Hey- one vehicle at a time! What happened to the '83? Didja find a good home
for it, or did ya send it to the pound?

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Edwards" <welfarewrkr@IGC.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2005 10:29 PM
Subject: hey vanagonheads, I need some adwice. Please!

> Dear strangely but wonderfully obsessed fellow Vanagon lovers,
>
> Now that I don't have that 83 1/2 in my garage, it's time to think
> about fixing up the 91 GL I just bought.  I have long since given up
> any pretence to being any kind of a mechanic (long since discovering
> the joys of hydraulic valve lifters, that is, and long since having
> bought an 80 year old house that soaks up all of my spare time), but
> according to my trusty neighborhood auto shop I need tires, (already
> gotten much advice about that including Ron Salmon's, thank you Ron,
> we'll talk soon), shocks, all 3 belts, airfilter, front brake pads,
> front brake caliper hardware, and rear wheel cylinders.
>
> Rather than fool with the very few, and for the most part rather
> crusty local suppliers around here (Chicago) I'm planning to do all
> my shopping on the Net.  I know there are some places to avoid like
> the plague (the Parts Place in Opdyke Hills Michigan would be one
> very obvious example) but are there others I should know about - and
> stay away from?
>
> Also, while going through the truly astonishing number of daily
> messages on this list, I came across at least one caution about OEM
> parts that maybe aren't so OEM.  I would like the shocks to be as OEM
> as possible - I don't drive on the highway much but when I do it's an
> 1100 mile round trip to Northern Ontario, it's a long ride and
> there's no reason for it to be a harsh one - so what do listees
> recommend?
>
> I also have a massive, three pack a day habit kind of a steering
> fluid leak on the 90 GL.  I am told I will need new pipes - the long
> ones that run all the way from back to front (good old VW! Who else
> would put the brake fluid over the speedometer, the clutch master
> cylinder between the front wall and the steering column, and the
> steering fluid as far from the steering as it could be and still be
> in the same vehicle?) - does anyone know where these pipes can be
> obtained, other than from VWoA?
>
> Thanks very much in advance
>
> Steve in Chicago,
>
> now with only 3 vans to my name (and the 84 goes out as soon as I can
> find that pesky title...)