Date:         Sat, 7 Oct 1995 13:43:32 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         other1@primenet.com (Nate Holtz)
Subject:      Re-introduction and Question

Hola Mi Amigos!
As some of you with whom I've exchanged private e-mail know, I took the
summer off (quit my job, actually), travelled around the US West in my
trusty '72 Westy, and, more recently, moved to the great city of Tucson, Az
and started a new job!  Job's great, love Tucson, thanks for asking!  See a
lot of buses here in the Old Pueblo, many in very good condition...Not many
people wave, though (even in those of similar vintage)-:  I haven't had much
oppurtunity to drive my
bus around, but with the onset of fall, I've started seriously considering
it.  Need to do some maint. and repairs, first, which (you can see this
coming, can't you?) leads to a couple of questions:

1) Looking for info on Tucson area mechs, pull your own part junk yards,
auto parts stores speciallizing in foreign (German) cars, etc etc.  I've
only been down here a few weeks (close to a month, now, actually) and
haven't had to look around too much.  Any info from present or former
Tucsonians would be greatly appreciated...

2) Anybody replace a steering dampener on a '72 bus?  Seems like it would be
pretty straight forward, but I'm wondering if there's anything I need to
worry about?  I've read thru the Muir procedure (replace old shock,
esentially) He 
doesn't elaborate much on this...How about what type shock to use?  Don't
have any info on that yet.  Pretty much any FLAPS will carry the right
shock?  I'd just use the same kind that was there, but, it's gone!  Well,
half of it, at least.  I was under the bus, trying to figure out my loose
steering, checking all the ball joints, etc.  Everything seems nice and
firm, no play, clean.  So I look for the steering dampener...It should be
here, where this piece of metal is...Hmm, I don't remember this, seems
loose.  Check the diagram, and realize it's hakf of the shock that is the
steering dampener!  Shoot, I bet that explains why I can't drive a straight
line!  Damn.  

3) Who has an opinion (good or bad) on Rocky Mountain Motor Works?  Decent
parts?  Decent service?  I'm thinking about buying some electrical parts
from them (turn signal switch, headlight switch, full set of bulbs for the
rear end, and maybe a couple of sockets, etc)  Is there a better place
(preferably mail order) for this kind of parts?  The only other catalog I
have is West Coast Metric, which doesn't have the stuff I'm looking for...

Thanks in advance, and I'll see you on the road!
Nate
(Summer trip summary: 8 states, 5 weeks, 5,200 miles.  Replaced fuel pump,
changed oil.  Never left stranded.  Bus has 2.0l (6,000 on rebuild, now), dual
Del Orto's (sp?), lots of power, lousy gas mileage...
--
Nate Holtz                           http://www.primenet.com/~other1
other1@primenet.com          
'72 VW Westy - "Stimpy"              Inked and Poked (And proud of it!)
     @->---- Goin' Where The Wind Don't Blow So Strange ----<-@