messer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2008
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 0
- Year of Your Van(s)
- 1971
- Van Type
- Westfalia
I just got to relay this story to all early buyers.....I had my "71 Westy (US import) sent down to Heston VW, Crossways garage, on recommendation. The guys name is Bato, 30 odd years experience in air cooled vdubs. The bus had new vega 1600 engine fitted, gearbox was shot,so it was sent off to be rebuilt, 4new ball joints, steering all sorted out, new electrics, and leisure batt, all hook ups , plugs fitted. Oh, and a new fuel sender fitted. Got bus delivered back, it looked and drove the best it's ever done in 6 years of owning it . All good, and work done was brilliant, and this guy calls, and emails you as work is being done,just to let you know what's going on,and advises if you need any more work doing if he finds any probs, great,more than happy. So....booked hols for last week, ( had bus back for a month, running it in properly, of course!). We all headed down to Cornwall, 2 days into hols, 2 nd gear kept poppin out, not good ,specially with all those Cornish coast road hills ! Anyway, it was really awkward tryin to get bus up hills in 1st! Full bus, 5 people-and crap on board, it wasn't doing engine any good, or my stress levels! So...I called Bato,told him the prob,he was as upset as me, and family! He's in Heston, Heathrow area, I'm in South Cornwall, holiday looking over....Bato contacts gearbox people, ( it's got 12 months warranty) not much they can do till we're back.....Get this......Bato calls me back, tells me he's got another gearbox off company, pays for it! Then tells me he's coming down to change over gearbox!! WTF!! I say no it's ok, he says no, your not ruining your hols! Anyways....he turns up at campsite in south Cornwall, at 7.30 am...with his son and his mechanic....unreal! By 10.45 new gearbox in, engine in, and I'm back in business, holiday back on !! Test drove it, ( they would'nt go till I road tested it!) all fine, I had 4 smooth gears ! Then they all drove back to London !! Crazy ! But I had to let you guys know that there are garages, and people who care, and offer service, that's beyond the call of duty, I was knocked out by their commitment and service. Don't forget, the gearbox was not even his fault, he had it rebuilt and fitted it, the warranty was with company who supplied it, not Bato. He kept calling back too, just to check it was all ok, and ....it was all done at his expense, no charge at all just fantastic service. Oh, and I'm nothing to do with Heston VW, just a happy, amazed customer. He's an honest, knowledgable, sound guy, who knows nothing about this story I've put on, he'd prob blush! I'd just thought I'd put up a positive post, about a good person and garage, who cares.
