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Date:         Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:27:45 -0400
Reply-To:     craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Another bus in my fleet
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

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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