Date:         Tue, 06 Dec 94 20:06:41 CST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: Help me!  I've just purchased a pit to throw money into!

On Tue, 6 Dec 94 19:01:26 CST Alice C. Gibb said:
>misguided previous owner removed the cooling flaps from the engine and to
>replace them is $350), but the fuel lines need replacing ($375) and the

i'd suggest leaving the cooling flaps until later ... you can live without
them. the fuel line replacement sounds WAY high!! i did all of mine on my
88 bus for about $30 worth of fuel-injection high-pressure hose (i bought
the whole 25' roll) and $5 worth of clamps. if you do it yourself, just be
very careful to let the bus sit overnight (so the system is NOT pressured)
and cover each joint with a towel as you pull the old hose off (so you don't
get gasoline sprayed in your eyes). it's not THAT hard, but it is a bit
tedious. took me about two hours of fiddling around.

>brake rotors need replacing (I'm not sure how much this is going to run
>us).  Plus we need a lot of other long term stuff done (front shocks, etc.)

i think someone else mentioned the prices for front rotors ... which is about
right. don't forget the front bearings ... probably another $50 per side.
might as well put new ones on while you are at it.

the shocks are gonna shock you :)  they are hard to find and expensive!

>things from a junkyard?
>Driver's side window regulator  & Sliding door locking mechanism

probably could find these. check out some of the junkyards in the FAQ or in
your yellow pages. also call many more than one vw dealer. you'd be surprised
how much prices can vary from dealer to dealer.

>replacment muffler (can we replace the muffer ourselves or is this a pro job?)

it can be done, but it is somewhat tedious ... cause all the old bolts will
likely break. ;)  you'll need to make sure you have NEW bolts, washers, nuts,
and new gaskets. and a can of Liquid Wrench. :)

>EGR box

maybe junkyard. but most likely, you'll have to pay outrageous vw prices.

>windsheild (we have two small cracks in ours)

check with Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) dealers in the yellow pages under
Auto Glass. probably it'll be about $275-300. you CAN do it yourself, but
the risk of dropping the glass is somewhat high ... better to let the glass
folks do it. junkyard glass is a possibility. but i would suggest a NEW vw
rubber gasket. shouldn't be more than about $40.

>engine cooling flaps

i'd wait for a while. i think that price is pretty high, too.

that's my opinion, and you're welcome to it. :)

joel