Date:         Thu, 1 Apr 2021 17:34:11 -0700
Reply-To:     Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Subject:      California Smog Test Success
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

My Westy was parked outdoors for most of 2020.  The engine hasn't been
started in months.  This is L.A., so not the worst place to leave a van
parked outdoors for a year, but, y'know, sun.  The curtains were closed
the whole time.

Its registration came up for renewal, and this year California requires
a smog test.  (The last time was 2017.)

So today I opened up the engine compartment, checked the belts and
fluids, and shone the shop light on the fuel lines.  I've been keeping
the batteries charged, so it started right up.  I didn't see any leaks.
I let the engine warm until the fan cycled on and off.

Then I drove it over to the smog test shop, where it passed with no
trouble.  The brakes sound like they had some rust, but not bad.  I
didn't notice any flat spots in the tires.

I credit the Westy's relative reliability to the work Bus Depot did 1.4K
miles back in October, 2019.  And before that, the new fuel tank and
pressure regulator by Peninsula Automotive 4K miles back in August,
2018, after we limped back from the east coast.

https://sbw.org/sbwsty/

After the smog test, I drove to East L.A. to get the vaccine.

https://n.sbw.org/s/mmyLFLqMPi42Kt7

Over an hour in stop and go traffic.  The van did fine.  I drove the
speed limit on the way back.

My next job is to take it to the car wash, and then finally break out
the buffer I bought a couple of years ago to try to make it shine, more
or less.  There are a few spots of broken paint, and the rear hatch has
a big spot of rust at the bottom center of the window, but otherwise I
think I can make it look OK.