Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 19:52:14 -0500 From: Charlie Ford Man, Waht a week at sea. The Mothership and I have gone through all sorts of things in order to get from Oklahoma City to Austin texas. But finally our destination has been achieved. On Wednesday i departed my friends house in OK City and headed south. I noticed a sign off the side of interstate 35 that said "Wilson's VW, The worlds largest VW used parts place". Hey I drive one of them so I figured I would pull off and pay them a visit. The exits in Texas really don't tell you a whole lot about the content until your about 50 yds. from the exit, so off I went at the wrong one. I pulled into a place, got out, went in, and ask where exactly this place was located. the lady looked it up in the phone book and told me which way to go to get there. I said thanks, went back out and got in the bus, turned the key and the engine turned but no would start. I checked the points and all else I could think of. Nothing seemed to work. So, like any other mechanical rookie, when all else fails, call AAA. They came, picked me up and off we headed toward the town of Purcell. Little did I know at that time how much I would know about that small town before I left it. We went to the frist VW shop one called DKJ. The guy was a total ass. he was an Aussie that had the personality of a brick. He didn't even bother to get out of the car he was working on to speak with me. So on we went to another shop. that one had no room for us either. the next one we went to was the NAPA parts store that had a shop in the back. The first person I met was a guy named Al. he was an older man of about 60, and had a personality that would rival the most jovial persons I know. he told me he could do it and would break someone away from something else and start on it right there. Which he immediately did. I was still thinking it was nothing more than the points and was not prepared for what i was about to hear. the guy that was working on it put in the set of points I had brought with me. he also thought that would do it. It didn't! He started trying to track down the problem, finaally assessing that it was the fuel pump. the guy up front priced out a new one and I got the shock of my life. he told me it would cost me $165.00. I all of a sudden became quite depressed and was basically doubting my trip. He checked with his warehouse and they reported that they did not have one. he said it would be at least Monday before he could get one in if they didn't have it. Then he offered the alternative, call the VW place I was trying to find in the first place and see if they might have a used one. We did, and they did. The problem was the damn thing cost $100.00, which was 65.00 better than the previous, but I have to wuestion the integrity of a junkyard that would sell a part without a guarantee. But here I was, and he had something I needed. I told them to go and get it. They installed it for me, and off I went. it was 5:00 pm, and to be honest I kinda felt like driving (depression and shock creates this need in me). I drove about 50 miles to the edge of the Arbuckle Mountains and was running along about 60 when all of a sudden it just quit. I tried to crank it, but to no avail. I once again called AAA. They came, loaded me up, and we headed back to Purcell. All I could think of was damn, I am going to lose 100.00, spend another 165.00, and have to turn back. As I told many of you in an ealier post, I have very little money. We arrived in Purcell at around 9:00 pm. I walked down the street to the local convenience store to pick up a pack of smokes. The store was also a liqour store in which there was mechanic. he worked at the Ford place and knew the "Al's" last name. I asked him if there was anyway i could use his phone to connect with all of you to see if I could find a cheap fuel pump. he said sure, and proceeded to drive me to his house. He was on his second bottle of the night, he later told me, and I am not sure he would have been so giving if that were not the case. But anyway I must say he was a very nice guy, even if he was drunk as Cooter Brown. that is where I posted to you guys from. I called Al, and told him I was sleeping at the shop, had a drink with him (one), and he took me back over to my bus. I hunkered down for the cold night ahead. It dropped out to 10 degrees that night, but I slept pretty good. I woke the next morning to Al knocking on the side of my bus. I got out and the owner frowned as I walked in. I took that as bad news, but in all actuality it was a good frown. he told me he would cover it, no problem. Man was I relieved. he started searching for a new pump, and finally found one in Oklahoma City. his wife went and picked it up. it was the wrong one. So back to the drawing board we went. On this try we found the right one. His wife went an picked this one up. We finally got it installed at around 1;00 pm on Thursday. Off I drove, covering the same fifty i had covered the night before. So far so good. I am now sitting about 50 miles above Austin and searching for a cheap campground in which to lodge for a few days. Life is better than it was. Thanks to all of you that replied with help messages. I hope I can be as much support for someone as you guys have been for me. it is great to know that all of you are out there. Charlie Ford thanks to david Schwarze for posting a note today. "79" Transporter, dressed for the road The Mothership The"Turning 40 Nostalgic VW Service Tour, and Search for the Beginning of Wind". www.armory.com/~y21cvb/charlie/charlie.html "Wider still and wider.....shall thy bounds be set" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Send SIGNOFF TYPE2 commands to LISTSERV@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM