Date:         Sun, 9 Jul 1995 07:55:03 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Johnson <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      John Muir.  Again. 

> I got my parts, headed back for the shop.  Outside the parts-
> place a Mexican kid was selling flowers, nice ones.  Bought a
> bunch in a little pink plastic vase, took them back in and gave
> them to the parts-guy.  Told him he was right.  All Volkswagen
> owners are a little strange.  But we couldn't get along without
> somebody to sell us parts now and then.

Bob,

I know you like to pick at Muir for his inconsistencies and mis-
information.  That's fine.  But you gotta remember.  He was also
the same person that got my generation to actually learn how to
work on and take care of our own cars.  I know people like to
use the name St. Muir in their post and maybe he's not St. status
but he sure gave me a boost of confidence in being able to handle
jobs that, I think, would have otherwise been impossible for me 
without the aid of a VW expert.  And that expertise was not so 
forth-coming back when I was trying to learn some of the elementry 
ins and outs of the Bug.  As you know, we didn't have this handy-
dandy network we could turn to and get answers within an hour.  
All most of us had was that 'Idiot Book'.  And believe me, it 
helped in most cases.

Obviously, John was not an electronics expert by no means.  I
believe he makes it fairly clear in most of his electronic expla-
nations that he is only explaining the basics which sounds like most 
of what he knows about it.  And really, for the VWs that he was 
around, that was plenty.  Just look at his fuel injection section.  
That's about as plain, simple electronics testing as it gets.  
Either you measure volts or ohms and either it complies or it don't.  
The fix or replace decision is based on that alone.  It was enough 
to get the system fixed and that's really all that mattered.

Now I understand, that what John taught us could and did give some 
people just enough knowledge to be dangerous (or annoying.  But... 
I also know that there are plenty of smug, think they know it all, 
parts persons out there that can also frustrate the hell out of 
me too.  And none of them have ever given me any flowers. ;)  One 
instance was when I went in to a local VW parts shop and asked for 
a simple replacement engine thermostat for my '74 camper.  The guy, 
without looking said, "Nope, we don't have them."  I was about to 
leave when one of the other guys working there, caught the conver-
sation and said the part number off the top of his head.  Fortunately, 
he drove a Type II with the same Type IV engine and knew what I 
needed.  Obviously, the first guy knew what he was doing, eh?

So, I'll take John Muir with his mistakes and you, Ric, Joel, Doug
and others with the mis-information that comes along with it and
count you among my friends and hopefully I can repay the favors
and information with favors and information of my own.  John Muir
is just better known than the rest of us.  Thats all.

Cheers!

Steven 

sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com