mechanic

[100% cool]

Where around johannesburg I can find a best mechanic for beetles

[Goosebeak]

http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... =4&t=21901

[100% cool]

Thank u very much Goosebeak.

[Bugger]

I have started to get back in to the groove a bit more Mechanically if you need some issues sorted
My service is not inn in the morning and out the afternoon
Certain jobs take a bit longer
Im in Primrose (No not in the main road through Primrose) across the road from the Constantia Hotel in Shamrock rd

[Goosebeak]

I'm definitely gonna pop in to meet you, Bugger - it's always good to meet people who know and understand the AC's...

Being a relative newbie to the scene, and not having all that much experience, I've pretty much confined myself to Johan from Vee Motors (he's helped me out a couple of times, good guy), and to Harry (they say Harry can 'fix' anything papers-related, if you have enough money - but you don't necessarily want to know how, exactly, so his 'nick' is Dirty Harry...).

That's the full extent of my 'circle' of ACVW people that I've actually met (to date) who haven't screwed me over.
I look forward to extending that circle!

Of course, in the beginning I got ripped-off by quite a couple of people - I paid for three engine rebuilds in total before I finally bit the bullet and went to Vee Motors. I've had two engines (rebuilds) from Johan, both looking/sounding great, the one in the Aqua with lots of km's under her belt, the one in the "Jeep" still being run-in.

[Bugger]

HI Good just give me a call when you want to pop in as I am not always in

[100% cool]

Thanks guys for the info I will keep in touch.

[Sambabus]

Being a relative newbie to the scene, and not having all that much experience, I've pretty much confined myself to Johan from Vee Motors (he's helped me out a couple of times, good guy), .

I have it on good authority that VEE MOTORS are a bunch of sharks,they were good at a stage but now thier engines are unreliable,VASTLY overpriced and they look at making money rather than a good reputation,...which in such a small market is crucial to thier businesses survival.

I have a friend who is drinking buddys with one of the guys from V.M and apparently he brags about how they rip off thier clientell.

Find someone on the forum, ie Bugger,or take you acvw to Brian @ wichwood motors in Wichwood,next to the N3 north,or Tony from volksworx in Johanesburg,...

[Goosebeak]

I'm not sure that quoting the 'drinking buddy' of a 'friend' to trash the reputation of a business that has actually given ME good service (not free - nobody asked for FREE mechanical help) is either good practice, or even ethical, Sambabus.

The following, though apocryphal, is illustrative of what perhaps should have tempered your posting:

Socrates' Triple Filter Test

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said,
"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're
going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what
you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though,
because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

This is why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.
It also explains why he never found out his best friend was sleeping with his wife.

First-hand experience is generally a far better indicator of service-delivery from a supplier than the word of an employee - and my personal experience has at least been positive i.t.o. getting an engine (actually, two now) that runs and keeps on running, rather than an engine that tears itself to pieces after two or three hundred kilometres. And, of course, they actually deliver on their warranty - issues down the road aren't dismissed with "Oh, we're too small to be able to replace that - we'll fix it but you must pay for parts". An experience I had with a certain 'supplier' in the Primrose area (GP motors) - who has since closed-up shop and disappeared, along with the R12,000-00 that he charged me for all the work and parts... Just after the 'better than new' engine he fitted to my Aqua self-destructed for the second time due to no locating pins on the flywheel and an overabundance of loctite on finger-tight bolts.

Not that I'm casting doubts on the honesty or accuracy of your source, Sambabus - just that it would also be nice if you mentioned whether your source was referring to the watercooled engines that various mechanics at VM work on, or the aircooled variety which Johan himself works on. Oh, and whether your source actually knows how a business charges customers - not for the 3 elapsed seconds of accurate diagnosis and resulting proper fitment of the correct part, or even just for the couple of hours of labour needed to access that part, but for the experience that makes a 3-second diagnosis possible, and the specialised tools, spares inventory, and workshop facilities that go with it... And, naturally, the financial 'muscle' to be able to offer and honour a warranty...

But then, that's just my personal opinion.

[Sambabus]

Its all aircooled,.....but if you getting good service,congrats,hope they keep on delivering. I,personnaly will never do business with them,I have heard bad report after bad report about thier engines.

But,I am only letting you know what I have been fortunate enough not to experience. Besides,YOU asked where a GOOD machie is in JHB,I told you,dont get upset if the info you recieved is not to youre liking. If they are so good,why find another?

Any one have a smoke for me ?

[Goosebeak]

Nope, Sambabus, I never asked where a 'good' mechanic is - "100% cool" asked. He's the OP.
Me, I'm just trying to meet the 'other' guys in the community - the ones like Bugger who are always offering advice and helping people out, keeping things positive.


For the record:
Vee Motors doesn't just do aircooled. They do lots of watercooled as well - Golfs, Audis, the lot.
I'm not (personally) upset about what you have to say - I just think you should actually find out the facts, and make sure they ARE facts, before posting them.
This kind of badmouthing on forums, based on word of mouth, and with little (if any) basis in fact is what causes problems for forums and starts arguments amongst members. It's not good for the forum, and it's not good for the community.
I really don't think it's a good idea to post third-hand hearsay, obtained under the influence of alcohol, trashing a company that employs dozens of people and that has been in business for several decades. But as I've said, it's just MY opinion.




In the same vein perhaps you should read the original question (by OP) more carefully, keep track of the thread (who said what to whom), and phrase your replies more 'diplomatically' and less confrontationally - if a supplier is as bad as you say, then NOBODY should be having a good experience with them, and judging by the number of customers - repeat and otherwise - at VM that simply isn't the case.
What's most likely is that what you've heard (and are repeating as gospel) are most probably rumours and b1tching by an employee who's had their wrist slapped for sloppy work and worse timekeeping, rather than anything to do with facts. We all know that getting an hour docked off your payslip for being 15 minutes late, while in accordance with the law/conditions of employment, is nevertheless a great 'starter' for trashtalking - it's NEVER the employee's fault, always the employer, naturally. Who then just happens to be the biggest crook/loser/idiot in the book - but who still pays the employee's salary at the end of the week...



Now, as for the smoking: if you're trying to give up smoking, and you're past day 5 and still irritable, you're doing something wrong - try giving up the caffeinated drinks, drink lots and lots of water, eat lots of (small!!!!!) meals, and go for frequent walks.
I'm past year 4 of not smoking already - down from 30-a-day - and still doing fine, although a good meal and cup of coffee still brings out the urge for a fine cigar or pipeful of tobacco..

Good luck!

[forcecooled]

Hi All-

I havent bought an engine from Vee Motors for 35 years, but I can tell you that I know they still use the best VW engineering shop in SA for the machine work on thier aircooled components.

They have been around since Pa fell off the bus, so they cant be bad- lots of other Competition companies that produced frot motors have folded during that time.
-Bill

[Sambabus]

Now, as for the smoking: if you're trying to give up smoking, and you're past day 5 and still irritable, you're doing something wrong - try giving up the caffeinated drinks, drink lots and lots of water, eat lots of (small!!!!!) meals, and go for frequent walks.
I'm past year 4 of not smoking already - down from 30-a-day - and still doing fine, although a good meal and cup of coffee still brings out the urge for a fine cigar or pipeful of tobacco..

Good luck!

Huh,....I have started drinking more coffee lately......,very good,will do.

I appologise for the way I came across.

Friends? Come to the constantia on thurs,Il buy you a beer.

[Goosebeak]

Absolutely - life's too short to stay mad and nurse grudges about little things like this.
Meeting sounds great - except I gave up alcohol too (7 or 8 years now), so I'll just have a coffee. Or three...
Now all that's left for me to do is give up women and I'll be perfect! Or so my SWAMBO says... hehehe
Mind you, there may be some vested interests in that statement by herself...

I'll try to make it there with one of my AC's - but if the weather keeps up like this, I'll use the 'other' car. I hear it's snowing in Alberton at the moment - as in, right now... neither of my AC's have a heater, and only the Aqua has a 'roof'.

[riaanj]

Allrighty then, now my two cents after all of that, dunno 'bout Vee motors, only thing I got from them before was advice (good advice too), but I got some lekker help from the Wichwood guys..