Ditto!!

During all 3 rebuilds done in my barn, my buddy Scotty turns to me and
says:  "This would not have gone so well without Benny's website."

THANKS, BEN!  I hope I have the opportunity to buy you a beer and have a
chat with you again someday.

Pete
'79 Westy "Aardvark"
'87 Westy "Joe's Van"
WWW.Busesbythebeach.com

On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 12:37 AM, Warren Lail <wklail@gmail.com> wrote:

> Ben,
>
> I have never met you, but I and many, many others appreciate your
> posts and your web site.  I particularly appreciate the photos of the
> rusty stuff you work with and with the excellent restorations you've
> done.  And the how-to information you provide on is invaluable!  I
> wish you the best in your sailboat adventures, but remember that those
> of us in the Vanagon community truly appreciate you.
>
> Warren in Santa Fe
> 88 Westy "Billy Bones"
>
> >>Re: Need some assistance to see if my mechanic is overcharging me...
>
> Robert, don't think that I'm bashing you... i was wrong if i did.
>
> This is a GENERAL statement about guys like him or me (or others) working
> on
> old vans!
> People are people and customers, well, they will always be customers. It's
> a
> fact of life. I am also one!
>
> I know that there is plenty of prick (can i say that?) out there that will
> try to rip you off. But common sense need to be applied here. In general,
> Vanagon or Bus mechanic are not. It's a passion thing. So your post title
> kind of shocked me! I'm sure you understand why :-)
>
> Let's just say that i would charge you way more than him :-)
>
> What you just wrote is kind of sad...!!! And it's a fact of life that i see
> around me lately, honest mechanics that have devoted their life to a...
> certain passion go away without any  reconnaissance! Kind a sad to see a
> man
> goes like that!  One 65yo guy beside my shop told me: You will never get
> rich in that business if your honest! You will just barely make a decent
> living, he is so right.
>
> I'm amazed by that guy, i won't do 1/6 of what he did (30 years), i have
> seen the light. Already guys like B.Bob are forgotten, that make me sick
> like hell.
>
> Here in Montreal the best engine machinist just lost his wife... his
> quitting (of what i know), good for him.
>
> So don't take vendors and vanagon mechanic for granted, no, you are Bus
> lovers and for the most part of you guys you rely on them for fixing your
> old vans.
>
> I have stop posting here about a year ago, i just stopped on The Samba, i
> have stopped locally also. I lurk once in a wile but i have some new hobby
> that will make me stop wondering about the VW community.
>
> It's time i do something else than spend my free time sharing stuff that
> won't give me (4 letters words here) in life.
>
> The story of your mechanic make me real sad tonight.
>
> My site get 3500 single hit per day in average, so what! People take and
> that's hit. You have a little "thank you" once in a wile but that's it.
>
> I have a bout 1-2 year to do in the Vanagon world, just enough time so my
> partner in life make over 120k$ a year, i will keep my customers because i
> have a code of conduct/honnor but for the rest of my time, i will sail!
> Fixing sailboat in my shop for fun.
>
> I would really like to shake the hand of that fellow. Please, have some
> respect! He may be gone next time you need help.
>
> For the rest of you green guys that understand nothing about my post... i
> simply don't care anymore. Ask the other how i know! And damn, i know to
> much about Vanagon's, you have no idea.
>
> Spend the equivalent time on my site that i have took to build this one,
> you
> will know everything about vanagon.
>
> Best regards, Ben
> http://www.benplace.com/<<
>