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Date:         Thu, 25 Oct 2001 15:19:08 -0400
Reply-To:     cooper@BQMLAW.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Cooper, Jonathan R." <cooper@BQMLAW.COM>
Subject:      Re: Getting my Westy ready for "Earl"
Comments: To: wnsopc3@3RDM.NET
Content-Type: text/plain

I second what Walt has to say. My DPO had my 85 Westy done by the earl. He regretted it, and I regret it. I have since had the bottom half redone, but the sloppiness of the job was amazing and the poor quality of the paint and its adhesion were also amazing. I cannot believe this guy is still in business.

Jonathan R. Cooper Brzytwa, Quick & McCrystal 900 Skylight Office Tower Cleveland, OH 44113 Cooper@BQMlaw.com

-----Original Message----- From: Walt Spak [mailto:wnsopc3@3RDM.NET] Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 3:19 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Getting my Westy ready for "Earl"

Joe,

The original VW paint is very high quality. I have had Vanagons that are extremely oxidized like you describe. A good day with a buffer will bring that paint back to near perfect. Of course, it will do good for the seam rust. I would take the bus to a good detail shop and have them buff it out & wax it. Then I would fix the seam rust to best of you ability & repaint only the area that has been disturbed by the repair work. I would not remove the pop top. I would only buff up to it. Then you can paint the pop top with a brush as you indicate.

Maaco & Earl will only give you a very bad paint job that will go bad with in 2 years. Save your self a lot of work & money.

Walt Spak Pittsburgh, PA. wnsopc3@3rdm.net ----- Original Message ----- From: Joe <mejoe@EMAIL.TOAST.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 12:46 PM Subject: Getting my Westy ready for "Earl"

> I have a White 83.5 Westy that is in desperate need of a > paint job. The > present "paint" (if it can still be called that) is oxidized to the > point where it nothing but a deep thick chalk that rubs off with ease. > There is also some surface rust visible on one of the seams and along > a few "ridges" > on the body. > Finances dictate that the paint job be done by "Maco" or "Earl Schribe". > One of the corners these guys cut is Pre-Paint Preparation. I figure I might > be able to get around this be doing my own prep before I deliver it to > "Earl" for painting. > > 1. A good washing is, of course, mandatory prior to painting but it seems to > me that regular car wash will not do it since regular auto soap is designed > to preserve paint and so may not get the surface as clean as it needs > to be > for painting. Is there some special "Pre-Painting Car Wash" or other > chemical that will do the trick? > > 2. When I wash it should I use a sponge or should I "roughen" the surface > with something like a stiff scrub brush or perhaps even fine steel > wool? > > 3. I am assuming that the "chalk" is providing some anti-rust protection and > so should be left alone until "the last minute" to avoid surface rust. > If my > assumption is correct, what is a reasonable "last minute"? Can I clean > the chalk off, say, a week prior to painting? > > 4. For the seam rust I have already obtained "Por-15" materials, including > their seam filler but I need a GOOD primer. Any recommendations? > > 5. I will be pulling the pop-top prior to prep. I plan to plug the resulting > HUGE hole with plastic sheet wrapped cardboard reinforced as necessary with > 1"x1" wood and a LOT of duct tape. Any suggestions? > > 6. The pop-top itself is looking pretty sad. I plan a good scrubbing > followed by a good marine fiberglass paint applied with a paint brush. Good > idea? > > Any other "If Earl was gonna get my Westy I would ________" > type of > advice/recommendations/cautions would be much appreciated.


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