> Can anybody on the list guide me to an Internet side that sells all the
> small hardware needed on a Vanagon?  Such things like the springs for the
> license plate lights, plastic screw clip things that the side marker light
> screws go into, etc.
>
> My recently acquired 1985 Vanagon is missing a lot of the "little" things
> that I can't find in the likes of the Bus Depot, etc.

You're likely to find that most of these sorts of small items are not sold
by aftermarket VW part suppliers (such as myself).  There just isn't enough
demand for us to carry the thousands of little parts like this that are on
your VW, each of which might be ordered only once a year or so.  You may
have to try either your local VW dealer (or a VW dealer that offers mail
order service, who might save you 10 or 12%).  The pricing on such items can
run the gamut from extremely cheap to horrendously expensive.  I have seen a
little, seemingly inconsequential piece of hardware cost 75 cents from the
dealer, and another that seemed no more expensive to make cost $15. A lot of
it depends on whether the same part is used on other VW models, which often
reduces the price dramatically due to economies of scale. Also, any part
number starting with an "N" is typically a relatively generic part that
might be obtainable elsewhere (even if not specifically sold for a VW). In
the case of those parts that are expensive, you may be able to find
something suitable at a hardware or auto parts store that will fill the need
even if it is not an exact replacement.  Of course the other option is a
junkyard.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

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