Fancy fitting a new bellows yourself.

[swinnerton]

Have just arranged to have new bellows fitted £760 inc everything ...have just come across illustrations on French forum showing what is involved....wouldn't fancy doing this myself.

http://www.t5calif.info/forum/viewforum.php?f=17
Regards
Gerry

 

[swinnerton]

Sorry new to this posting game....article posted by ABILLY Dec 29 2012
Gerry

 

[Ricotansky]

I thought £500 was the going rate for new bellows, £760 seems s bit steep.

 

[reserves]

If you get new bellows make sure you get the later model ones, these have extras strips in them to help them avoid getting caught in the bellows.

Plus, more windows I believe.

 

[Martin]

Should between £630 - £695 inc fitting depending on if dealer wants to give you a discount .

 

[swinnerton]

Was quoted £821.64 by Listers in Worcester .....Sinclairs Cardiff quote Bellows £535 inc vat plus 2 1/2 hrs approx for fitting .

 

[Martin]

£821 sounds way too expensive, I would make sure you take it to someone who has changed one before. Have a phone around, even a bit further afield.

The labour should be £110+VAT and the bellows around £430+VAT

 

[Meoncoast]

or free if you are having front roof panel fixed

 

[WelshGas]

I would suggest checking out South Hereford VW. Speak to Les Waghorne the service manager.
Would only go to Sinclair Cardiff for minor mechanical, nothing California specific.

 

[swinnerton]

Thanks for the observations suggestions and advice..Sinclair Cardiff did an excellent job of replacing the roof bellows....original version had no front window ....replacement has 3 windows and superior jointed folding battens. It has a natural tendency to bow inwards but have fitted my homemade bellows bungee as an added assistance .

 

[insomnia]

How much did you pay in the end? We have just been quoted £618 incVAT & fitting

 

[swinnerton]

Sounds like a good price....pics of new bellows with inward bias

 

[LisaKent]

We have a small nick in ours and had a quote wich was £519+VAT inc fitting, I think we will wait in case it happens again

 

[swinnerton]

My California was bought new by me in Jan 2008 and had acquired many nicks and small holes in the roof all of which had been repaired over the years...the battens were also showing signs of wear and mishaps ...the final straw was my wife and her sister putting the roof down unsupervised in a gale in Pembrokeshire with disastrous results and driving back with everything jammed resulting in irreparable damage !
So for me it wasn't a cosmetic thing more of a necessity ...if you can live with a few nicks all well and good The new bellows do seem so much better designed than the original with an inbuilt inwards bias.
Seems as if the dealers are competing to offer the lowest prices !

 

[Yelekreb]

Sinclair completely botched my bellows refit, see: http://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads...ght-after-vw-warranty-repair.8581/#post-76292 but did fix it.

 

[swinnerton]

Very interesting post...wish I had seen before taking it to Cardiff ...but have to say they seemed to fit mine ok ...perhaps they learned how to do it properly after practising on yours..! Presumably they did sort it out eventually. I normally have any work on my now rather aged California done by my local garage who are brilliant but he didn't fancy tackling a bellows not having done one before.
I think everyone has horror stories of professional incompetence in all aspects of life but the motor trade seems particularly prone whether main dealers or not. My daughter in law's BMW came back to her with finger tight wheel nuts after it's first service.

 

[Yelekreb]

I have had much better experiences with South Hereford VW (Les Waghorne) as previously mentioned by others

 

[swinnerton]

Thanks for the advice..will keep them in mind for any work that cannot be done locally.
Regards