Naranja Westy Road Trip - Done!

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wcfvw69
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by wcfvw69 » Thu Dec 17, 2015 1:26 pm

Holy Mother of all windshield channel rust Batman! I don't think ANYONE saw that coming when you pulled the windshield.. Wow... just wow. It makes me wonder what lies beneath my windshield rubber..

The body man and shop that did that spectacular 'craftsmanship', should be shot. It makes you wonder how rusted that channel was already when the nose was changed. It looks like they cut the nose panel before reaching the spot welds under the windshield. I bet the shop didn't treat the existing rust before shoving the windshield back in (if they removed it at all).

Nice work to correct it.
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

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THall
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by THall » Thu Dec 17, 2015 1:57 pm

wcfvw69 wrote:Holy Mother of all windshield channel rust Batman! I don't think ANYONE saw that coming when you pulled the windshield.. Wow...
No kidding. Never would have expected to see that from this vehicle.

Nice job on the repairs Colin, without a doubt Naranja appreciates your efforts.
wcfvw69 wrote: It makes me wonder what lies beneath my windshield rubber..
I did mine last year after seeing bubbling from under the seal on the passenger side....I held my breath as I pulled the windshield out. It was better than I expected.

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'78 Westy 2.0 FI

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asiab3
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by asiab3 » Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:51 pm

Ugh. Wow.

My front windscreen is the last piece of glass I haven't removed. I'll be sure to do it in the woods somewhere with no help, so nobody will hear me scream when it shatters. If I'm doing a sand-and-paint of the large dash top piece, would it be best to remove the glass first for ease of removal?
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

Jivermo
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Jivermo » Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:01 pm

Yes.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:56 pm

asiab3 wrote:Ugh. Wow.

My front windscreen is the last piece of glass I haven't removed. I'll be sure to do it in the woods somewhere with no help, so nobody will hear me scream when it shatters. If I'm doing a sand-and-paint of the large dash top piece, would it be best to remove the glass first for ease of removal?
You're talking about the metal dash panel where the heater ducts are?

If you have no need to remove the windshield, leave the glass alone. That panel comes out easily from the inside. Just have a decent stubby screwdriver for the register cover screws, and a long one for the screws down at the base of the windshield. Takes less than 30 minutes to pull:

Road Warrior 2007

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BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Amskeptic
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:52 pm

I hate new computer keyboards bristling with too many stupid buttons and mice with too many buttons and when the mouse hits the edge of the laptop and opens some window I have never seen, and when my fat finger hits some stupid arrow key and a tab key and erases my long post . . .

Another thank-you to Weisswurst!
It was a moment of grace to stumble out of Scotty The Travel Trailer on day three, thoroughly tired still, still in the midst of chaos out there in the building, and find a hot cup of coffee poured for me just waiting there . . . . the entire staff at Downton Abbey couldn't have done it any better.

Not two miles from the Weisswurst German Hill Billy Guinea Hen and Pig Farm Vanagon Diesel Emporeum, a lady is gesticulating at me from the passenger seat of a Ford Explorer, mouthing the words,
"Yoour braake liight is OOUUTT."
"THAANKKCUE!!" I mouthed back. I knew it was more than that.

Whilst backing into the building at the Weisswurst German Hill Billy Tortoise Lair and Goat Spread VW Beetle Storage Facility, Friend James had noted that the right front turn indicator was glowing so long as I was in reverse, and the reverse light would go dim if I stepped on the brakes while the turn indicator was in the right turn positioin. What hellacious hell hath wrought the sanding disc monster paint and body guy as he bashed around in this poor car?

As I investigated the right rear taillight assembly, I inadvertently cleaned out the housing and applied the patented HVAC reflector tape a la Road Warrior 2007:

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But, as I investigated the wiring, I got to see another damn dam by the damn paint man, this one is silicone caulk that accelerated the destruction of the battery tray. That is a hole there:

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Battery trays must drain many gallons of water in driving rain. They need their drainage and they need their water-tight painted interface with the *insides* of the rear quarter panels:

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Just left the battery tray alone and stuck the taillight back into the opening. That sucker is getting dealt with in Pensacola.

See how dull and unkempt a car looks the minute that you see primer and overspray? It has been a pleasure to clean up the ratty edges that abound on this car.

LEFT:
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After I restored the right lens with 1000/1500/2000 grit & 3M polish + wax . . .
RIGHT:
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You can see an improvement in luminescence:

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Did I mention that I forgot to fix the wiring?
Colin

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BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Amskeptic
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:26 am

"Yes, you did mention that you forgot to fix the wiring," said Colin to Colin.

So I drove to Miller's Garden & Hardware to pick up a "galvanized roof bracket," whatever that is, to utilize it's hefty cross section as a better EGR block-off plate than my two pieces of band strap and a glob of Ultra-Copper. There is the poor dremel tasked with cutting that thing, and there is my drill preparing to drill 1/16-3/16-1/4-5/8" holes:

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I used eight strips of aluminum HVAC tape as my gasket, each cut out and "holed" individually:

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I expect this sucker not to leak (actually, the band strap block-off gave me Valdosta GA to Homosassa FL to Lake City FL and never did leak):

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But, oh no! There is a broken exhaust mounting strap, and I have this roof bracket and dremel and drill all here . . . . :

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Three reinforced dremel cutting wheels later . . . . :

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. . . we have a decent galvanized bracket with proper offset bends, a very heated dremel, and metal dust all over:

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Then, and only then, could I focus on the left taillight housing. I had to scrape a layer of deteriorated plastic from every surface below the turn indicator compartment. It had become a friable dirty snow that would not allow HVAC tape to stick to it:

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So what was the problem with the lights, that I should get a glowing right front turn indicator when shifting in reverse, a fast flash with dim tail and reverse lights blinking in time with the right rear turn indicator, and the brakes causing the right rear turn indicator to go out? How about a bad ground spade at the engine compartment opening?

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I am due to tear apart the back of Naranja Westy when I get to Pensacola in two hours. The current battery tray has been slowly caving under the weight of the battery. The frame was cut off at the rear of the car, and the bumper was then bolted up too far forward such that there is no gap between the blade and the body of the car. You shall see more photographs of wanton and willful destruction . . . .
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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airkooledchris
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by airkooledchris » Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:21 pm

Amskeptic wrote: How about a bad ground spade at the engine compartment opening?
How about it? Was that all it was? Seems like a lot of odd side effects from a single ground location.
Amskeptic wrote: ......... You shall see more photographs of wanton and willful destruction . . . .
Colin
Like anyone, id prefer that you found nothing but prestine original VW work around ever corner and hiding under every surface, but I admit that I enjoy seeing you work on a bus with a PO more in line with what the rest of us likely work with on a regular basis. (not that you aren't unaware of that, having to assist us with said PO's every year!)

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1979 California Transporter

Jivermo
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Jivermo » Sat Dec 19, 2015 4:03 pm

Beautiful support bracket! Love the reinforcing curve you so tenderly cut.

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dingo
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by dingo » Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:58 pm

..without Schnorrr washers , that EGR blockoff hackery is destined for catastrophic failure !
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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Bleyseng
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Bleyseng » Sat Dec 19, 2015 9:54 pm

Without two part epoxy primer over the treated rust paint failure is a possiblity as bondo doesn't seal rust very well. New Schorr washers would help prevent the rusting of the bondo :geek:
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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asiab3
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by asiab3 » Tue Dec 22, 2015 1:05 pm

Your license plate is crooked.
[/subtle plea for more updates.]

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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wcfvw69
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by wcfvw69 » Tue Dec 22, 2015 1:11 pm

asiab3 wrote:Your license plate is crooked.
[/subtle plea for more updates.]

Robbie
I know, right? Shouldn't the LEADER of this site kinda, maybe, sorta PARTICIPATE on it occasionally!! :bounce:
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

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SlowLane
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by SlowLane » Tue Dec 22, 2015 2:40 pm

I'm digging the cat-delete pipe. Soooo much cleaner-looking than that lump of a catalytic converter which is supposed to be there. :geek:
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

Jivermo
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Re: Naranja Westy Road Trip

Post by Jivermo » Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:25 pm

He has probably completely rebuild Naranja by now. Can you imagine 10 itinerant work days in a row, with Colin? I believe that he's likely tougher on himself than he is working with us, and that is no picnic, Ima here to tell ya.

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