Matt - Thanks for taking the time to share a full explanation as to why things just cost more now.
I would also submit that some of the challenge with the aircooled cars in general is their age. imho their is a large collective "brain loss" as those who worked on these cars everyday age out of the job/hobby. The last of the A/C cars were built in 1998 - over 20 years ago! Sure, knowledge can be learned/relearned by others, but there is a cost to that too. Then tack on parts availability (whether NOS OEM, Aftermarket or rebuilt) becoming more scarce.
I do worry that when my low hp 60K mile original 2.0, 110hp "911T" motor in my 914/6 needs attention, I might be hard pressed to find someone skilled at a cost that also works for my lack of budget
