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Summary of the previous series (ЗР, 2012, No. 5): the 1985 Volkswagen-Transporter Caravel van purchased for 68, 000 rubles was decided to be repaired in Belarus. Having previously prepared the car, our team went to Baranavichy, but the trip did not work out.
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It was not possible to launch the “heart” of the Caravel on the side of the road. Sailed! Outwardly, the engine looked like it was alive, even antifreeze splashed serenely in the tank. Only a light curly park suggested an overheating. All subsequent resuscitation measures did not help, and it was not part of our plans to engage in field repairs, it was time to think about the future. They decided to move in the same direction, since the appetite of Russian repairmen could put an end to the whole event. I just didn’t really want to hang out in tow for 400 km in a frozen car.
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They say that the god of fools loves: out of nowhere a road patrol appeared. The crew, seeing our mournful faces, taxied to the scene. Oh miracle! Local traffic cops began the conversation by asking if help was needed. We would have such inspectors, but more! The "uniform" assistants not only provided us with the coordinates of local technical assistance, but also led us to the nearest telephone. The owners of the device, concurrently the owners of a roadside cafe, supported the tradition of hospitality without taking a dime for a call.
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To take us to Baranavichy, the driver of a well-known tow truck agreed surprisingly easily. Perhaps he was in idle time, but most likely the guy was attracted by the opportunity to cut down some money: as it turned out later, the requested fee of 10, 500 rubles, funny by Moscow standards, exceeded the local rate by at least three thousand. The loading process took as much as thirty minutes: on a makeshift platform, modern means of mechanization were completely absent. In the transport work, the “rescuer”, converted from an ordinary truck, was also not particularly zealous, and it was not possible to squeeze out more than 70 km / h from his tortured gut. At such a pace, we were able to get to our destination only at dusk, the waiting director of the service had already met us with a lantern.
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The adventure that fell on our heads almost led to yet another unforeseen expenditure: we barely managed to get to the train, tickets for which we purchased back in Moscow. The route was international; before Baranavichy, the team managed to visit several European countries. Food supplies did not seem to be enough: the restaurant's menu included only a savory cutlet at the price of foie gras and tea with lemon, worth a glass of good Burgundy. In short, they went to sleep on an empty stomach. But the composition arrived in the capital on schedule.
12 000 rub
6000 rub
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Before we could recover from the misfortunes, a new misfortune fell. Having opened the boxer engine, Belarusian masters did not find almost a single part inside! Apparently, the jammed piston laid the start of the rout, then the connecting rod broke off, crushing the rest of the filling into noodles. Of course, it could not do without a “hand of friendship”, which for some reason we had not noticed before. The specialists estimated the cost of the second-hand repair kit (including the block) at 12, 000 rubles, and labor costs at 6, 000. But even these modest figures put the profitability of our experiment in great doubt.
It was not possible to find spare parts alive in Belarus or in the markets of neighboring Poland and Lithuania. In Moscow, ads for the sale of such engines were much more common, but the price (about 45, 000 rubles) discouraged any desire to buy. One unit was accidentally found by a friend, but, according to him, the engine tapped suspiciously during his lifetime, not a single specialized workshop took up diagnostics.
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But tinsmiths did not lack in details. Without wasting time, they changed the wheel arches, patched the holes in the panel under the windshield, welded in a new threshold and straightened out all kinds of dents. The baton was taken by painters who painted the body of the “bead” in a rich burgundy color, and we asked the roof to be made white. But here, surprises were not without: the previously agreed cost of work (45, 000) unexpectedly grew by 8, 100 rubles, which we cleverly explained to us using better materials.
45 000 rub. -> 53, 100 rubles
45 000 rub
2100 rub
2400 rub
When there is no way out, look for it from the opposite side! Having not found a suitable opposition, the Belarusians, having summed up nothing, introduced under the hood of the Transporter an in-line engine from the old Passat - 1.8 liter, with electronic single injection. Fortunately, such motors and spare parts for them in disassembly - heaps. Of course, I had to redo something: the unit, tilted at an angle of 45 degrees, was docked with a four-speed gearbox from the diesel version of the Transporter, and the crankcase migrated from there, relieving oil form starvation due to its shape. They bought a clutch, a flywheel, a starter and a lot of other little things to the heap. Transplantation cost 45, 000 rubles, but the expenses did not end there. During the test drive, another SHRUS (2100 rubles) crumbled and a radiator (2400 rubles) flowed. Looking into the financial gap that opened before us, we hastened to return to Moscow.
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On the road, the new engine proved to be much better than its predecessor: it worked quietly and smoothly, consuming no more than 9 l / 100 km against 14 l of the “deceased”. You can’t say the same about the box: due to the mismatch of the gear ratios, the bus easily polished the asphalt even in second gear, but the maximum speed barely reached 95 km / h. However, such a regime for commercial operation is quite suitable. It was difficult to catch the desired gear, the process resembled stirring with a spoon in a glass. Although on the track with rare switching this is not particularly annoying. The main thing - "Transporter" confidently absorbed kilometers! Mozhaisk flashed at dusk - just a stone's throw from the house. And then the oil pressure lamp flashed … Sailed ?! An accident saved the “bus” from the assault: about to kick him in the rear bumper, one of us stepped into a puddle of oil. There it is, a fitter just forgot to tighten the cork pan! Hiding in the bowels of the cabin, the “topping” jar came in handy. Still, there is happiness in life!
Episode 10: BY YOURSELF
+ 350 rub
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As it turned out upon arrival, the repair of the Transporter can be done endlessly. The ill-fated bolt turned out to be not a stopper, but a plug, somehow (without thread) adapted instead of an unknown sensor. So that the connection gained reliability and tightness, I had to pretty tinker. At the same time, we eliminated excess gaps in the gear selection mechanism, cleaned the contacts of the jammed starter, replaced several fuses, ennobled the wheels with caps (350 rubles per set) and completed something else on the little things. Now the goods can be shown to future customers.
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Having added up the total costs of the event, we received 211, 000 rubles. Trying to get theirs back, in the first announcement they requested 210, 000. Over a thousand people watched the text in a week, but there were no buyers among them. When the price dropped to 170, 000, the first customer drew in immediately and offered 160, 000 rubles. Despite the losses, we do not despair: the project is ongoing.
