Mine is an odd story. We travel in an'89 VW camper. About 10 years ago, our transmission died in Angleton, Tex (we live in Ga). Wound up parked in a Motel 6 (they take cats) with a rental car. Lots of antique stores to keep us occupied. Found a FW in one. Couldn't get it to sew. Went to a LQS and bought Nancy Sebro-Johnson's FW book, read it, called a local woman the LQS owner recommended, talked about it. Went back next morning. Still couldn't get it to sew ...didn't want $125 doorstop. As we were debating, a man who said he'd done a lot of business sewing machine repair said that nothing was warped, to go for it and we did. Her decals are almost worn off, the case is musty and worn, but after a trip to the mechanic...she sews like a charm. I have collected almost all the attachments, I even found a penguin walking foot recently, altho I have yet to try it.
And we got our transmission bussed from friends in Atlanta on Greyhound after about a week. Picked it up at the local bus station which was a restaurant so we got a taco and a transmission all at once. And BTW, we just put yet another transmission in the Van...