Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:29:00 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: extra underbody protection plate finished
In-Reply-To: <1521371340.4486602.1385129617930.JavaMail.root@sz0063a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I think the German vehicles of that era all were heavily prone to
rust badly. It seems to be a characteristic of them, perhaps the
composition of the steel, or something? My SO told me her old 70s
BMW 2002 was "making a funny noise" On inspection (opening the trunk)
I found the whole left rear suspension had rusted through, no longer
attached to the body...The rear was dragging on the tire...She so
loved that vehicle, insisted she wanted it fixed.. I had my race car
suspension shop build some tube frame members to carry the suspension
pick up points and she continued to drive it with pleasure till just
recently...You could tie your shoelaces through the floor of the
trunk...but I think the paint kept the body looking OK...
On Fri, Nov 22, 2013 at 6:13 AM, J Stewart <fonman4277@comcast.net> wrote:
> I've been curious as to just how the Bays rusted the way they did. I owned a '75 that the body was Swiss cheese while the frame was rock solid. I later owned a '77 that the body was nearly perfect while the front beam had mostly rusted away. The late Steve Dolan told me it was the worst front beam he'd ever seen, yet the rest of the frame and body were in excellent shape. Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message -----
>> My understanding of it is that folks did not clean out the "weep"
>> holes. Cleaning the bottom of a vehicle is not something most folks
>> (present company excluded) do when cleaning their car. As a result,
>> snow, slush, mud,wetness in general got in between the pan and the
>> bottom of the bus and stayed there. Rust formed that one did not know
>> was there until it got real bad. If my memory serves me correctly,
>> frame rails and cross members were especially hard hit. Especially if
>> one does not live in a dry climate.
>> Dave B.
>> On 11/21/13, Richard A Jones<Jones@Colorado.EDU> wrote:
>> On 11/21/2013 8:09 AM, ddbjorkman@verizon.net wrote:
>> > VW stopped using those body pans due in part to the horrible rust
>> > problems that
>> > cropped up under those pans.
>> I'm curious now.... When did they stop? How do you know it was rust?
>> Mine keeps the area 'twixt the pan and the frame-underbody cleaner
>> and dryer than without. Plus it has several holes that make sure it
>> drains and doesn't hold a lake.
>> Does anybody know if non-gas heater Vanagon models of the air-cooled
>> had this pan? My '76 bay, without any gas heater, didn't have any pan.
>> If I had a 2wd Vanagon, I'd sure look at putting my spare on it.
>> Of course, I live in a dry climate.
>> Richard
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