Welcome To The 2018 Itinerary Lap
Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 7:57 pm
Welcome to Itinerant Air-Cooled's sixteenth lap of America to help you keep your air-cooled VW alive.
It will be helpful to follow the instructions so we can catch the myriad of amazing errors that you all have proffered over the years. A couple of points right here that may be repeated further below.
a) if we met on theSamba, please PM provide your Samba username and your real name and your IAC username to help me synchronize our earlier correspondences!
All future correspondence must occur via PM here. No more change of plans hidden in the Preliminary Interest Gauge thread, or email or wherever else we may meet across the internet.
b) You MUST provide your user name, your real name, your address, your contact number on your PayPal deposit in the comment box. It is my free "cloud storage" of your information should my laptop decide to kick the bucket.
WHY THIS APPOINTMENT IS GOOD FOR YOUR VOLKSWAGEN
This visit is an investment, not an "expense". The best mechanic to work on your beloved Volkswagen is you. My goal is to make you the final authority, the best caretaker of your Volkswagen.
You are the cheapest maintenance/repair for your car. As you become familiar with your VW, you are much more likely to do the work required in a timely fashion without putting off the little things that can turn into big ($$) things. And that is the most critical reason that this appointment is good for you and your Volkswagen. The little things, the little things, the little stupid oversights that kill these cars every day, like the substandard fuel hose on the expensive engine overhaul you paid good money for .... we've seen it, haven't we, Jivermo? Or the incorrectly assembled rocker assembly, or the vacuum hoses that went to the wrong destinations, on and on.
THE WHAT
We need you to answer the following questions in a PM:
a) year and model of Volkswagen, any modifications?
b) List of Concerns from most-important to least-important
(every one of them, we'll edit later).
c) rundown of your mechanical aptitude, things you'd like to learn.
d) work environment, either rain-proof or plan b for a rainy day.
e) is this a Road Warrior or a weekend putterer? What are your dreams and hopes for this car?
Guestimated parts need to be at your house before I get there. We will guess mightily as to what you may need, but we could get caught by surprises. You may be disappointed that some lack of a part stops us dead in our tracks. I remain in a good humor, however (there are always more projects to dive into), because it is a pleasure to hand off the final reassembly to you. That is our goal, remember?
THE WHERE
Your work environment needs to be clean and organized.
This is your excuse to have a full day off from yardwork or shopping or schlepping the kids before our appointment date (heck, take two, it's on me).
Please have paper towels, a suitable solvent/oil drain container, a couple of cans of GumOut carb spray
(that's GumOut, not Berrymans or ChemTool or the other formulations that strip paint)
still available at WalMart for $2.97 a can or $4.99 at Advance or whatever.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gumout-Carb- ... W/17128883
Google search Valvoline DuraBlend semi-synthetic molybdenum disulfide grease. Punch in your location and take it from there.
https://www.valvoline.com/our-products/ ... nd-grease
We want a tub of grease for front wheel bearings, buy two if we are doing CVs. Add to that a cartridge of the same stuff for full-size grease gun so we can do front suspension/center pin and even ball joints if you have custom-installed zerk fittings on your ball joints.
It is the best all-purpose grease that can meet any need we have.
If you are in a rain-drenched climate, please try to have a serious weather-proof alternative available. Make a beautiful new friendship with a hitherto unknown neighbor, discover your skills with lean-to carpentry and tarp, whatever it takes. This will help us get to work. I do not do front wheel bearings in the rain, and you will be the sole valve adjustment mechanic if it is SNOWING, just ask whc03grady.
THE WHEN
We begin at 9:00AM coffee, paper, pen. Real paper 81/2" x11" NOT a page from your little log book!
We will then tackle the cold-required items like valve adjustments, retorques, and choke checks. If you are a neophyte, let's do an entire tune-up together. If you are a repeat old hand IAC Graduate Master Mechanic, we will dive into the project at hand.
Lunch is usually a working lunch with morning review and more diagrams for your future reference.
Work must wind down by 6:00PM. Final Invoice/Final Exam needs to be wrapped no later than 7:00PM.
THE HOW MUCH
3/23/18 *Price Increase!* Good grief! We have inflation! down here at daily expenses level, and questions about fuel costs going up over the summer. Prices are now back up to 2017 level!
As per theSamba classified ad:
Nationwide Air-Cooled VW Consultant
Price : $320 for a 4.5 hr Half Day : $590 Full Day
You will have paid your $295.00 ($160.00 half day) deposit if I am standing at your door at 9:00AM.
You send in your PayPal deposit to:
< 78vw2000@earthlink.net >
heed the below warning:
In the comment box of your PayPal payment window, you SHALL provide your username, real name, address, phone number.
I will not be leaving your door at 7:00PM without a balance of $295.00 ($160.00 half day).
I strongly suggest cash for the balance. PayPal fired off from your computer, is a poor second option if some dreadfully good reason comes up.
Do NOT make us wander around town looking for an ATM at 9:00PM.
THE HENCEFORTH AND FORTHWITH
I am a consultant. You are paying for my knowledge. If I pick up a tool, it is to hand it to you. I could not and cannot should not and shall not accept liability for any of the work performed on your vehicle nor any incidental consequential coincidental consequent incident outsident accident coincident either presequent or subsequent to our visit.
Note that we interact with chemicals and materials "known to the state of California to cause cancer and hideous birth defects".
IN CONCLUSION
These cars are getting more worn in the deep ways each year we progress into the future. It does not matter if you have a stunning garage queen with 40 coats of gorgeous lacquer, or a patina-riddled primer princess, the deep parts like crankcases and transaxle castings and wheel bearing housings are all getting more and more worn. The difficult-to-find parts are also wearing out inexorably. Our day shall include a review of the ways for you to slow the deterioration.
We shall all more fervently pray for less attrition of these fine vehicles in the coming years.
Check your fuel hoses (or we you I will), stay out of stupid accidents (you can see the morons coming in most cases if you pay attention), and gracefully accept my greatest gift, a driving lesson that helps keep your VW happy.
Colin
It will be helpful to follow the instructions so we can catch the myriad of amazing errors that you all have proffered over the years. A couple of points right here that may be repeated further below.
a) if we met on theSamba, please PM provide your Samba username and your real name and your IAC username to help me synchronize our earlier correspondences!
All future correspondence must occur via PM here. No more change of plans hidden in the Preliminary Interest Gauge thread, or email or wherever else we may meet across the internet.
b) You MUST provide your user name, your real name, your address, your contact number on your PayPal deposit in the comment box. It is my free "cloud storage" of your information should my laptop decide to kick the bucket.
WHY THIS APPOINTMENT IS GOOD FOR YOUR VOLKSWAGEN
This visit is an investment, not an "expense". The best mechanic to work on your beloved Volkswagen is you. My goal is to make you the final authority, the best caretaker of your Volkswagen.
You are the cheapest maintenance/repair for your car. As you become familiar with your VW, you are much more likely to do the work required in a timely fashion without putting off the little things that can turn into big ($$) things. And that is the most critical reason that this appointment is good for you and your Volkswagen. The little things, the little things, the little stupid oversights that kill these cars every day, like the substandard fuel hose on the expensive engine overhaul you paid good money for .... we've seen it, haven't we, Jivermo? Or the incorrectly assembled rocker assembly, or the vacuum hoses that went to the wrong destinations, on and on.
THE WHAT
We need you to answer the following questions in a PM:
a) year and model of Volkswagen, any modifications?
b) List of Concerns from most-important to least-important
(every one of them, we'll edit later).
c) rundown of your mechanical aptitude, things you'd like to learn.
d) work environment, either rain-proof or plan b for a rainy day.
e) is this a Road Warrior or a weekend putterer? What are your dreams and hopes for this car?
Guestimated parts need to be at your house before I get there. We will guess mightily as to what you may need, but we could get caught by surprises. You may be disappointed that some lack of a part stops us dead in our tracks. I remain in a good humor, however (there are always more projects to dive into), because it is a pleasure to hand off the final reassembly to you. That is our goal, remember?
THE WHERE
Your work environment needs to be clean and organized.
This is your excuse to have a full day off from yardwork or shopping or schlepping the kids before our appointment date (heck, take two, it's on me).
Please have paper towels, a suitable solvent/oil drain container, a couple of cans of GumOut carb spray
(that's GumOut, not Berrymans or ChemTool or the other formulations that strip paint)
still available at WalMart for $2.97 a can or $4.99 at Advance or whatever.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gumout-Carb- ... W/17128883
Google search Valvoline DuraBlend semi-synthetic molybdenum disulfide grease. Punch in your location and take it from there.
https://www.valvoline.com/our-products/ ... nd-grease
We want a tub of grease for front wheel bearings, buy two if we are doing CVs. Add to that a cartridge of the same stuff for full-size grease gun so we can do front suspension/center pin and even ball joints if you have custom-installed zerk fittings on your ball joints.
It is the best all-purpose grease that can meet any need we have.
If you are in a rain-drenched climate, please try to have a serious weather-proof alternative available. Make a beautiful new friendship with a hitherto unknown neighbor, discover your skills with lean-to carpentry and tarp, whatever it takes. This will help us get to work. I do not do front wheel bearings in the rain, and you will be the sole valve adjustment mechanic if it is SNOWING, just ask whc03grady.
THE WHEN
We begin at 9:00AM coffee, paper, pen. Real paper 81/2" x11" NOT a page from your little log book!
We will then tackle the cold-required items like valve adjustments, retorques, and choke checks. If you are a neophyte, let's do an entire tune-up together. If you are a repeat old hand IAC Graduate Master Mechanic, we will dive into the project at hand.
Lunch is usually a working lunch with morning review and more diagrams for your future reference.
Work must wind down by 6:00PM. Final Invoice/Final Exam needs to be wrapped no later than 7:00PM.
THE HOW MUCH
3/23/18 *Price Increase!* Good grief! We have inflation! down here at daily expenses level, and questions about fuel costs going up over the summer. Prices are now back up to 2017 level!
As per theSamba classified ad:
Nationwide Air-Cooled VW Consultant
Price : $320 for a 4.5 hr Half Day : $590 Full Day
You will have paid your $295.00 ($160.00 half day) deposit if I am standing at your door at 9:00AM.
You send in your PayPal deposit to:
< 78vw2000@earthlink.net >
heed the below warning:
In the comment box of your PayPal payment window, you SHALL provide your username, real name, address, phone number.
I will not be leaving your door at 7:00PM without a balance of $295.00 ($160.00 half day).
I strongly suggest cash for the balance. PayPal fired off from your computer, is a poor second option if some dreadfully good reason comes up.
Do NOT make us wander around town looking for an ATM at 9:00PM.
THE HENCEFORTH AND FORTHWITH
I am a consultant. You are paying for my knowledge. If I pick up a tool, it is to hand it to you. I could not and cannot should not and shall not accept liability for any of the work performed on your vehicle nor any incidental consequential coincidental consequent incident outsident accident coincident either presequent or subsequent to our visit.
Note that we interact with chemicals and materials "known to the state of California to cause cancer and hideous birth defects".
IN CONCLUSION
These cars are getting more worn in the deep ways each year we progress into the future. It does not matter if you have a stunning garage queen with 40 coats of gorgeous lacquer, or a patina-riddled primer princess, the deep parts like crankcases and transaxle castings and wheel bearing housings are all getting more and more worn. The difficult-to-find parts are also wearing out inexorably. Our day shall include a review of the ways for you to slow the deterioration.
We shall all more fervently pray for less attrition of these fine vehicles in the coming years.
Check your fuel hoses (or we you I will), stay out of stupid accidents (you can see the morons coming in most cases if you pay attention), and gracefully accept my greatest gift, a driving lesson that helps keep your VW happy.
Colin