Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 12:30:22 EST
Reply-To: JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JordanVw@AOL.COM
Subject: people who dont fix their seam rust....wasRe: Dent pulling in
rear corners?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 2/27/05 4:18:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET writes:
> So, I would
> leave it until.
>
rust doesnt sleep.
i am always astonished at the number of folks who come here to pick up parts
from me or people i see at vw shows.. most of their vans are in good running
condition, some have engine conversions, etc. and most have dumped $$ into
their vans mechanically. but nearly everyone has some MAJOR seam rust going
on.. open, untreated metal, bubbling, rusting away, no attempts whatsoever made
to stop the cancer from spreading..
i always ask them.. why are you letting this go?
they say, "im saving up for a total repaint, eventually, when i can afford
it, but the mechanicals come first".
understandable.
BUT.. you dont have to take it to a bodyshop or be a bodyman to STOP the
RUST YOURSELF!!
ALL vanagons get seam rust. its inevitable. PNW, ...East coast (obviously),
ive even seen SoCal vans with seam rust. doesnt matter where its from. if
you drive your van in the water, salt, or park it outside, it will eventually
get seam rust. its just a design flaw, and something we have to accept with
these vans. only the few who live in arid climes can escape this problem.
so, why are people intimidated by simple surface rust/seam rust repair???????
its not that had to do.
even do the minimal.. scrape the rust bubbles off..sand with a piece of
sandpaper.. and treat the metal with 'extend" or 'rust mort" or 'rustoleum rusty
metal converter" ...do SOMETHING.. something..other than just letting it
go..
do something to prevent it from getting worse!!! if you wait till you can
afford a total repaint then your van will be so rusted and full of holes that
it won't be worth fixing!!
i have a friend with a '87 westy weekender.. he is local to me.. same deal..
he dumps $$ into this van mechanically..but doesnt have 10 minutes to sand
down some rust spots and apply some rust coverter to keep it from getting
worse.. he says he wants to wait for a total repaint. he's like "i want to do it
right, so i'll wait"
now he has rust HOLES in the rear seams.. and his "repaint" job is now
going to involve EXTENSIVE METAL REPLACEMENT.. which he cant afford either..sooo
basically, the van will never get fixed, and he will have a great running
vanagon that wont pass PA state inspection and will have to be junked because it is
full of rust holes..
"i want to do it right, so i'll wait"...translates into " now ive waited, and
my van's so rusted its not worth fixing"
come on folks..my 10 year old cousin can fix some ream rust.. its not hard
to do!! doing SOMETHING is better than not doing ANYTHING!!!!
just some friendly FYI..
ps, this is not directed any any one individual, it is directed to EVERYONE
out there who is just "letting their seam rust go, until the day they can
afford a total respray"
because that day will never come.
chris
