need reasonable vw mechanic: twin cities

[LilBeepBeep]

Hoping for some wisdom from Twin Cities VW owners:

I bought a used 95 VW Golf in November 03 from a private owner and drove it through the winter without servicing. It has run really well for the most part, but I have some repairs to make and am looking for a good mechanic who understands this is an older, hi-mileage (100K) car with an owner who isn't financially prepared to pay dealer service fees.

There are some specific problems identified before I bought the car by the mechanic I used for my previous car, a good mechanic but by his own admission no expert on VWs.

- New AC hose
- Brake pads all around
- Repack rear wheel bearings

Then there's a problem I noticed throughout the winter: When I step on the gas for the first few minutes from a cold start, the transmission (auto) is very sluggish. The engine revs, but the transmission takes a second or two to engage, then it does so with a jolt. Anticipating the problem with a light foot helps avoid the thunk, but does not help with the trannie's slow reaction time in engaging . . . The colder the weather, the more persistent the problem.

Anybody know what this is? I'm hoping it's a sensor or a stuck injector, not the whole works. When the car warms up, the problem goes away.

Also, any ideas where I can get new parts on the cheap?

Thanks very much . . . Evan