It's like this with motorcycles, too.

Stephen

--- joel walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:

> > Am I missing something here?
> >
> > These are old vehicles.  Of course they need some
> parts replaced.
> > And
> > since there aren't many vanagons around, it's
> harder to find
> > mechanics
> > who can do the work.
> >
> > Am I just blinded by love?
>
> sorta. :(
>
> it's Old Car Disease.
> all the brit sports car owners have it.
> all the fiat sports car owners have it.
> old volvo owners have it.
> and many others.
> jay leno has it,but he has enough money to hire
> other people to chase
> down parts or even recreate them.
>
> it's love/affection for an old car that is no longer
> made and its
> parts have been phased out of inventory by the
> manufacturer (if they
> are even still in business!). hard to find parts,
> cheaply made crap
> sold as replacement/replica parts, and nobody old
> enough to remember
> how to work on them. and sometimes, as in the case
> of very early brit
> cars, hard to find tools with which to work on them
> yourself!
>
> there is no cure that i am aware of. and it's a
> disease the car
> companies would like to spread ... they don't make
> money off old cars,
> only selling new ones and servicing them. their
> attitude is that you
> should get a new car every three to five years ...
> for your own
> safety. cause we all know how auto technology
> changes so rapidly  and
> safety is an important issue and you wouldn't want
> your car to be that
> far out of style, would you?
>
> just imagine if everyone kept their cars ten years.
> they'd actually be able to pay off the loans to the
> banks and credit
> unions and lending institutions! and then they'd get
> to liking the
> not-having-car-payment status with their paycheck.
> and it would make
> them LESS anxious to go get new cars. and the car
> companies would lose
> money. as would the banks.
>
> the only one who makes money, if any, on old cars is
> the mechanic who
> knows how and is willing to work on them. trouble
> is, it doesn't
> really make much difference if they are any good ...
> some owners can't
> tell the difference.
>
> but dealers have become like doctors ... turn you
> away if they don't
> want your business.
>
> so what to do?
>
> what we're doing ... group together and share ideas
> and information.
> that's about all we can do. :(
>
> unca joel
>

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