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Date:         Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:54:47 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: more collision damage found
Comments: To: Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

your poor van sounds pretty seriously crunched...... reading about that rack, u-joint, and cross member. if that's all you had to work with .......... it 'might' be truly fixable.

if the other body is as good ....... I'd rather have a not-crahsed chassis myself. there is some chance..........that your old van could never be really right, like not possible to align properly say.

sure, it is a lot of work converting from auto trans to manual. the hardest or most bothersome part is the clutch hydrualics, and the pedal aseembly. Yeah.....that part is nasty. you'll be taking out the fuel tank too. it IS a lot of work, but it's just nut and bolt work really.

so put all your manual trans stuff into your automatic van body. you'll need to put in your manual trans rear axles...........auto has one short and one long. need to run two wires for back up lights from the auto trans shift console back to the back up light swtich on your manual trans, no big deal. oh yeah, throttle cable......need to put your manual trans throttle cable into the new body. Not a terribly hard thing to do.

fully compatable really, I've done it at least once. just a lot of work. Scott www.turbovans.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allan Streib" <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2009 12:56 PM Subject: more collision damage found

> It's been a few months... for background, my wife hit another car while > driving my '91 GL. Due to different bumper heights, the impact was just > above the bumper on the drivers side. > > After the wreck, the steering was binding and the drivers door was > cocked a little bit. It does open and close but it definitely drops a > bit when I open it. > > A few photos here.... > > http://picasaweb.google.com/allanstreib/VanagonDamage > > Insurance totaled the van and I bought it back for $250 with plans to > repair it. > > In September I picked up an '87 parts van from another list member, > intending to use the front sheet metal and possibly other parts for > repairs. > > Meanwhile, I borrowed a slide hammer and pulled the sheet metal above > the bumper back to an approximately correct position. The radiator and > condensor appear to be undamaged. I also found out why the steering is > binding. Right behind the area of impact is the steering box. This was > shoved back and the force transmitted along the shaft back to steering > rack. The crossmember where the rack mounts has been bent back, causing > the front of the rack to pivot down so that the U joint is now down > against the sway bar, catching on it as it turns. > > I think I can borrow a hydraulic spreader or ram to push that > crossmember back where it belongs. I'm not sure what such an impact > might have done to the rack. I don't see it leaking anywhere and it > looks OK -- anyone know if the internals would be shockproof? > > The other idea I'm now considering is to resurrect the parts van I got. > It's a rolling chassis, the paint is tired but it looks rust free even > around the window corners and seams. It looks like it was undercoated; > mine has not been and while it's largely rust free the parts van is in > overall better shape. > > The prior owner kept the motor, transmission, and a lot of interior > pieces. I could swap all that over from my van... the one big > difference is that mine is a manual and the other van was an automatic. > It's probably a bigger project, but it would be largely just be bolt up > and hook up stuff, no frame straightening, welding, etc. which I have > never done to any real degree. > > So, I'm leaning towards swapping my motor, transaxle and interior to the > parts van. Will the manual/automatic issue be any concern, given that > the original automatic isn't there anyway? Any other incompatibilites > between the '87 and the '91 years? > > Allan > -- > 1991 Vanagon GL


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