AMEN!
--
Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
75 914 1.8 (No Name Yet)
Full Timing Since March 1999
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
***********************************
On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 1:00 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> I was a little surprised to read the words .....
>
> "the increasingly adverse environment being imposed on them."
>
> how so ?
> Things seem to be 'holding' just fine to me...
> like there is a pretty fair and level playing field in the vanagon parts
> supply world.
>
> If I had any concerns it would be about conversion parts that are really
> not
> truly  quite as perfect as the sellers think they are .
>
> and price...
> personally I NEVER let price by itself dictate where and what I buy...
> I'm after Quality first ..and SERVICE next..
> I will gladly pay say 20 % more to someone that does their level best to
> provide good quality stuff with good service.
>
> Heck, I am willing to pay extra just in appreciation for them providing the
> service that they do ...
> as long as it is really good service.
> My local FLAPS ..I have an account with them.  My monthly bill can be like
> only 30 bucks...
> so he's making maybe 10 dollars profit for the month off me there...which
> is
> pure ZIP  considering the overhead of running a business.
> 10 bucks is barely  even lunch  money
> I would pay them 30 bucks a month just for being there and staying open for
> business, it's such a useful service to me.
>
> if things get too cheap ...I get nervous.
> give you an example...those coolant level senders for Vanagons, on the
> pressure bottle.
> One great vendor - Van Cafe ....they sell an OE one that's almost 30 bucks
> with shipping.....and they say that's the only ones they've found to be
> really any good ...which is quite true.
> I've seen LOTS of those things crack, or split, or leak, even knew.
> I checked into what my cost is on one from my normal supplier .... two
> dollars something !
> so how good can it be if it's say 2.73 my cost ...
> when OE grade ones are over 20 ?
> you know....?
> price by itself is not what really matters...
> it's Quality, and it's Service.
>
> I'm 'disappointed that humans can be so purely-price focused......some of
> them of course, not all.
> I would think that they'd be glad to help each other out more.
> My welder guy .....to make it easier for him I just suggested 50 bucks the
> other day for about 5 little things he welded for me. He said ...well that
> one was a lot of work...so he said 65. I knew he really wanted more ...
> and I am SO GLAD that guy is there ...next time I paid him 10 dollars
> extra.
>
> shoot man ...what is a few cents or a few bucks this way or that way
> .....when we could honor ourselves and each other so much more by not being
> cheap.
>
> I will have to say ..this 'get the price down' has led to a real rash of
> too
> cheaply made products here and there.
> Things not even worth the materials they are made out of ..........and that
> is real sad to witness.
> So what if it's 3 dollars less...if it doesn't last, what's the point ?
> and why push for low price if it means low quality too ?
> for example - I searched for a new 1.9 diesel head for months.
> I finally bought one, bare, brand new ....from a guy who said "I buy  them
> in germany, I don't know where they are made.'
>
> there were 3 things wrong with that absolutely new head , I had to work on
> it about 3 hours to get it to being usable. .
> The first thing wrong was about 5 chips of aluminum in the plastic bag the
> head was sealed in !
> I mean ...you know, the idea is that it's sealed in a plastic bag to
> protect
> if from foreign objects ...
> and the bag itself contained foreign objects ! You get one of those stuck
> in
> an intake valve or whatever ....
>
> ( and really ....what can be the mindset of a person or company that throws
> a new casting in a shipping container with materials left over from the
> casting and machining  process....they have no pride in what they produce,
> or what ????  !!  ...
> it would appear they just don't give a rat's rear end.  .I just 'do not
> get'
> how people could do that to each other !  - like so what if there's a chip
> of metal and it goes into the customer's engine ...'not my problem' ....)
> What will it take to get people to even really care ?
> what is the point of doing a crappy job on anything ??
>
> Pretty disappointing ...
> that 'low price obession' leads to low quailty....maybe the builders of low
> quality parts justify that they are failure-prone since they don't charge
> much in the first place ??  Sounds backwards to me.
> I am hoping that will start to swing back the othe way though ...that we've
> bottomed out now on how cheap things can get ...and seen that now and then
> a
> cheap but useless part or tool is well.......worse than useless, and the
> 'lower end of low quality' will be raised some.
>
> you know...something made as cheap as possible...to where it's pushing the
> edgoe of 'any good or not' ....is a Disservice to Humanity.
> We're ripping each other off when we do that.
> * Let's have an emphasis on great quality of goods and Service, and happily
> pay each other for it. *
>
> hey ...there is LOTS of MONEY in the world...it just flows around and
> around...
> sometimes an idividual gets more of it, sometimes less...and that hardly
> matters in what really counts.
>
> Are we trying to help each other out ? or are we trying to gain off of each
> other ?
> I can only live one of those ways ...and it's sure not the second one.
> And I hope others will be inspired to operate the same way more.
>
> I don't see anything 'that wrong' ...slightly bothersome perhaps...but not
> a
> horrible sin to see one guy say "I have X for Y dollars", and another says
> I
> have 'similar X or Y dollars more or less' ..
> kinda human nature to do that. I'd say just let it pass on by, and pick the
> one that you think is right for you.
> and be glad there are choices .
> And insist on decent quality and good service.
>
> May the Vanagon Gods smile on everyone's Vanagon./Old Bus, etc.
>
> you know who,
>
> www.turbovans.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Sullivan" <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 8:15 AM
> Subject: Re: Got Shifter Bushings?
>
>
>   Don't group me into any mold(moldhaus.com) :-). Just cuz I'm Amurican,
>> doesn't mean I agree with it all. But you are right, survival of the
>> fittest...or the fastest shipper for the least freight.
>> Michael in San Antonio
>> 91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
>> 73 Beetle
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 10:12 AM, Jake de Villiers <
>> crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Aren't you describing the American business model!?  ;)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 7:25 AM, Michael Sullivan <
>>> sandwichhead@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>  I may have not used the proper route to address this concern.  Tell you
>>>> what, next time you have something to sell and take the time to
>>>> advertise
>>>> it
>>>> and shell out the bucks to have the lemonade stand....I will set up shop
>>>> right next door and undercut you by .05.
>>>> Again, I little time before posting an alternative option is only in
>>>> good
>>>> tast.  This is not to bash anyone because we all want options, but was
>>>> this
>>>> a coincidental similar post?
>>>>  Michael in San Antonio
>>>> 91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
>>>> 73 Beetle
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 8:59 AM, Jay lefstein <jleftbrane@gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > good point ken.
>>>> >
>>>> > but really guys is this list to support sellers or buyers? or is it to
>>>> > support vanagons? maybe the vanagon owners?
>>>> >
>>>> > why is it hijacking to let someone know about a different item?
>>>> > in fact the only hijacker here is the guy who started talking about
>>>> > hijacking !!
>>>> >
>>>> > thats a $1 worth at least :)
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > On 27-Apr-10, at 5:35 AM, Ken Wilford wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > I really don't mind folks posting about Terry Ks aftermarket shifter
>>>> >> bushings.  If you think they are better and you want to pony up extra
>>>> >> money for them that that is up to you.  Mine are OE VW and the
>>>> >> original
>>>> >> ones lasted close to 20 years or even longer.  Not sure why this
>>>> >> needs
>>>> >> to be improved on, but that is your choice.  Did I mention that mine
>>>> >> are
>>>> >> cheaper?  :)
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Ken Wilford
>>>> >> John 3:16
>>>> >> www.vanagain.com
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> John Rodgers wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>> I'll go for that.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> John Rodgers
>>>> >>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>>>> >>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>>>> >>> Chelsea, AL
>>>> >>> Http://www.moldhaus.com <http://www.moldhaus.com/> <
>>>> http://www.moldhaus.com/> <
>>>> http://www.moldhaus.com/>
>>>>
>>>>  >>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> On 4/27/2010 4:35 AM, Michael Sullivan wrote:
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>> I don't like the way that posts get hijacked on occassion.  Ken
>>>> >>>> posted his
>>>> >>>> parts as avail, then he gets undercut by another post. Not getting
>>>> >>>> on
>>>> >>>> anybody's back, but i see this all the time.  Someone posts and
>>>> >>>> says
>>>> >>>> "I got
>>>> >>>> this for $$$".  Next thing, there's a reply that says "Hey, How
>>>> >>>> about
>>>> >>>> these
>>>> >>>> for only $$?"  I say, start another post and son't pull the rug
>>>> >>>> from
>>>> >>>> under
>>>> >>>> the original poster.  My .02 at 0430 :-)
>>>> >>>> Michael in San Antonio
>>>> >>>> 91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
>>>> >>>> 73 Beetle
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 8:11 PM, Jake de Villiers<
>>>> >>>> crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> You say $19.00 in your post to the List and the site says $29.00 -
>>>> >>>>> quite a
>>>> >>>>> disparity!
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> Which is the correct price?
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 12:45 PM, Ken
>>>> >>>>> Wilford<kenwilfy@comcast.net>
>>>> >>>>> wrote:
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> Just wanted to drop the list a line to let you folks know that
>>>> >>>>>> we just
>>>> >>>>>> got some new OE VW shift shaft bushings in stock.  These are $19
>>>> >>>>>> each.
>>>> >>>>>> They have been NLA here in the US for several months now.  The
>>>> >>>>>> ones we
>>>> >>>>>> have are actual VW units and not aftermarket.  If you are
>>>> >>>>>> interested you
>>>> >>>>>> can order via our website.  The part number is 251711207D.  If
>>>> >>>>>> your
>>>> >>>>>> shifter is feeling vague or sloppy, this may be part of the
>>>> >>>>>> reason.  The
>>>> >>>>>> other parts we just got in are:
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>> 1. 251711176- Alloy Shifter guides under the front shifter in
>>>> >>>>>> the 2wd
>>>> >>>>>> Vanagon for $20
>>>> >>>>>> 2. 251919051H- Syncro Gas tank Level Sender- $199
>>>> >>>>>> 3. 251957809J- Syncro Speedometer Drive Cable- $125
>>>> >>>>>> 4. 251609701D- Syncro Rear Brake Cable (left)- $75
>>>> >>>>>> 5. 251609702- Syncro Rear Brake Cable (right)- $75
>>>> >>>>>> 6. 094409181B- Syncro Speedometer Drive Gear- $199
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>> As time is going on, more and more No Longer Available VW parts
>>>> >>>>>> are
>>>> >>>>>> becoming remade by VW.  If there is a part that you can't find
>>>> >>>>>> elsewhere, please pmail me and I will check to see if it has
>>>> >>>>>> become
>>>> >>>>>> available again.  If not it may become available soon.  I am
>>>> >>>>>> excited to
>>>> >>>>>> be able to bring these parts in for customers to keep their
>>>> >>>>>> Vanagons on
>>>> >>>>>> the road for many more years to come.
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>> Thanks,
>>>> >>>>>> Ken Wilford
>>>> >>>>>> John 3:16
>>>> >>>>>> www.vanagain.com
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> --
>>>> >>>>> Jake
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
>>>> >>>>> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> Crescent Beach, BC
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> www.thebassspa.com
>>>> >>>>> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>>>> >>>>> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>  Jake
>>>
>>> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
>>> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>>>
>>> Crescent Beach, BC
>>>
>>> www.thebassspa.com
>>> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>>> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>>>
>>>
>>>