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Date:         Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:10:59 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: Good collaboration with a mechanic?
Comments: To: "Mark L. Hineline" <hineline@OCOTILLOFIELD.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <3768D649-2EE3-4C3A-B072-FFC7BD89FFB6@ocotillofield.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Mark,

I do all the work I can do on my vans - but at home. I won't insult the professional mechanic by asking to use his shop to work in. He has an investment in tools and equipment, and facilities, and he makes his living with that. However, I have a professional background in Aircraft Mechanics, -- FAA mechanics License - and while not exactly the same as Auto Mechanics - it gives me a foundation for discussion with the Auto Pros. My approach to having the Auto Pros work on my vehicle is to ask for consultation privileges - including the right to generally observe the work. This has on many occasions paid big dividends for me and the mechanic I have chosen. It prevented many a mistake and avoided many a problem over the years. I rarely get turned down on this. After all, I know the van backwards and forwards - and many an Auto Mechanic has never seen a Vanagon, much less ever worked on one, and so know nothing about them and their idiosyncrasies. And too, I have all the right books - Bentley, Bosch FI Service Manual, plus a list of how-to's with instructions that I have collected up over time from the Vanagon list. Many shops simply refuse to work on Vanagons, period. Many simply don't want to work on a vehicle that is coming to be an antique. In today's environment, It's an odd vehicle to most and they don't want to fool with something strange that could - in their eyes - turn problematical. Little do they realize how simple Vanagons really are to work on. My current mechanic - whom I have used for 6 years now - has said that since learning about the van, he would rather have my vehicle in his shop than any other, it is so easy to work on. In the East and particularly the Southeast, competent shops willing to work on Vanagons are few and far between. So it becomes necessary to cultivate a relationship with a good shop/mechanic. Do that, and things will work. There are things i cannot do. The van needs to be on a rack to get the work done effectively and efficiently, so it goes to my mechanic and his shop. I simply provide oversight, and get to give the vehicle a good going over from underneath to keep an eye out for developing problems that need attention or will need attention. There are times when I can be my mechanics assistant by getting a tool for him or provide some other function. I sometime provide parts, somethings he gets parts. It's a mutual thing.

This approach works for me. Has for a long time.

John Rodgers Clayartist and Moldmaker 88'GL VW Bus Driver Chelsea, AL Http://www.moldhaus.com

On 10/28/2010 5:39 PM, Mark L. Hineline wrote: > Okay, guys, yeah I've seen those signs and I've laughed. Partly I've > laughed at all of thousands of dollars I've saved by doing my own > repairs, money that hasn't gone to anybody's shop. I live within a 20 > minute drive of four great boneyards, and if I want a part I can > usually have it in my hands in less than two hours. That's also where > I used to practice taking things apart and putting them back together. > For hours and hours. > > You guys probably didn't remember that in my last posting I said how > proud I was of the set of connecting rods that Boston Bob built for me. > > So lets get back to the question I asked, rather than what you think I > asked? I have no intention of doing my work in someone else's shop. > > If anyone on the list actually has experience doing most of their own > work, but relies on someone else to do jobs that are hard to hide > (like dropping the engine), I am interested in how your collaboration > with your mechanic works. > > Mark > > > > > On Oct 28, 2010, at 1:26 PM, Roger Whittaker wrote: > >> and if you have any aptitude at all he will likely be simply >> supplying you with encouragement .. > >


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