wow..
haven't thought of 'Birdhouse Bar out Turnagain Arm ' in a while. Been
there.
Went to Alaska on the Green Tourtoise in 1980 and 81.

them's was the days all right.
How much was gas back then ? ...
don't even rememer ..  Might have been about 90 cents a gallon.

I do remember that in about 1994 diesel was $ 1.48 per gallon, like in the
western US ............and with an extra tank on board, my 5 speed 1.9 TD
vanagon went 600 miles on one load of fuel several times..
and refilled for 28 bucks !    after 600 miles ..not bad.

 - not any more though. I sure hope the oil disaster will get humans to see
that 'economic development' is a big sin, and might kill us ultimately.  We
don't need tons and tons of new toys and cars and
.....oh.......say.....oversize barbeques. and 'all that' .   Or giant
pick-up trucks.  We don't need that stuff, and 'the system' is set up
stupidly and backwards, becuse right now , if they don't make and sell tons
and tons of toys and giant pick-up trucks.....people don't get food and
housing. That's backwards.

  Environmantal concerns and economic goals are in direct oppostion to each
other ...so very, very obvious to me.  I don't think 'they' get it though. I
hope 'they' do before it's too late, if it's not already, not that I am a
pessimist or doomsday person , but something has gotta give one of these
days, or we're gonna perish as a species...which actually ...would be quite
good for the planet.  Maybe that's the plan !

Scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@charter.net>
To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: Whatz a Good price to service CVs?

> Scott,
>
> Good to hear the name again - Chilkoot Charley's. Been there many times.
> It's still around. However, getting to be  a bit of an oldtimer from that
> country myself - many of the good ones have gone. Mr. Whitekeys Club in
> Anchorage, Birdhouse Bar out Turnagain Arm near Indian, Malemute Saloon up
> Fairbanks way, Sourdough Creek Roadhouse near Glenallen and Skinny Dick's
> Halfway Inn  between Fairbanks and Nenana on the Parks Highway - all
> gone - faded into the history of Alaska and for the most part kept alive
> only by the memories of those who were fortunate enough to have visited
> there in their heyday.
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
> On 6/18/2010 2:27 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>> I just get free rags at the freestore ...
>> all those cotton t-shirt and sweat shirts..
>> they're a bother to cut up into rag size pieces..
>> but it's free rags for life.
>>
>> that's one tiny way I work to keep overhead costs down , and pass on the
>> savings to the customer.
>>
>> reminds me of a big sign on a bar in Ancharage Alaska, in
>> 1980.....Chilcoot
>> Charley's ..
>> they had a huge sign on the top of the bar saying 'We cheat the other guy
>> to
>> save you money.'
>>
>> love the irrverence of it !
>>
>> on the grease....I like really good grease. Have used lots of Redline
>> synthetic wheel bearing grease.
>> That 'black slimey' moly graph grease though ...
>> I just have really really good luck with that stuff.
>> Wherever I use it ( I don't use it for wheel bearings though ) ......
>> that part has stayed just fine for years and years.
>> I mainly use it on CV joints, and on lubing the  8 or so little spots in
>> the
>> throw out bearing and crosshaft areas in the clutch system.  I lube shift
>> linagke with it too.
>> sure seems to stay slimey and slick.  and doesn't seem sticky like wheel
>> bearing grease that attracts and holds grit if exposed like on say shift
>> linkage.
>>
>> main thing though is 'lube it'  !
>> No kidding, every last vanagon I see is despearately lacking in lube on
>> hundreds of little places on it, from one end to the other.  I see like
>> 50
>> vanagons a year.  So many spots on them were last lubed in Germany at the
>> factory.    Srpay lube is so quick and easy to use too.   Who lubes their
>> ash tray pivot points ? - at least those won't wear out from not lubing
>> them, but so many othe points will.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 7:01 AM
>> Subject: Re: Whatz a Good price to service CVs?
>>
>>
>> To support what has been said: you will spend more on rags (if you
>> don't get them for free) than grease! You will need a LOT of rags and
>> paper towels will only make the mess worse. I use what my shop uses,
>> which is Amsoil purple, and it's a lot cleaner than moly grease. But a
>> mess none the less. One cartridge does four bearings.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 3:09 AM, Bob Johnson
>> <b.johnson1950.2010@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> While you're at it, you might as well do the Rear Wheel bearings too!
>>> :o)
>>> If the CV's haven't been done in a long while,
>>> I'll bet the rear bearing's have Never been done!
>>>
>>> I'd say there's two ways to estimate costs:
>>> one is if new grease is just added;
>>> Double the price if all of the old grease is cleaned out first !
>>>
>>> I'm right in the middle of the job as we speak.
>>> What a mess !!!
>>> Now if you need to add in a couple of sets of clothing,
>>> ( because that old Moly is Nasty !!! )
>>>
>>> You can triple the price ! heh heh...
>>>
>>> BJ
>>> On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 4:59 PM, Michael Sullivan
>>> <sandwichhead@gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Not having any trouble, but I have not done them since I bought it 3
>>>> years
>>>> ago. Records show they were replaced by the PO at the stealership.
>>>> What's
>>>> a good rpice to service them at a shop? Thanks.
>>>> Michael in San Antonio
>>>> 91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
>>>> 73 Beetle
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>