A properly restored VW project is likely to cost more than a lac to most people especially those who jump into this field anew.
A lot depends on the people who form part of the team who work on your cars. Honesty, straighforwardness and above all correct guidance are vital from each one of them.
A few days ago I met someone who is on this forum (Not to be named, lets call him Mr X) at the junkyard. He was buying a second hand BROKEN brake pipe for his VW, much to the amusement of the shopkeepers apprentice 'chota'.
Upon my polite enquiry on his intentions the following surfaced.The mechanic had broken the line running from the master cylinder to the rear wheels. Now if anyone reading this post who is remotely into cars (and that excludes the types who think slapping on stickers,metallic paint, spoilers and alloy rims define a resto) knows if a brake line is damaged, it MUST be replaced. No cutting corners unless you fancy bulldozing traffic waiting at red lights.
Back to our story, the mech bhai instead of replacing the line had suggested that if he has a good front piece which threads onto the master cylinder, he can put on a length of rubber pipe to join it with the rear piece. Phew!! I just stared at the chap in disbelief and asked him who his mechanic was. Would never even PASS through his area!
I asked permission from the shopkeeper (since I was going to make him lose a customer) and then proceeded to explain everything to Mr X. Told him that the high pressure running in the lines would never let any cheap rubber pipe hold its place for any length of time. I told him that the idiot was just cutting corners and not wanting to replace the complete pipe, which meant carpet uninstallation and reinstallation as a VWs brake pipe runs thru the cabin.
I must have been a bad presenter of these facts for at the end Mr X did purchase the rusted beat up broken piece of pipe for Rs 50. His math must have been bad since a new pipe costs something between 100 and 150 rupees. Combine Rs 50 with the cost of the stupid rubber pipe and clips plus the mechanics labour including a bonus for his brilliant idea....Im sure it would have been higher.
The shopkeeper and myself had a good chuckle afterwards and we started to count how many such weird customers they sometimes get.
Moral of the above long story. Everyone needs proper guidance for their projects. Anyone restoring a VW is welcome to throw up a topic here and ask anything. There are other people besides me who can help, I would too of course to the best of my ability. Im sure there are experts of Austin minis, Fiat 500, Mustangs etc etc who can give first hand info and guidance to aspiring enthusiasts here.
@ mohsinikram:
Agreed with your views on 'never-ending-tasks' and compromises.
Your Lincoln is such a rare beast for us and even on an international level, that it seems perfect even if its missing some bits!
@ romano:
Thanks! I just hope zwaraich would take my critisism constructively. To tell you the truth I still feel bad at all those things I wrote!
I did not see the Suzuki thread, perhaps a pmailed link would help.
Best regards to all.
