Here is a clear example of "you get what you pay for".

The $55 "muffler" could be fine, and could last him a few years, though I
doubt either.

The Bus Depot muffler has Ron Salmon (respectable business owner) standing
behind it, will fit well, and give at least $106 worth of service. And
finally, if cash flow is no object, the OEM muffler from the dealer *can*
give amazingly long service, offsetting its steep price. I have an original
VW muffler on both my 1985 Jetta TD (nearly 200k) and my 1982 Vanagon
(130k). That's 15 and 18 years worth of muffling.

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Mount Olive, NC USA
877.658.1278 Tollfree
www.bulley-hewlett.com

My Agenda: Stop Suburban Sprawl.
My Methods: Revitalize older, highly-dense, urban towns. Champion
mass/rapid transit and fast Internet service to these towns. Demand
replacement of archaic, "separationist" zoning laws with neo-traditional
dense/mixed use zoning.
The Result: All Americans obtain superior living opportunities; sprawl is
restrained; and dense, beautiful, interlinked towns become our children's
inheritance.
Find out more at http://www.cnu.org

-----Original Message-----
From:   Vicki Derrer [SMTP:VICARY2U@aol.com]
Sent:   Monday, July 24, 2000 1:02 PM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Cheap Muffler Replacement?

This plea is from a friend who recently purchased an 87 Vanagon (with
pop-top).  He is trying to subscribe to the list but in the meantime...He
needs a new muffler. He can get one from The Bus Depot for about $106 and
put
it on himself, or he can have The Guy At the Muffler Shop put on a
"universal
muffler" for $55 (not VW of course). Since my friend is a college student,
he
wants to know why he should not go the less expensive route. Will it affect
the performance of the vehicle?

TIA,  Vicki