from
an automatic and it came back all set for an automatic. I neglected to tell
him I have a 4 speed. The van needed some other parts too and it was time
for PA inspection also which brought the price higher.
As for the money I spent I am going to make up for that this spring by doing
most of my own bodywork and painting. I want to do the whole van this time.
I need to take the camping gear out and replace what amounts to the port
side of a Bayliner with some real replacement panels. And yes, I am going
to film myself talking out the camping gear, that should be pretty fun.
I never wanted to jinx myself but now I can finally admit it. My van never
broke down on a trip over the last 14 years. Yeah, whenever I pull into a VW
campout the sounds of a wasserbox peak everyone's ears and makes them get
out of their chairs they quickly sit back down when they see that early 80's
turd brown van pull in. Oh yeah, they jump up and gather around those shiny
'91's with 55K miles on them, or the cool looking Syncro's with MB wheels
but to hear the full story those conversation pieces often have a history of
having the 5th head gasket job this summer or some other high dollar and
maintaince issues. What I was thinking was everyone should be gathered
around MY van in amazement, I paid $4,200 for it in '96 and it included a
fresh rebuild and paint job. I then drove it for 14 years from NC to ME and
was my daily driver for 5 years. Yeah, I've had my share of issues but none
involved a 300 mile tow with Buford Buddcrack the tow truck driver. :) :) :)
I now have my old 1.9 which is getting cleaned up this weekend and is eBay
bound.
Bryan
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