Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:29:51 -0700
Reply-To: Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Phrydae Question: Anyone Know Stephen's Auto Haus?
In-Reply-To: <p2hccd73a11004161028t9a07c633k6db848d2ad7da2b6@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
For my own part in this saga, I did a visual inspection of the vehicle in
question, did a test drive with comparison to my own 89 in terms of engine
capability, and relied on conversation with the PO and the (not so thorough
or attentive) mechanic in my assessment to several list members, including
Roger.
I have limited experience with Vanagons, lots more with baywindow bus, but
I'd like to know from any other list members who regularly perform
"pre-purchase interest" checks on local Vanagons that may or may not be a
good deal for another listmember:
What do you check? How thorough are you? For instance, if you know you're
not going to personally buy a vehicle, do you demand to actually read the
paperwork from the mechanic? Do you actually perform a compression check on
the engine?
I feel that I was about as thorough with my eyes, ears, nose and camera as I
could be in an hour of investigation and a 10 minute test drive. Yet I was
unable to foresee this van's bad thermostat, cracked exhaust, minor coolant
hose leak, imminent failure of connecting rods, and bad fuel line (Roger
forgot to mention that precious moment when a cloud of vaporized gasoline
erupted above the intake manifold as we warmed up the engine in the dark).
Any input is appreciated, as I do intend to continue keeping my eyes peeled
for Vanagons to pass along to another community members.
And I must further commend Stephan's auto haus who have provided excellent
phone consultation to me in other Vanagon matters, and also Mike Tevis in
Chico who also was Johnny-on-the-spot with hard-to-get parts and advice. I'd
trust my next engine conversion to either of them, but for now I'm going to
keep my WBX running.
Cheers,
Peter
On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 10:28 AM, Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@gmail.com>wrote:
> dear reputation checker
>
> i have had dealings with Stephen's Auto Haus
>
> i purchased my latest vanagon in chico california from an owner whose only
> act of preservation was to park it under cover ... mostly ...
> all maintenance was performed by a mechanic ... same one for the life of
> the
> van .... but that was the only other consistency offered to the vehicle ...
> so ... while doing many needed repairs to the vehicle before driving north
> to canada ... i found i required the yellow O ring that goes on the pipe
> running from the starboard head aft to the thermostat housing port side
> aft... there were none but aftermarket pieces available in chico ...
> aftermarket O rings are totally inadequate unless one is the most skilled
> of
> mechanics ... A GROUP WHICH I DO NOT FIT INTO ...
> so ..i believe it was Peter DiFalco (whose driveway i was working in) who
> mentioned stepans to me ... it might have been mike the subby conversion
> installer in chico ... (both vanagon gerry list members) anyway i called
> asking if they had this O ring ..and then i drove down on the thursday
> morning to pick it up ... it cost about 1$ and change ...
> then mike came over to peters house and helped me install the pipe without
> further incident ...
> friday afternoon i left chico ...
> Sunday morning got north to stmarys oregon and the motor died ... in a puff
> of steam ... sigh ... towed to portland
> (Ya BCAA Premium) ...
> monday morning as i was heading back from halseys auto with the new hose
> that i thought would repair my engine issue my phone rang ...
> it was stephan .. he simply wanted to know how i was getting along ... did
> the O ring work correctly as designed and was i on my way ... I was stunned
> ... i had purchased a part worth less than 3$ and he was using his valuable
> time to do follow-up ...
> when i questioned him about why he would take the time to make this call he
> responded with an even more stunning revelation about his self ...
> he said ... Vanagon owners ... well we are a community and we have to look
> out for one another and be concerned with one another ... (small paraphrase
> on my part )
> wow i was amazed indeed ...
> but wait .. there's more ...
> the news on my vanagon was not good ... the reportedly new engine had not
> blown a hose but had bent a few rods and etc etc etc ... halseys said it
> was
> up to me how i wanted to proceed but i would certainly require a new engine
> of some sort ...
> i asked halseys if i got an engine would he put it in and how long would
> that take ... he told me and i called stephans .. knowing they do
> conversions and may-well have an engine sitting to the side ...
> he said he had two ... one still in the van he wanted to drive the donor
> van
> a little then he would decide which to sell me based on his opinion as to
> which was best ...
> i rented a truck in portland and drove down to sacremento ...
> stephan had the motor at the door waiting for me when i got there ...
> his shop is clean and well appointed his work seems to be well thought-out
> ...
> he is still offering personal touch service ... (same thing at halseys in
> portland)
> stephan has knowledgeable person running his front service counter ... she
> can look up parts with dexterity ... and skill ... and fill your order by
> seeking answers from you using her own experianced sense of vanagon
> knowledge
>
> while there getting the motor i saw a van with tags from hawaii ... i asked
> if that van was sent all the way from there and stephan leaned in close and
> whispered ... "we're that good" ... then he smiled ... we both laughed ...
> he then revealed the van was now in the main 48 with owner having moved to
> mainland ...
>
> bottom line ... stephans ... reasonable and knowledgeable people who have
> a
> genuine concern about the part they play in your enjoyable vanagon owner
> experience ... all bundled with an easy going sense of good humoured
> niceness ...
> what more could a girl ask ... :)
>
> yours
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 4:08 AM, Peter T. Owsianowski <
> pnoceanwesty@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Good article - although the writer needs some deeper research of the
> > Vanagon
> > facts:
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/24743/VW_Vanagon_Engine_Conversions_Specialty_For_Popular_Local_Auto_Shop
> >
> >
> > Pete
> > '79 Westy "Aardvark"
> > '87 Westy "JoesVan"
> > WWW.Busesbythebeach.com
> >
>
>
>
> --
> roger w
> From Proverbs:
> Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
> servant who becomes king ...
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> Explore printed work at: http://www.prliving.ca/
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