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Date:         Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:00:13 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Body shop -- I take it back
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <021101cb6d71$1a9d9ca0$6501a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Thanks, Scott.

I ran out of time before pulling the tail light assembly, wondered if that was the secret door into the secret space behind the marker.

I'm hoping I'll find the bulb socket in there, or at least a wire.

The marker lens mounting holes in the panel are quite a bit larger than the screw wants. Screw looks to be a #6 SMS, the holes are 1/4''. That's more than a little bit too large. I hope I can open up the holes in the plastic lenses sufficiently to take a big enough screw.

ALSO NOTED: The "Volkwagen" badge on the left side of the hatch apparently had the left hand pointy mounting stud-pin thingy break off, there's nothing to mount it into the hole in the hatch. It's flopping a bit. I wonder if a wad of Beemans will hold it in place.

On Sat, 2010-10-16 at 13:31 -0700, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote: > ( you've probably noticed it's real easy to take out the tail light to > access that area by now ) > > I don't find this sort of thing surprising at all. > > I see over and over, that paint and body shops make things LOOK right .. > not actually BE right,. or even mostly right. > > I also suspect that if sand paper, paint, elbow grease and random orbital > sanders are their normal medium .. > that they can just as easily wrap their minds around a tail light or side > marker, etc. > I'll bet you won't find many 12 volts test lights, or spare bulbs even > much ( you'd think they MUST have spare bulbs for their jobs though ! ) > ...in a typical body shop. > > really ...this is Normal for paint and body shops. > Not that it's Right ........'taint.............but that is the common > standard for many paint and body shops. > I've seen it a thousand times. > particularly about lights and about bumper mounting ....just shoddy work. > > to be fair .. > about vanagon rear side marker light screws .. > sometimes, rather than the screw unscrewing from the plastic insert in the > body it screws into... > the plastic insert just spins in the body. > I find that on about say ......3 out of 20 rear side marker screws I remove. > I end up having to hold that little plastic part from spinning > somehow...mini vice-grips from the back side works sometimes. > > re > "something rattled down inside the body behind the panel." > > > no bid deal if you just remove the tail light assembly .. > that gives you a clear view into a nice plain area of the body. Anything > dropped there is likely to be pretty easy to see. > You might also see the backside of the shiny outside work .. > I've seen crumpled panels behind the 'nice work' ..cause they know it won't > show from the outside. > I've seen the backsides of new fenders ..not painted in anyway. > > The common/normal standard for many paint and body shops is maybe 7 on a > scale of 10 at the most. > > I'm sure you've figured out to remove the tail light by now. > just 4 simple screws , and hopefully they saved the 4 correct ones, and used > the stock nuts plates they screw into. Then unplug the connector. Then lots > of access. > > You didn't actually think they were gong to do a complete job did you ? > > I knew from here 200 miles away they likely would do that sort of work on > it. Sad to say. > > > a really GOOD paint and body shop ... > I barely know of one , that's in 30 + years of working on cars. > And even then, I'd expect to have to check the lights myself .. > but leaving out a whole socket ... > > tell me .. > how can car technicians install a lens or light and not even check that it > works ??????? > > sorry that happened to you. > Their standards are just low ...just how it is, unfortunately. > > At least you made money on the deal ..so a side marker socket and installing > it right is a small price to pay , just too bad there can't be more trust > mano-a-mano. You didn't get what you paid for. > > When I've tried to tactfully talk to a shop about this sort of thing .. > sometimes they're defensive, rather than apolgetic like you'd think. > > maybe you should check the rear wheels are on tight, > just in case they removed them, or that side, to work on it. > > odds are .. > hyper tight no gorilla could ever get it off .......30 % chance. > not tight enough , so the wheel will fall off in flight ..............20 % > chance. > 'about right ' ...50 % chance. > > I wish it was better than that ! > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2010 12:38 PM > Subject: Body shop -- I take it back > > > > What a bunch of maroons. > > > > When I dropped off the van to have the rear quarter panel replaced, I > > also brought a new rear side marker light. The old one had been cracked > > in the collision. I asked them to install the new one while working on > > the van. > > > > When I picked up the van, I noticed that they hadn't replaced the lens, > > so I set about replacing it myself this morning. Easy job, right? Just > > take out the two screws, set aside the old lens, install the new. > > > > But the screws turned and turned and did not come out. Then one did: it > > just slid out and something rattled down inside the body behind the > > panel. > > > > "Uh oh," I said. Well, actually I said something a bit stronger as I > > eyed the situation and saw that the hole behind the marker was way to > > large for any screw small enough to slip through the plastic marker to > > catch on. > > > > It appeared that they had just put press-nuts behind the panel for the > > screws to catch on. > > > > It would have been fine except that one does need to remove the lens to > > replace a bulb once in a while. > > > > So I removed the other screw, hearing the other press nut jingle down > > inside the body, pulled out the marker lens assembly and -- guess what? > > No bulb, no socket. Just a round hole with a lot of dark behind it. > > > > Cripes. > > > > Is there any way to access the space behind the marker lamp? > > > > -- > > Rocky J Squirrel > > '84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") > > '74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) > > Bend, OR > > KG6RCR >


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