IAC's Visit in San Diego 8/4/2007
Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:01 pm
I don't even know where to begin this post. I have so much info bouncing around my head now, that I'm literally overwhelmed. So I'm just gonna ramble.
First off - If you are an air cooled vw owner, you *want* a visit from Colin!. I learned more of the WHY's in one day, than I did reading forums for the past 2 years. The man is simply put a brilliant teacher. He can explain the intricacies of how and why about everything on the bus with such amazing clarity, that anyone would be hard put to not grasp what he is teaching. Not only does he explain everything, but he *documents* it, right there in front of your eyes, and leaves you with not only the knowledge gained, but notes and drawings as a reference to go back and review later on. He makes the entire process one that is challenging, fun, and will leave you mentally drained.
And that's just the first hour.
Then comes some "hands on" time. You get to actually apply the knowledge "fine tuning" your engine, as he goes over every system step by step, asks you questions to ensure you grasped the lessons, shows you, and checks your work every step of the way.
By now, you have more than gotten your "price of admission"'s worth of money.
Once the engine was in tune, we went for a rudely abrupted ride where in less than 2 blocks, and I'm no shitting you here - Colin figured out everything that was wrong with my bus.
Back to the garage we went, and attacked every single problem that he noticed.
Suspension issues, Brake issues, Bearing issues, Steering box issues, Steering wheel issues, Shifter issues, Shift Coupler issues. Where all explained in detail, examined, and repaired over the next few hours.
Not only does Colin lead you in the repairs of everything needed, but he takes time to explain/document all the systems, *WHY* it's the way it is, and how to keep it running well.
Once we adjusted and repaired everything Colin noticed in that short 2 block ride, we went back out for another drive. Once again, I'm not bullshitting you here. EVERY SINGLE ISSUE was resolved. Every single uncomfortable noise, bump, and burp that I noticed before Colin had arrived, was explained in detail (complete with drawings, and documentation), repaired and resolved. It was a night and day differance.
The bus ran great, no "weird" noises, it revved nicely, shifted smoothly, and moved down the road with confidence.
Colin took time out to document everything we had done, and make notes of things that were missing from my engine (Oil pressure sending boot, alternator plastic cover, cooling flaps) and ensure that I understood what the next steps were to resolve them. He gave me pointers on driving, how to "listen" to my engine, simple checks to ensure it is running efficiently etc etc.
Once again, I cannot stress enough, how valuable Colin's visit was. I'm sure that given a couple of years, a few thousand dollars, a rebuilt engine or two, and going thru most VW mechanics within 100 miles of me, I could have attained what Colin did for me in an extremely busy 10 hours of work. But I'd still be lacking the knowledge, or any ability to diagnose issues myself.
Colin, *you* are the man.
Thanks,
Mike
First off - If you are an air cooled vw owner, you *want* a visit from Colin!. I learned more of the WHY's in one day, than I did reading forums for the past 2 years. The man is simply put a brilliant teacher. He can explain the intricacies of how and why about everything on the bus with such amazing clarity, that anyone would be hard put to not grasp what he is teaching. Not only does he explain everything, but he *documents* it, right there in front of your eyes, and leaves you with not only the knowledge gained, but notes and drawings as a reference to go back and review later on. He makes the entire process one that is challenging, fun, and will leave you mentally drained.
And that's just the first hour.
Then comes some "hands on" time. You get to actually apply the knowledge "fine tuning" your engine, as he goes over every system step by step, asks you questions to ensure you grasped the lessons, shows you, and checks your work every step of the way.
By now, you have more than gotten your "price of admission"'s worth of money.
Once the engine was in tune, we went for a rudely abrupted ride where in less than 2 blocks, and I'm no shitting you here - Colin figured out everything that was wrong with my bus.
Back to the garage we went, and attacked every single problem that he noticed.
Suspension issues, Brake issues, Bearing issues, Steering box issues, Steering wheel issues, Shifter issues, Shift Coupler issues. Where all explained in detail, examined, and repaired over the next few hours.
Not only does Colin lead you in the repairs of everything needed, but he takes time to explain/document all the systems, *WHY* it's the way it is, and how to keep it running well.
Once we adjusted and repaired everything Colin noticed in that short 2 block ride, we went back out for another drive. Once again, I'm not bullshitting you here. EVERY SINGLE ISSUE was resolved. Every single uncomfortable noise, bump, and burp that I noticed before Colin had arrived, was explained in detail (complete with drawings, and documentation), repaired and resolved. It was a night and day differance.
The bus ran great, no "weird" noises, it revved nicely, shifted smoothly, and moved down the road with confidence.
Colin took time out to document everything we had done, and make notes of things that were missing from my engine (Oil pressure sending boot, alternator plastic cover, cooling flaps) and ensure that I understood what the next steps were to resolve them. He gave me pointers on driving, how to "listen" to my engine, simple checks to ensure it is running efficiently etc etc.
Once again, I cannot stress enough, how valuable Colin's visit was. I'm sure that given a couple of years, a few thousand dollars, a rebuilt engine or two, and going thru most VW mechanics within 100 miles of me, I could have attained what Colin did for me in an extremely busy 10 hours of work. But I'd still be lacking the knowledge, or any ability to diagnose issues myself.
Colin, *you* are the man.
Thanks,
Mike