Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 20:52:34 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Re: Eurospec Conv.(followup-kinda
In-Reply-To: <2044DB3001E4440F@smtp.dsdabq.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 17:19 29/12/1998 -0700, Blaine Bachman wrote:
>Without intending to unjustly harm or
>alarm, just a note on the high price of
>"accessorizing." I believe that I got
>a slight break off the MSRP from my
>local mechanic. Nevertheless, most of
>the add-ons seemed a bit pricey for
>what I got. For instance:
>
>1. What the heck is a "Tachometer Kit"
>and why did it cost $20? Is there
>something inherently different between
>the wasserboxer's electronic ignition
>and that of the 2.0 Golf?
The tach on my 2.0L conversion was as simple as connecting the green wire
to terminal 1 on the coil.
>2. Why another $20 for the "Dynamic oil
>sensor kit?" I've already proven to
>myself that the "L" board (brains of
>the system) behind the tach is the same
>on the Golf and late Vanagon. Two
>simple wires DIRECTLY to the engine,
>one to each sender and you're done.
>What did I get for my $20?
The oil pressure sender on my WB had two connectors, one for high pressure
one for low pressure. The I4 had a low pressure warning sender. I just
grounded the high input. No problems.
>3. What is a $75 power steering
>installation kit - my pump, my
>reservoir; pump pretty much in the same
>place - were there nevertheless hose
>add-ons or replacements? $75 bracket?
>I'll have to look (or look for the gold
>plating).
Power steering was an interesting fix on mine. I used a A/C compressor
bracket, shims and a little creativity. $75 sounds like a deal to me!
>4. And the "coup de grace"; the cruise
>control kit - $90!! (list is evidently
>over $100). From what I could tell,
>this includes a fairly simple mounting
>bracket, a short length of generic
>cable, and a cable clamp. Even the
>mechanic figured it was worth maybe
>$15-20. Does someone at the source
>have a passive-aggressive attitude
>towards those of us with C/C?
I hate C/C - it gives me a feeling of "lack of control" so...
>And to top it off, the thing is poorly
>designed - the cable falls off the
>throttle cam lever whatchamacallit
>rendering the C/C inoperative. The
>mechanic band-aided it - but for $90 it
>should have been a technological wonder
>(with a Lewinski feature, if you get my
>drift)!
>
>Don't get me wrong - I'm MORE THAN
>HAPPY with the overall concept and
>execution (accelerating up hills and
>all - yippee! - they couldn't come up
>with this idea in Hannover/Wolfsburg??)
The power is nice!
> I'm just a bit pissed at looking like
>I got screwed on these little things
>(I'd rather get a little screwing on a
>big thing - which I probably got anyway
>- than a big screwing on a little
>thing). And by bringing it up to y'all
>other potential customers, maybe it'll
>save you some $$ (or at least reduce
>the nasty surprise factor).
Personally $5K is way too expensive for the kit.
>Or did I pay for the entire
>cruise/tach/oil/steering R&D effort?
>
>BTW, for anyone who relies on the
>European Car/VW Trends write-up, the
>cited $5000 price is just for the basic
>engine kit - installation (and all this
>other stuff) is evidently not included.
>
>Alas! That my w'boxer might have
>lasted until this kit was available in
>a "shadetree" version (please no
>preaching from the recent DitY guys who
>did their own "four-in-line
>integration").
I'll give input if called for.
>I openly invite anyone from the
>"source" to clarify these issues to the
>list and to me directly (since I'm not
>an active subscriber).
>
>Thanks for your indulgence.
>
>-Blaine
>New redline: 6,000+
-- David Marshall - Vanagon List Administrator --
-- 78 1.8L VW Rabbit, 80 2.0L VW Caddy, 87 Audi 5KSQ --
-- 85 VW Cabriolet, 88 2.0L VW Syncro 16" Double Cab --
-- Volkswagen Homepage http://www.volkswagen.org --
-- Classic H2O VW Parts http://www.fastforward.ca --
-- mailto:david@volkswagen.org - Quesnel, BC, Canada --
