Date:         Wed, 29 Oct 2003 14:27:44 EST
Reply-To:     Willolyn99@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Marshall <Willolyn99@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: window removal -- bad news
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Thanks to the folks who responded to my call for window removal instructions.
 With repeated prying and shimming, it came out in one piece.  For anyone
else who wants to do this alone, get a big suction cup and use it with a rope as
a safety line.  Worked for me.

Now, the bad news.  The rear lower corner of the window is a serious mess.
Holes big enough to park a truck in.  About 2" of the lip the window fits onto
is gone.  All this was hidden from view -- I thought I just had a rust bubble
back there, maybe a tiny hole.  WRONG!!  My little clean-up rust job is now a
major rebuild of the area.  Well, I haven't done any body work in a few years,
guess I need the practice.

One clue I overlooked in all this was the red rust stains on the paint below
the window.  The more I think about it, there was no way that the rust bubble
should have done that much staining.  Guess I wasn't paying attention.
Anyway, big warning to everybody, look for rust around your windows.  As usual.

While I'm here, I'll tell you about my other body work.  I've been cleaning
out the seam sealer in parts of my van, and I am using a carbon-steel wire
wheel on a dremel tool.  It rips the stuff out pretty well, and goes in deep due
to it's small size.  As you dig it out, you can see the dust color change from
white to red as you hit rust pockets.  Fun.  The wheels are worn out after one
full seam, but they are only $2.50 each, so no big deal.

Back to work!

Bill Marshall
85 GL Tiico "Pandora's Box"
Aurora, IL