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A few weeks had passed and I still hadn't had my first kombi wave

I was getting anxious, but I need not have worried for last Sunday after a kombi family drive we gor the thumbs up from an orange bay on West Coast Highway, I was very excited - and relieved

Had I known then what I know now, I would never have gone with a resto in another state unless I had full guarantees and referrals.  Although it has not been a total disaster (mind you time will tell) I feel I have suffered undue stress in regard to time lines, poor workmanship on certain areas, poor customer service, lack of communication and extra costs and work involved.  

This is a breakdown of costs I have paid out on Klaus

Resto costs         $15000

Transport             $1850

Mechanics after arrival           $1205

Rego costs           $140

Stamp Duty          $650

One weekend I decided to try the poptop and bed out to make sure the kids could fit in okay.  The pop top went up fine but for the life of me I could not get the bed to go all the way down.  I went to a stage where it was fine if you were a hobbit, you could even have a headboard.  I assumed it was just me but the kombi doctor confirmed when he tried that it would not go down.  There had been photos posted on the KC forum of the full set up but it seems that they had taken the photos before the seats were actually bolted in position.  Apparantley the new hinges allow you to position the seat to fold down with the middle row still in but for whatever reason mine had not been done like that.  I was very dissapointed.

When we arrived home we found that the postie had left a card - he must have tried to deliver the invoice. argggg.  I dashed up to the post office as soon as I collected my son from school and then up to Joondalup to collect the plates.  After a 40 min wait I walked out with my schmico Diddlie plates and the biggest smile on my face.

So Klaus and I started our new life together but our bliss didn't last long..a week or so later I found I couln't get him into second gear, it kept slipping into 4th.  I knew the gear shift was not very nice but it had been do able, not now though.  I rang Peter and booked him in to get that fixed and also have a major service done.  The gear shift problem turned out to be a bush which was a relief, the indicators had also stopped working at all on the journey there so that was something else to be fixed.  Total cost for this visit was $650.  So far I had spent just short of $2000 getting him on the road and in a driveable condition, not something you expect when having a resto done.  Peter also mentioned I had no choke set up which is a pain in the cold mornings. I will probably get this done shortly.  He could also hear a faint knocking noise which he said would get louder and would need fixing, can't remember what that was though.

Klaus is going to be as expensive as my other kids so I am putting money past from my wages each week so my hospital bills arent quite so painful - wonder if they do private health for kombis - they should do!

I took him out for a late night spin round the block the following night and found that my indicators were still not self cancelling, the courtesty light did not go on and off when the door opened and the headlights were positioned in his boots.  It was apparent that not much on my RAC list had been attended to.  He did drive pretty well though so that was something to be grateful for.  I posted my indicator problem on the KK forum and some of the lovely people on there came round and had a look for me.  They almost had it sussed but the part was just too far gone.  They recommened Peter Arnoldi to have a look at it.  Peter is now firmly in my phone as Kombi Doctor.

  off we go again

He was booked in for the Tuesday before inspection day so Poor klaus was off again having spent most of his time in WA on the back of a tow truck...I waved goodbye to him this morning as the disgruntled "fancy sending me to west perth at this time of day, it'll take me hours" RAC man carefully manuevers him onto the truck with me wailing watch my paintwork.  I popped in to see him at visiting hours at the kombi hospital and there he was in stirrups, his full glory on display for all to see.  Originally gone in to look at my non self cancelling indicators, there were a few other things picked up like play in the drive line, missing tray thing under steering bits, no heater boxes/hoses,  steering box is leaking fluid and various other little leaks and bits that went over my head, touch and go whether it will all be done in time for tomorrow.  He is not actually looking at the steering box, just cleaning it up.

Got stat dec done last night so even if it passes its still another wait of up to 4 weeks to see if they will actually allow me to have ownership, maybe klaus will end up as the best looking chook house in Oz.

After a few irrate messages I got a call from the restorer the next day to say "another" invoice had been sent by registered post.  At least that was something.

The day of the inspection has to have been the most stressful day of my life....Had originally planned to go on the train with oscar to collect klaus from hospital, but weather was pretty miserable this morning so I bribed my friend to take me in exchange for a bag of grapefruit, lunch at Ikea and heaps of kombi karma, thank goodness for friends, without her to help out today I would have been a soppy puddle somewhere.  Nothing drastic happened really,  went to fetch Klaus, all ok off we go....oh dear indicators still don't self cancel, they did a minute ago but now they don't, oh well in for a penny... arrives at the rego place at warwick to a pile of people waiting an no staff cos its lunch time....waited for about 30 mins and was told to drive in, oh lord I can't get any gears...... panic,panic.  I'll just roll down the hill....turned off then tried again and was okay, I was then was seen by a nice scottish man called Bob, he noted a worn bush and the fuel pipe needs redirecting as it's touching the exhaust, he said I'll trust you to get those done, great i think, it's passed but then he took it for a spin and of course the indicators misbehaved, waited 20 mins (Lynn had taken the kids to red rooster by now - rego place is not child fiendly) for him to write up paperwork and say I need to get those 3 things fixed and come back.  I don't need to re-book, he has written a little note on there so I rang Peter to give him the news, oh ****, he says, bring it back in now and we'll fix it up, noooooooo I can't I have kids to collect from school, I have a splitting headache, I need wine and Klaus is running on fumes and needs an afternoon nap so he is going back in on Tuesday and back to visit Bob to Rego man sometime next week.  Then I will hopefully have invoice and go straight to Joondalup to collect my diddlie plates and my life will be complete  

Cost of Klaus' first visit to the kombi doctor in the region of $200.

Klaus was a pleasure to drive, bit of smelly fume thing going on but could that be degreaser and new undercoating burning off?

It transpired that the fuel line was positioned in the correct place so I hoped that they would not be too difficult at the rego place when I tried to explain it.  Off Oscar and I went on our great train journey to get Klaus

2nd doctor visit cost approx $350

I'm pleased to say HE PASSED!!!!  Still can't drive him though  

The fuel line saga was as mentioned, Peter wrote a note on the invoice for me and the guy I saw today just laughed and said "that's our George for you" (sorry his name was George not Bob!), indicators ok and the whole bar thingy at the front had actually broke not just the bush being worn so got that relpaced.  The guy in the pits was a bit confused over a pipe coming out of the fuel pump at the bottom and going into a hole leading to ??? heater area maybe, anyway he didn't think it should go there so just left it hanging - any ideas anyone, the other bloke seemed to think it was an oil overflow?

There are a few things that the kombi doctor wants to operate on but we'll get those done over the coming months.  The journey this morning on the train was enough to make me want to move to West Perth, I was exhausted!!