That just means you're going to have to drive it a long time to get your
investment back.
It might mean that you get buried in it, literally.

Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Sinclair" <neeemo@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: Wilder's Law

> I'm not sure whose law I'm following.  I paid $2700
> for my Syncro in 2000 and towed it home. I've spent
> about $20k on it since then but never driven it.  What
> does that make me?  On second thought I don't want to
> know...
>
> Tom
> 1986 Syncro Westy 2.5 TDi (coming soon)
>
>
> --- Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET> wrote:
> > I guess that we are an anomoly to "Wilders Law".  We
> > purchased our 87 Westy Syncro on August 1st, 2003
> > and promptly drove it 3500 miles to our home in
> > Anchorage.  We had two mechanical failures on the
> > trip, the alternator, and  clutch.  Since then we
> > have replaced the transmission( thanks Daryl at AA
> > Transaxle), which we knew was going bad when we
> > purchased the van. It has also received basic
> > tune-up parts, belts, front brake pads, AM/FM CD
> > player, two oil changes, one coolant flush, two
> > transmission oil changes, and approximately $100.00
> > worth of misc. parts.  We added a rear facing
> > jumpseat for $175.00 plus shipping.  Total
> > expenditures above purchase price are approximately
> > $4500.00, and I am probably guessing high on that.
> >
> > Mark in AK
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
> > Date: Friday, March 11, 2005 10:54 am
> > Subject: Wilder's Law
> >
> > > At 09:22 AM 3/11/2005, you wrote:
> > > >Are you suggesting that "Wilder's Law" says more
> > about people
> > > than Vanagons?
> > >
> > > Now that you mention it, it kind of DOES say more
> > about the nut
> > > behind the
> > > steering wheel than the vehicle. Logic would
> > dictate that (say) a
> > > $1000Vanagon would require more work to get it "up
> > to snuff" than
> > > a $10,000
> > > Vanagon. Wilder's Law, though, says that the more
> > you spend
> > > initially, the
> > > more you will spend later. What this indicates to
> > me is that the
> > > amountnecessary to bring the vehicle up to
> > "satisfactory"
> > > condition is entirely
> > > dependent on the new buyer's financial state. I
> > propose a
> > > corollary to
> > > Wilder's Law: "Vanagon owners will tend to spend
> > the most their
> > > disposableincome will allow on their Vanagons".
> > It's probably
> > > something to do with
> > > this strange contagious  mental illness that is
> > spread via
> > > ownership of
> > > rear-engine VW's. If you'd asked me a year ago
> > what I thought of
> > > old VW's,
> > > I'd have said "Not much; sounds like a lot of
> > trouble I don't
> > > need". But
> > > here I am, pouring thousands of dollars into a 14
> > year old van and
> > > wishingI could spend MORE! I expect to reach the
> > $10,000 mark
> > > ($2100 purchase
> > > price included) before I reach the 1 year mark in
> > July. I am
> > > clearly sick,
> > > but I couldn't be happier.
> > >
> > > John Bange
> > > '90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"
> > >
> >
>
> http://www.TomSinclair.com
>
>
>
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