Date:         Sat, 28 Feb 2004 11:44:05 -0500
Reply-To:     Jason Willenbrock <pooncerelli@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jason Willenbrock <pooncerelli@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      87 SYNCRO WESTY ROJECT PIX AND STORY LONG
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

hey all,
thanks to everyone who is interested in my project and thanks to Malcom i
was able to post the project with some highlight pix on yahoo temporarily.
here is the story of this project first for anyone interested.
August 2003 i was looking heavily for a 67 westy to restore.  i called a
body shop who was advertising one.  well, it turned out that before i called
it sold.  after talking to the guy he told me that he had a87 syncro westy
sitting in his yard but yet 100% rust free.  the details were "new paint job
and body work" because PO had rolled it.  All the trim was taking out.  the
only thing left in the syncro was steering wheel, engine and tranny!  total
mileage he claimed was 60,000 to 70,000.  i estimated it at 100,000+.  So in
talking with him more, the body shop claimed that they did the body work and
paint but PO refused to pay for it (i found out why when i saw the van in
person) so they kept the van.  i jumped on it at around $500.   had it
delivered to me in Montana.  when it arrived i knew i was in for a long
project.  Let alone i had to find all the trim pieces to get her back
together, but the paint job was so poor my 8 year nephew could have done a
better job.  There was no prep done!  not even the slightest rubbing of a
sotch brite pad!  the paint was flaking off all over and with compressed air
i could blow it right off!  UGH!!  but thats not the worst.  The driver's
side panels were obviously replaced because of the accident.  They were
welding place without even going to factory seams, so you can see where the
paint was going to crack!  In addition they were 1/4 inch thick bondo to
match the lines of the van.

What did i do?  i lined up a local metal magician here in town named Robert
Howard to come take a look and figure a solution.  The solution was not
pretty.  "Jason", he said "we got alot of work"
the jist of it was to completely take the van to bare metal because he did
not trust any of the before body work since there was no prep done to it
originally.  then we need to completely cut out the driver's side panels
fron front door to rear, from under the drip rail to the bottom.  Then
reweld to factory seams new panles from a donor van.

that donor van came in the shape of an 87 wolfsburg i picked up for $600.
the van body and interior were in great condiotn, no rust and very clean.
175,000 miles on it but i don't care.  So Robert began cutiing out the
driver's side panels and i began pulling trim to go towards the westy
syncro.  the only thing left was westy stuff needed. i found a 90 westy
interior for sale on the list from Julianna in Oregon, adn jumped all over
it.  the interior is beautiful, thanks juliana!

now after 4 months of perpping, painting and gathering parts, the van is
back!  Robert applied 2 coats epoxy sealant, 3 coats epoxy/primer, 3 coats
original color, 3 coats clear coat.  In addition, he under coated wheel
wells, and applied a thick vinyl to nose of van and headlights to prevent
rock chips.  you can not even tell this vinyl is there!  Amazing!  Body work
and paint cost me $3000 but worth every penny.  Robert should have charged
me $5000 - $6000 but we are buddies and i did a lot of the work with him.

He is doing poptop now and this week we are putting in windows with all new
rubber and canvas i got from another listee.  i am in process of putting all
interior together and will post pix of the final job.
Incidientally while westy was being prepped i replaced fron shocks, bushings
and ball joints, overhauled all cv's, brand new exhaust, all new brakes.
from wolfsburg i am able to instal power mirrors and locks that were not
originally on the syncro.  i think that is it.  this is going to be one
hella of resto syncro westy!  all in all i guess i put $6000 total in her
and with the wolfs i have a back up motor and some aprts, not to mentio what
i sold out of her which offset what i paid for her.  i thinki am coming out
a head here and am so stoked!  next is 15" wheels with audi alloys
Thanks you to the whole list for everyone's help. support and parts i either
bought from you or sold to you to help fund the project!!!!

anyone wants to contac me go for it, i would do this project again in a
minute, just not this minute
here is the link to the pix and you can see the PO paint job and how ugly it
is with all the over spray and such!
http://photos.yahoo.com/vanagonlist
enjoy
jason

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