Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:31:04 -0700
Reply-To: Daryl Christensen <daryl@AATRANSAXLE.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Daryl Christensen <daryl@AATRANSAXLE.COM>
Subject: Re: Fix it as it needs?...or Go For IT!!
In-Reply-To: <1332294035.13579.YahooMailClassic@web83607.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
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I, for one, think we have another 15 to maybe 20 yrs of good parts access
still.
The key in my opinion are these lists....Vanagon, Syncro, Subi, Samba, etc.
where we can commiserate, swap ideas and parts.
And the people who are constantly willing to answer the many questions that
are thrown at us are certainly among the best around.
There is used stuff that is available thru many of us who don’t just throw
"junk" away.
There are small companies that specialize in conversions of various types.
For the likes of me, in my business, there are transmission parts being
re-made as they become NLA on a regular basis by me and others.
We all wish VW would make a "new Vanagon" , but if most of us workin stiffs
had to shell out 60 or 80K for a new rig..We could not.
I just spent what I consider a pile of spare cash on a 90 Doka Tristar to
keep it from being sold to a guy who wouldn’t appreciate it.
Long live our wonderful VW Cult and its peeps who are "drinkin the kool
aid...."
Daryl of AA Transaxle
425-788-4070
"On the cutting edge of Old technology"
86 Syncro Westy w/Turbo Zetec in the trunk (getting painted and de-rusted)
90 Doka Tristar w/2.5 Subie (new toy for Syncro and Mogfest)
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Richard Koerner
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 6:41 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fix it as it needs?...or Go For IT!!
TurboVans Scott wrote the following and it got me thinking....
"I'm sure as supply dwindles on these old vans they let the supply run out
..pretty understandable." (regarding parts and so forth)
So we all know we are constantly dealing with old age on our beloved
Vanagons; thanks to this List and the wonderful suppliers we are able to
handle it. As our wallets allow. For many of us, we want to have this
superb vehicle, or it's equivalent, ready to go and ready to tackle whatever
we throw at it with confidence. But I suspect things will get harder and
harder to maintain and keep ready to go.
Do we just keep "plugging the holes" as it were, or dig deep into the wallet
NOW while pretty much anything we need for our Vanagons is still available.
Sort of like GoWesty does; spare no expense. Endure the pain briefly, and
then be good for another 10-15 years.
Or hope for an alternative vehicle to present itself? And we all know there
will probably be a hefty pricetag going that route even if it were true,
gotta be north of $35-40K right?
Just wondering what you guys are thinking these days regarding longevity and
options. I'm sure many who love the "Vanagon roadtrip style" are thinking
like me. I've been a VW van owner since 1974 and it's kinda in my blood;
but I'm a practical guy too.
Rich
San Diego