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Stanagon
Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2003
Posts: 4186
Location: Boston, MA
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 Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:55 am Post subject: |
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It's funny how things seem to work out sometimes...
After getting laid off from a job I had done for nearly 14 years, and enjoyed. I found myself faced with an opportunity to do what I could to keep the Boston Engine (www.bostonengine.com) flame going. Bob's wife Karen knew the business needed a 'front man' to do the sales, customer service and help the customer realize what makes a Boston Bob engineered motor something special. So that's what I'm doing.
Gary LaBlanc is building engines at his own shop and I am handling the customer contact, sales, as well as any additional local air-ccoled service work. See Community>Businesses here on theSamba for Boston Engine info.
We've sold a few engines and assembly is happening now. A very nice '58 Ghia cab is currently awaiting a special motor from Gary, as well as an '87 Westy. Unfortunately we are not doing Type 2/4 pancake motors yet, but we'll see.
I have also purchased several of Bob's special tools and hope they bring some of Bob along for the ride. Gary will be using a number of the Boston engine machines for top notch assembly. Perhaps Bob will be smiling down on the scene here in Beantown soon, if he isn't already.
_________________
Stan's Classic Service, specializing in air-cooled VWs:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=614073
www.stanagon.com
My '61 Mango bus thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=110367
My '64 vert thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=386344
My '71 squareback thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=637709 |
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ftp2leta
Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2004
Posts: 3271
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| Stanagon wrote: |
It's funny how things seem to work out sometimes...
After getting laid off from a job I had done for nearly 14 years, and enjoyed. I found myself faced with an opportunity to do what I could to keep the Boston Engine (www.bostonengine.com) flame going. Bob's wife Karen knew the business needed a 'front man' to do the sales, customer service and help the customer realize what makes a Boston Bob engineered motor something special. So that's what I'm doing.
Gary LaBlanc is building engines at his own shop and I am handling the customer contact, sales, as well as any additional local air-ccoled service work. See Community>Businesses here on theSamba for Boston Engine info.
We've sold a few engines and assembly is happening now. A very nice '58 Ghia cab is currently awaiting a special motor from Gary, as well as an '87 Westy. Unfortunately we are not doing Type 2/4 pancake motors yet, but we'll see.
I have also purchased several of Bob's special tools and hope they bring some of Bob along for the ride. Gary will be using a number of the Boston engine machines for top notch assembly. Perhaps Bob will be smiling down on the scene here in Beantown soon, if he isn't already. |
Very nice story. I think that many think that the business died with him. A few months before he passed away, he personally told me that it has been a wile that Gary was doing most (not to say all) of the work.
You should spend some time on the Vanagon mailing list and here, on the vanagon section. As for now, you guys are doing mostly water cool engine.
As i'm doing mostly Subaru conversion, i will make sure that if someone need a good engine, they contact you.
I don't trust many people in that particular engine rebuilt business, nop. I would trust Gary and Tenc (another rebuilder, he is well know here on the Samba).
I wish you good luck.
A little advice if i may, you guys should spend a little time on the web site.
Ben
_________________
Working with rust, grease, dirt and dust is a sad truth.
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FI part for sale: http://www.benplace.com/parts_sale1.htm
My site: http://www.benplace.com/vw2.htm
Subi conversion: http://www.benplace.com/vanaru_eng.htm
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/ftp2leta |
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thewalrus
Big Jack
Joined: March 27, 2006
Posts: 3014
Location: Belchertown, MA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:26 am Post subject: |
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Keep Bob's memory and work alive. If it was anyone else I'd worry but, I know Bob's everything is in good hands with you Stan!!! 
_________________
'73 Transporter 1.7L Dual Carb
| notchboy wrote: |
| You ran over some #Vanlife'ers hopes and dreams? |
| 60vwnewengland wrote: |
| Looking forward to next weekend, weed, krunk juice, hookers, blow, hanging with bums, philly, ...the awards! |
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MrBreeze
Samba Hitman
Joined: October 06, 2002
Posts: 5545
Location: Lawn Guyland, Noo Yawk
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:45 am Post subject: |
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Good for you! Best of luck to all of you!
_________________
-=Rob
WTB: Bay Shore or Queensboro VW Frames
HBB 1984-2009
RW 1943-2011
ER 1964-2023 |
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Rick73Super
Samba Member
Joined: June 30, 2004
Posts: 1792
Location: Ocala FL 34481
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| Good luck with your new venture! |
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Stanagon
Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2003
Posts: 4186
Location: Boston, MA
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ftp2leta
Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2004
Posts: 3271
Location: Montreal
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60vwnewengland
Twin #2
Joined: June 25, 2003
Posts: 1784
Location: District of Columbia & Cape Cod
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| Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 5:46 am Post subject: |
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| ftp2leta wrote: |
Already 2 years.... I miss him. We had some late night chat often.
Sadly, we forget. His web site is dead. Sad.
Benny |
But his work lives on. There are a few members on thesamba still building engines the way he was. Former employees of his Gary Leblanc.
http://www.suburbanengine.com/
About a month ago I was working with Cyrus Vatan on my bus, and he worked in the late Bob's shop. We couldn't get my bus idling correctly. So we took the carb out, and put a pop rivet in the brass disc at the bottom of the carb. Cyrus said, "It's a Bob trick." Well it worked and Bob knew his sh*t. So he still lives on, and people still think of him often.
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
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Sunshine Air Cooled
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2004
Posts: 15
Location: 1724 Snug Harbor Place, Sarasota, Florida 34234
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| Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:43 am Post subject: Bob is missed by so many! |
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Late entry, but we knew Bob for a long time here. He's built us motors for years, and offered endless advice on how to properly work on a Vanagon. Last month we had a customer that had to buy a new motor for their 82' Vanagon. Rather than have us build it, as Bob would've recommend for sure, they bought one from GEX. *enter laughtrack here* 
Fast forward 4-weeks. The GEX motor has metal shavings in it, runs hot, has more blow by than you can imagine and of course even with the customers extended warranty that was purchased, GEX is saying it got hot and isnt' covered under warranty! A dozen motors purchased from Bob over the years, NOT ONE EVER HAD OR HAS COME BACK WITH A PROBLEM. OUr motors are built with the same care Bob used. Are they the cheapest? No way. But like Bob, no shortcuts, EVER. Man oh man, we miss ya' Bob!!
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Check us out!
www.sunshineautogarage.com
941-365-6684
"No VW should ever die"... |
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ach60 
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2001
Posts: 4139
Location: Santa Maria
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| Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:10 pm Post subject: Re: Bob is missed by so many! |
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| Sunshine Auto Garage wrote: |
Late entry, but we knew Bob for a long time here. He's built us motors for years, and offered endless advice on how to properly work on a Vanagon. Last month we had a customer that had to buy a new motor for their 82' Vanagon. Rather than have us build it, as Bob would've recommend for sure, they bought one from GEX. *enter laughtrack here*
Fast forward 4-weeks. The GEX motor has metal shavings in it, runs hot, has more blow by than you can imagine and of course even with the customers extended warranty that was purchased, GEX is saying it got hot and isnt' covered under warranty! A dozen motors purchased from Bob over the years, NOT ONE EVER HAD OR HAS COME BACK WITH A PROBLEM. OUr motors are built with the same care Bob used. Are they the cheapest? No way. But like Bob, no shortcuts, EVER. Man oh man, we miss ya' Bob!! |
10 years ago, I had a buddy do the very same thing, I got him information and a quote for a good motor from a good shop..
He got a quote for a motor at 1/2 the price, 3 times the motor was pulled after that.
I told the guy, what ever you do, don't put a GEX in it.
In the end 2 years later, after prodding him pretty good, he finally admitted his mechanic had installed a GEX.
The GEX came out twice, the last time it was locked,
so the mechanic "rebuilt the original motor, which then failed after 1000 miles.
The fourth time was a charm, and he is still using the car daily.
This is such a sad story ONLY because I hear it over and over again.
_________________
Good Luck
Al |
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Stanagon
Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2003
Posts: 4186
Location: Boston, MA
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KalDonalds
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2024
Posts: 1
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 6:38 pm Post subject: Re: Boston Bob passed away, 10-23-08. |
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I know nothing about Volkswagens, and I know I’m commenting 16 years later, but I do know something about Bob, being that I am his nephew. It makes me smile to see how many people appreciated his work, as I never got to know him. Bob passed when I was very young, so all I know is stories from Dave and Jay. I know if he was still around, we would have had a great time.
If you have any questions, as long as it isn’t technical things about VW’s (I don’t want Bob haunting me for getting anything wrong), I’m open to answering.
Also, any stories any of you have I’d absolutely love to hear. I hear he was absolutely hysterical, which is unsurprising, being that he was a Donalds.
- Kal Donalds |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22687
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2024 3:32 am Post subject: Re: Boston Bob passed away, 10-23-08. |
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Thanks for sharing that. Seeing our relatives lived through impacting others is a wonderful gift, glad you found us.
I was once transiting CBP in NYC and the gruff agent had a Niagara pin on, and it turned out my Mother had helped him get through a rough patch in college.
…and I sailed through ….
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.ssS! |
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bostig
Samba Member
Joined: February 01, 2006
Posts: 235
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| Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2024 12:29 pm Post subject: Re: Boston Bob passed away, 10-23-08. |
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Bob is still hanging out at the shop with me every day. Last pic I took of him with an old flip phone I had from the driver's seat of my van as I was leaving his place in Wayland. Had to excuse myself and go cry like a baby outside the church on day of the memorial. I think it was November of 08. Me and Brady hosted Daryl of AA Transaxle(RIP Daryl) who was a close but long distance friend of Bobs. I miss them both.
He was the best for stories, shooting the shit, or commiserating with about difficult customers. He'd always have some grounding quip that was equally useful and funny. Used to talk with him often.
I have the original video files from from the Boston Bob WBXer flywheel install video that never made it to the new sites, but it was edited in Edius software... so I have yet to figure out how to open it back up to "remaster" it. I might just have to brute force it one of these days and re-do the whole thing. If anyone has any ideas about how to recover an old edius project, LMK!
-Jim
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LAGrunthaner
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2007
Posts: 5510
Location: 1st Coast
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| Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2024 4:51 am Post subject: Re: Boston Bob passed away, 10-23-08. |
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bostig that is a sweet photo of your dear friend Bob and equally sweet story. I'll reach out to my programming students to see if they have some tips and tricks to help get your Edius data recovered. Perhaps the web site has some new editing software to download? If you PM me with the details I'll reach out.
https://www.edius.net
| bostig wrote: |
Bob is still hanging out at the shop with me every day. Last pic I took of him with an old flip phone I had from the driver's seat of my van as I was leaving his place in Wayland. Had to excuse myself and go cry like a baby outside the church on day of the memorial. I think it was November of 08. Me and Brady hosted Daryl of AA Transaxle(RIP Daryl) who was a close but long distance friend of Bobs. I miss them both.
He was the best for stories, shooting the shit, or commiserating with about difficult customers. He'd always have some grounding quip that was equally useful and funny. Used to talk with him often.
I have the original video files from from the Boston Bob WBXer flywheel install video that never made it to the new sites, but it was edited in Edius software... so I have yet to figure out how to open it back up to "remaster" it. I might just have to brute force it one of these days and re-do the whole thing. If anyone has any ideas about how to recover an old edius project, LMK!
-Jim
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Maui Roadsters 
www.mauiroadsters.com
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| Lind wrote: |
| Have you considered simply starting with a nicer bus? I don't know what your skills are, but the race is easier if you can see the finish line. If you are not a runner, don't start off doing a marathon. |
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