Date:         Fri, 8 Sep 1995 08:12:46 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dlm202@psu.edu (David J. Mancuso)
Subject:      '87 transmission update

Hello all,

Things are still crazy with my new job (oh--I got a new job, everybody),
but I've managed to make some progress getting Kalypso back together. My
dealer seems very willing to work with me to get him fixed (although they
wouldn't lower the $2495.00 price tag for repair, they'll put in whatever
tranny I give them for $350 total labor, including all they've done so
far). Maybe I should've taken the tranny out myself, but I'm not as
adventurous as I used to be with VWs.

Thanks for all your suggestions and encouragement (Joel, Jim Ferree, Tim
Schlaile, John Anderson, Tim McDermott, John Sharpe, and more!). Your
support really helped.

On a tip from John Sharpe, I found a rebuilt transmission from Kenny Miller
VW near Kutztown, PA (he's getting it from CA), with 2 yr. warranty. It's
still a pretty penny, but if I'm going to keep this van forever, I might as
well do the best I can afford (even if I can't _really_ afford it. Oh
well...mac and cheese for the next few months...).

The big mistake I made with the old transmission was to keep driving after
the shifting problem began. It's possible that I turned a thousand dollar
problem into much more. However--get this--the transmission that broke in
my '87 van was actually an '81 transmission! There may have been more here
than meets the eye, since it never did shift very well.

I went to Kutztown yesterday, and brought it back to the dealer this
morning. If all goes extremely well, I'll be back in the Type II zenlike
driving state by tonight!!!!

Thanks,
Dave




dlm202@psu.edu
David J. Mancuso

'87 Vanagon, Kalypso (11th in a series of fine VWs)
'89 Jetta

The other nine?
'73 VW 412
'71 Super Beetle
'67 Fastback
'77 Rabbit
'73 VW 412 (another one, after the first one was totaled)
'85 Golf
'81 Dasher
'74 Westy (Ulysses)
'76 Westy (Hal)