Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:16:06 -0700
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Another bus in my fleet - mouse warning
In-Reply-To: <27BF0EC3-E122-4881-AF5E-3E7A7FA68055@verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
In case no one has mentioned it yet, be extremely careful around mouse poop. It can carry the Hanta virus. At the very least, wear gloves and a mask, maybe even a respirator. You may want to read up on it first just to be safe.
Great find on the van, by the way. I'd love to have another but doing exhaust (leading to engine) work on my already-nice Westy makes me think a project Vanagon might kill me or drive me crazy.
Stephen
--- On Tue, 10/25/11, Daniel Rotblatt <d.rotblatt@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
From: Daniel Rotblatt <d.rotblatt@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Another bus in my fleet
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 6:17 PM
Get rid of the mice and nests, the smell will fade. Check the wires, they like to chew on them... Also, mouse pee is very corrosive. I picked up an old Spitfire engine and trans that had mice nesting over the trans, the aluminum on the trans cover was horribly corroded under the nest - 1/4" or more gone, 1/4" bolts rusted almost completely through. Aluminum not under the nest was fine - just a little white corrosion.
Dan
Los Angeles, CA
"Winky" the '85 Westy Weekender
On Oct 25, 2011, at 8:07 AM, Ryan Shawley wrote:
> Got a car with a mousey smell used a bucket of damprid and some air freshener type thing gel in a jar that supposedly absorbed odors (found at lowes). Smell is fading fast obviousky cleanup any signs of a nest. Good luck and nice find
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 25, 2011, at 10:27 AM, craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>> Well last weekend I had the pleasure of finally acquiring my new bus, a 1990
>> GL.
>> It's burgundy in color with paint in PERFECT shape, full Carat Body Cladding
>> and alloy wheels (all in pretty good shape) and only two rusty seams (Easy
>> enough to cover up).
>> It's an automatic transmission bus, my first, as well as having only 66,000
>> miles on it.
>>
>> Why did I need another bus?
>> I didn't. It was $350! : )
>>
>> My current gameplan is to get it back on the road (it's been off for 3 or 4
>> years) and run it all winter. This will allow me to take my Zetec converted
>> '85 rusty bus off the road and spend the time taking the engine out and
>> putting it in my syncro westfalia to be ready for the spring. Hopefully I
>> can bring this bus back to life relatively easily. It was parked because the
>> starter was going bad and finally "just stopped working" Sure enough, I
>> pulled the starter off and the cable going between the starter body and the
>> solenoid was completely broken in two with corrosion, so it should be a
>> relatively simple fix. Hopefully I have a replacement starter on the way
>> soon and can go from there.
>> I ended up renting a trailer and towing it home as I had to tow home my
>> syncro as well (Blew a rod clean off the crank! So completely detached it
>> still runs on 3 cylinders now that i've removed the two bent/gouged
>> pushrods! Two lifters are "gone")
>>
>> I have a few questions though.
>>
>> First, what's the trick to getting rid of mouse odor? Mice lived in the bus.
>> While towing it (on a Uhaul Trailer) I followed in my silver bus and at a
>> stop light, saw a mouse fall out onto the trailer, run around confused, then
>> fall onto the road where he was promptly splattered by my tire. The bus
>> smells strongly of mice, where should i begin?
>>
>> Secondly, suspension wise is a 90 GL the same as a CARAT? I want to turn
>> this one into a low and well cornering bus (Polar opposite of my giant
>> syncro). What are people running for springs, shocks, and sway bars to
>> make a sleek road going machine?
>>
>> Lastly, my electric windows don't work, where should i start? Do these
>> motors just get seized in place and if so, are they able to be brought back
>> to life with the help of penetrating lubricants?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -Craig
>> '85GL turned WESTY
>> Turned 7 Passanger
>> Zetec in the back
>> '87 SUNROOF Syncro
>> Turned WEsty
>> 3 Cylinder WBXer in the back
>> '90GL Auto
>> Dead in the water
>>
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