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
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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