15 Minute Cities will take away our cars! 2020s.  
Jeff

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 21, 2023, at 4:45 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> "The government is going to take lead out of gas. You'll get 20,000 miles
> out of your engine before you have to scrap your car." Early sixties.
> "The government is going to make it illegal to work on your own brakes."
> Early seventies.
> "The government is going to outlaw working on your own car." Early eighties.
> "The government is going to outlaw Freon. Then you won't have air
> conditioning." Early nineties.
> 
> Jim
> 
>> On Tue, Mar 21, 2023 at 3:55 PM Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blue-city-wants-ban-new-gas-auto-service-stations-climate-change
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> On Behalf Of John
>> Rodgers
>> Sent: Friday, March 17, 2023 7:58 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: Shout out to Ken and Dennis The RARE vW bus vender
>> 
>> Unfortunately, I'm so old and decrepit I can't do my own work on my van
>> any more so probably won't have to worry about parts and service much
>> longer. But for now service is already a problem. Recently I needed my fuel
>> tank resealed and crossover pipe installed and could find nobody in the
>> City of Birmingham who would touch it except one shop  which specializes in
>> servicing the really exotic European iron. They ate my lunch but got it
>> done.
>> 
>> On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 6:38 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Get everything fixed than needs fixing while parts and mechanics are
>>> still around.  Plain and simple.
>>> 
>>>    On Friday, March 17, 2023 at 03:17:14 PM PDT, David McNeely <
>>> davmcneely40@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Of course, the young ones are not interested in learning Vanagons (or
>> any
>>> particular "obsolete" vehicle).    It just doesn't make economic sense
>> from
>>> their standpoint.  There are lots of Toyotas, Fords, modern VWs ........
>> .
>>> Few of our old vehicles.  Heck, I even found that the local junior
>>> college auto tech program won't take in any vehicle over five years
>>> old.  That includes my Toyota Prius, which is why I found out.
>>> 
>>>> On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 11:51 AM Dan N <dn92610@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> *"And from my perspective, would the person servicing it be
>>>> capable?"*
>>>> 
>>>> Well... they will say they are capable because they have the Bentley
>>>> book on the shelf... and the real capable mechanic is busy jumping
>>>> from one
>>> van
>>>> to another to help solve the problems...
>>>> 
>>>> I have a story... my daughter was travelling recently with her '90
>>>> tintop from Oregon to Arizona. In Tucson a little rubber hose
>>>> connected to the thermostat tower blew. She found a shop in Tucson
>>>> and waited for 3 days
>>> to
>>>> have a spot for repairs. They replaced the hose and some other
>>> unnecessary
>>>> stuff. On her way back to Oregon, some hundred miles north of
>>>> Tucson, the coolant light blinked (not overheated). I told her to
>>>> check the coolant level in the expansion reservoir, it's very low
>>>> (they didn't bleed properly)... she filled it up. Some hundred miles
>>>> later, the same thing happened. I told her to check the level every
>>>> morning before hitting the road. She happened near the GW store so I
>>>> told to get a new blue cap and have the cooling system bleed well.
>>>> No one had a spot for her and GW
>>> didn't
>>>> do it. So I have to instruct her how to bleed over the phone and email.
>>> She
>>>> did it with the help of her boyfriend. They made it home safely.
>>>> 
>>>> So... yes... There are still some good mechanics with experiences on
>>>> vanagon out there... BUT... how many young ones want to learn to
>>>> replace them after they are gone?
>>>> 
>>>> On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 11:03 AM David McNeely
>>>> <davmcneely40@gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> In part, this is a matter of "aging out."  If these folks are to
>>>>> stay in business, they must hire young folks into their shops.
>>>>> There just
>>> aren't
>>>>> enough old folks who know our vehicles still around.  Just this
>>>>> past
>>> week,
>>>>> I tried to set up a shop visit for my camper.  Best shop locally by
>>>>> reputation is one called European Auto Haus.  Best tech there used
>>>>> to be "Obie," who was trained in Germany on VWs back in the day.
>>>>> He was
>>> super.
>>>>> But Obie of course could not work forever.  He had to move on to
>>>>> retirement, well deserved.  Sadly, European Auto Haus responded by
>>> saying
>>>>> that there are six Vanagons in shop currently for work, but none of
>>>>> them will get serviced before summer, and that they could not
>>>>> promise a date for my van earlier than August.  And from my
>>>>> perspective, would the person servicing it be capable?  mcneely
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 10:52 AM Eric Caron
>>>>> <ericcaron96@comcast.net>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> The recent post about why do you purchase from Amazon reminded me
>>>>>> of
>>> the
>>>>>> good old days of purchasing from our venders like Vanagain.  One
>>>>>> of
>>> the
>>>>>> best things was that I could ask questions about the products
>>> especially
>>>>>> about correct fit or how to install.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>       I realize that now, Ken is the only vender that I can
>>>>>> still do that with.  He is incredibly generous with his time.  I
>>>>>> really don’t
>>>>> know
>>>>>> how he does it and runs a family business as well.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In tech emergencies I have called Ken and he has answered the
>>>>>> phone
>>> and
>>>>>> helped.  Last time was when a friend was helping to install Ken’s
>>> power
>>>>>> steering rack. It was a simple thing but we would not have
>>>>>> figured it
>>>>> out
>>>>>> without Ken answering the call.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>       I try not to call unless I need to.  Another time when a
>>>>>> friend was here we were stuck and called Dennis.  And sure enough
>>>>>> he talked
>>> us
>>>>>> through the problem.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In the old days I used to talk to folks at Bus depot, but though
>>>>>> I
>>>>> really
>>>>>> appreciate the business, and I hope to drop in to visit one day,
>>>>>> the
>>>>> folks
>>>>>> on the phone can’t help with issues, as they don’t know VW buses.
>>> And,
>>>>>> sadly the site is very hard for me to use. They do however, have
>>>>>> a lot
>>>>> of
>>>>>> great bus items and nice to have them on my coast!
>>>>>> Van Cafe, was great before it was sold.  Peter and others there
>>>>>> talked
>>>>> me
>>>>>> through many part installations.But, that ended.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I even once got tech help from GW, but they don’t seem to do work
>>> there
>>>>>> any longer. Though to be fair, They were very helpful in emailing
>>>>>> information back about specific products like how to update the
>>>>>> engine management system.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> So, I really appreciate that Ken sends out help videos, has
>>>>>> useful articles and info on his site, and I don’t know how he
>>>>>> does it, but
>>> even
>>>>>> answered the phone and gave help directly.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I do miss the days of calling the different venders to make
>>>>>> orders,
>>> and
>>>>>> get personal direction on the products.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I think they mean well, but other then Ken I don’t think vanagon
>>>>>> or VW
>>>>> bus
>>>>>> people answer the phone, or can directly assist.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hang in they're Ken.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Eric Caron
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>