Date:         Mon, 9 Feb 2004 20:41:36 -0800
Reply-To:     "Eric M. Ginney" <ginho@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Eric M. Ginney" <ginho@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      driver's side; clear coat paint peeling; 1989 GL
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

How deeee!

Been sittin here readin and listenin for some time.  Much thanks for all the
brainpower rollin across these messages.  I have a pondering for yall:


I have an 89 GL (white with pinstripes) westy and was getting ready to do
some work on the fridge so pulled the flue vent off.  Then decided to
replace the utility hatches after the ABS stub on the city water intake
broke (and the electric plug door was laready gone....).  So I pulled the
utility ports, and then it began to rain.  And snow.  So I covered all
openings with heavy plastic and painters tape.  I tested the tape on the
flue vent area and deemed it no worries to the paint (note: this proves to
NOT be the place to test tape's properties).  The weather in northwestern WA
continued and the holidays and my 9 month old daughter kept me busy.

Plastic and tape reside on van (in fine fashion I should add) for 2 months.

Last weekend.  SOME Sun.  50 degrees. Daughter content.  Time to work on
Van.  I pulled tape off the flue vent without a problem (note: vent is
located above the clear coat area).  Then the utility ports, and.....bummer.
Losing clear coat in a big way (like, all the clear coat under the tape,
dude).  Anyway, not a total surprise as there are a few spots on the drivers
side that have already lost the clear coat (area between door and rear 1/4
panel, but below the pinstripe/lateral line of van is only area with this
clear coat--appears to be some sort of coating special for only for the area
near the LPG and hookups ).

So, enough rambling: what is the question here?  Well, who out there has
this clear coat on their van?  I have been looking at every Westy I can, and
it is not consistent.
Have you had a loss of clear coat in this area?  Any disasters?  Beyond
cosmetics, should I care?

Basically I don't want any paint/rust issues. The area is already discolored
(a bit more yellow/brown than the rest of our Westy's pretty wihite), and I
would hate to actually lose paint, etc.


Comments, questions, rotten fruit..............

Eric

'89 Westy GL
Bellingham WA