ChipesterKhan chronicles - part 9 - Enter Mang Dante

Tweet

ChipesterKhan chronicles - part 9 - Enter Mang Dante After joining VWCP.org, I posted that I had a problem with my car being noisy when going over small road irregularities. It was making me worried sick knowing my axle beam had been modified in a crude manner by the previous owner. Thankfully, a member of Gruppo Sampaloc, Sir Noel Dizon pointed me in the right direction. I was wary of people being helpful for no reason at all since I was tricked into buying an alternator for more than it was actually worth. Some people just get their kicks out of tricking other people to part with their money with shady reasons. But I was desperate to make my car better. So I contacted the shop he referred. After work I brought him over to Mang Dante's place near my girlfriend's place. It's kind of a coincidence that I've already been near his place since some Stellar co-workers lived nearby and I visited their place once. Mang Dante took one look and listened to my complaint and he said "let's check the framehead". I was amazed. I didn't know what a framehead was, so I stooped low and checked out what he was pointing at. we were only aided by a flashlight but it was clear that my framehead was rotten beyond repair. What I initially thought was caused by poor shocks and modified axle beam was in fact a rusted out framehead! he then proceeded to educate me on what to expect when your framehead needs repair. I thought to myself "This guy knows what he's talking about." I'd already talked to 3 other mechanics and they always said I was right about the axlebeam needing to be replaced. Not one mentioned anything about a framehead repair. So the next day I drove Cop to Mang Dante's shop in Del Monte and they started repairing my framehead. Along with the repairs came a reinforcement of my front fuel tank support and steering wheel. Free! And then they looked at my amateur attempt at brake lines replacement and changed it too. My trust for his shop grew. And he didn't charge me an arm and a leg. His prices were fair enough and he always told me exactly what they did. They also helped repair the axle beam but he told me I should really go look for a more permanent replacement. We then started talking about his shop taking Cop and fixing everything up. Since I didn't have the money yet and my trust wasn't a hundred percent yet, I told him I'd think about it. I spent many days tossing and turning in bed thinking about his offer. Finally, just to test his shop one more time, I went over and had my headlight bucket repaired. It took a few hours, and when it was finished, I was sold on the idea of having everything fixed in his shop. We talked again during Gruppo Sampaloc's christmas party. I thought about it from November to December. After seeing so many nice volkswagens during the December car show, I said to myself I needed to do this. After calculating and recalculating my funds and also asking my girlfriend if she'd leave me if I was poor (thank God she said she loves me enough to overlook that) I finally decided to bring Cop back to Mang Dante's shop. I last drove Cop on January 2, 2011. He's currently getting the repairs he needs the most. Mang Dante has since patiently tolerated my presence in his shop and my constant suggestions for modifications which will soon be revealed. He has listened and stared at my volkswagen with me while imagining how it'll come out. He has been the perfect foil to my modification wants and needs. What originally starts as just an hour in his shop ends up in my girlfriend wondering where I am and who I'm with. She has finally adjusted to the idea that I am happy while in Mang Dante's garage. I'm currently unofficially employed as the paint scraper on my own volkswagen hehehe. Sir Noel turned out to be an angel in disguise. My trust in people has been restored. He didn't want anything in return. He just wanted to help a fellow Volkswagen Enthusiast. Thank you Sir Noel for your help, God bless you and your wife. After meeting Mang Dante, I ended up becoming a member of Gruppo Sampaloc and have great memories even though it's only been a couple of months with them. http://www.picable.com/People/Activities/Fitness/Cop-056.2096468