Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:41:32 -0500
Reply-To: Michael Sullivan <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Sullivan <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Simply Stunning....
In-Reply-To: <FBF9341A-AFE8-4F68-AB5C-C6AA357E62AF@gmail.com>
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Bravo---East Coast to the rescue.
Michael in San Antonio
91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
On Sat, Sep 25, 2010 at 4:04 PM, Brandon Christophel <bchristophel@gmail.com
> wrote:
> I had beed doing small projects on my 1987 Westy for a few months. As you
> do van research, you can't help but run across peoples experiences with
> rust. I could see where my seams were showing a tinge of rust color. I
> sense of dread sunk in. Rust is like an iceberg they say. If you can see
> the tip, then whats underneath is huge. This is what started the sense of
> dread that I carried while finishing up small projects. Pretty soon it
> became the monkey on my back and I couldn't take it anymore. I finished up
> the projects and began to seek out a doctor for my baby. Not just any
> doctor, I wanted a specialist.
>
> I put out some feelers. The name that came back was "Zoltan". He's had my
> van for awhile now. He sent me a mail saying, "its out of paint and it
> looks beautiful". You have to know the man but, he usually doesn't use
> decorative words like that. He'll say, "and it's fine" or "that's ok". So,
> I was *very* curious what I was to see.
>
> Getting the van to this point is the culmination of a lot of hard work.
> Zoltan has been like the conductor of an orchestra. Doing the tear down of
> *everything*, noting items to be replaced or fixed and giving me options
> along the way, getting the sanding done and bringing the body metal back to
> trueness, attacking rust and going through the procedures he has to get rid
> of it and probably a hundred other things I'll never know he did.
>
> Today I get to see it. The results of all this work so far. So, in my car
> and off to Lynnwood I go. I saw Zoltan and waved hello. He was moving cars
> around among the fleet of Westys that are his domain. We greeted and
> walked as we were chatting. We rounded the corner of one of the other
> Westys and suddenly, I looked up and there it was, my baby... it was simply
> STUNNING... I think I clapped my hands and yelped. I turned to Zoltan and
> shook his hand. "It's fantastic!" I said. All his preparation work had
> paid off. The van is incredible looking and yet, it doesn't even have it's
> trim put back on it yet. Zoltan took me around the vehicle and led me
> through pieces of the the work and how it was done. I just couldn't stop
> looking. It's gorgeous! We still have a ways to go but, man it's going
> well. It is a work of art already.
>
> Zoltan won't brag so, I felt it necessary to send this mail. He may not
> like it but, the way I see it, If I don't inform the community of the
> availability of a master craftsman and the fine work he is doing then, I am
> doing a disservice to all all those van owners who were like me and had a
> monkey on their back but, didn't know who to trust.
>
> Get rid of your monkey. Call Zoltan.
>
> -Brandon
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