:-) 

It's spring time soon... I call that a nice westy discussion...

Ben
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Brien Dews 
  To: Benny boy 
  Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:58 AM
  Subject: Re: This GoWesty is really starting to annoy me....

  After 8+ months of fthe list its good to see some things never change.
  Keep up the good work Benoit!

  On Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 9:39 AM, Benny boy <huotb@videotron.ca> wrote:

    Mmm... I have a lot to say about that, but i won't say too much.

    Nobody here can judge the GoWesty price, you didn't work on those van.
    Even i I agree that it seem extrem at first to sell a van 90K! But it seem
    that they have customers and good for them... so who care if they are
    expensive! That is NOT your business/problem! Since i started my shop, i
    went that way, restoration.... and i know better today about time invested.

    It's a free country, you can sell anything for the price you want. People
    pay way more crazy price for stupid thing so please!!! I sometime feel there
    is a lot of jealous peoples on this list!

    Another thing, this list is here to help mostly folks that want to try
    working themself on their vans... and i guess, some that are... let's say...
    more on a budjet, and that is more than fine, but don't judge the one that
    HAVE money and wan to keep their van for ever!

    Now, just go buy or find a similar van on the market... well, there is none!
    So there is NO �quivalent that mean you can't compare prices!!!!!!!!!!

    My van cost me 1500, i havested 20+K on it, cost price, so let say
    retail-27-30k in part + 300 hours of labor at 45$ per hour, let say 14K. So,
    we are at around 36-38K + gadget, that seem a fair price for a fully
    restored 2WD Vanagon. In my case, i have the pictures to proove it, and that
    is a big difference. Still, i buy A LOT from GoWesty and i respect them a
    lot for being there!!!!!
    http://www.benplace.com/85westy2.htm

    Now, i'm finishing this one this week:
    http://www.benplace.com/fabian.htm

    Total cost should be around 24,000$ (paint job / body work, int�rior fully
    restored, new 2007 Subaru 2.5L conversion with 1000miles on it) + the price
    of the value of that van before restoration, let say 6 to 8K. So that van as
    a value of around 30K. It's not even a full camper... so that guy must be
    crazy??? Sure....

    Now, my next big project is a US van from Colorado... yea, i'm in Montreal!
    This guy is a member here so be carefull! It's an 87 Syncro. We (Hans from
    Vanaru and me) have kind of stolen that project from GoWesty... but i won't
    say more. This van is in great condition, very nice van to restored, our
    goal and the customer goal is to give this van a new life and that for the
    next 20 years. So it's a big project. Int�rior is in perfect shape, just
    need a very deep cleaning

    -SVX 6cyl Engine
    -New upgraded Transmission and axles
    -New/rebuilt Syncro system with added diff lock
    -New everything underneat (Suspension, steering, big brake....)
    -New paint job with lower black stripe
    -Underneat coating
    and a lot more stuff.

    You will all be able to folllow that project day by day at this webpage:
    http://www.benplace.com/87_syncro1.htm

    I will see if i say one day the total restoration price.... not sure yet and
    anyway.... who frigging care! it's NOT your van or money!

    So if a guy love his van and he want to keep it for ever... well, if he feel
    like investing a lot on it... GOOD FOR HIM!!!! (and for me... he he he).

    All my life i sold... pleasure! Before, part time i had hobby shop, i was
    selling 4000$ RC helicopter to weekend spending folks who had no idea how to
    fly those... i had warned them of the difculty, they didn't care... next
    monday, they had crash that helicopter behond repair.

    That is crazy investment!

    So please... have better aguments!

    Ho, a last thing, i dare anyone here to come work with me for 10 days in a
    row, 10 to 12 hours per day... working in the dust, grease... cuting,
    burning, bruising and banging yourself all the time. You may now understand
    the time, energy invested by folk who restore car/vans.

    Shit, i have to charge more...

    Ben ( i still have some corruptor blood... for the old timer here)
    http://www.benplace.com/

    On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:02:21 -0400, BJ Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET> wrote:

    >I like ordering misc nick nacks from GoWesty that I cannot find somewhere
    >else. Besides, they have it in my mailbox 2 days later and I'm on the other
    >side of the country.  Today, for humorous purposes, I clicked on the
    >Vehicles for Sale.  If I remember back a few years they used to sell these
    >"restored" vans for "$22-25K" and we were all up in arms about their prices.
    >Today I took a peak at http://www.gowesty.com/vehicles_for_sale.php and
    >almost fell out of my chair.  An '85 for $29K, an '86 non-Syncro for
    >$53,831.53????? An '87 for $63K?????  Is this for real?  I mean really, who
    >has that kind of money to throw around? Geez, and we were bitchin when they
    >were charging $25K.  Here's the real kicker, if you read their ad they say
    >"Yeah we picked up this baby for $500 and with our markup you pay only $600
    >but we can't sell it to you for that, it would not be your best interest."
    >What?, it's in my best interest that they tack on $30K more for a motor,
    >paint and detailing?  Geez. Who are these idiots selling their vans to
    >GoWesty for a  couple hundred or a couple thousand dollars?  Every van they
    >buy is usually WAY below what I could find the same van on eBay, the Samba,
    >etc.
    >
    >
    >
    >Geez, I just noticed the 1990 Syncro Westy for $90K.  Some people have too
    >much damn money out there in CA.
    >
    >
    >
    >Sorry, just needed to vent.
    >
    >
    >
    >Now back to your regularly scheduled list programming.
    >
    >
    >Bryan

  -- 
  Brien K Dews 21CC-AWCI
  Rockford, MI
  www.allgoodtime.com
  www.busesbythebeach.com