Date:         Tue, 11 Apr 95 15:21:05 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ja@decws3.coe.wvu.edu (John Anderson)
Subject:      Re: Things that make you go "Hmmmm"

> 
> WINDOWS: All
> ..Maybe it's just me, but does anybody else have a problem with the
> ..wingvent windows on the side and rear windows (72 bus)? Mine are
> ..rusting/bubbling directly under the hingepin for the quartervent. ...I've
> replaced my sliding door window with a jalosie model and plan
> ..to do the same with the opposite side, but imagine others must be
> ..having the same experiance as most of the junked busses I find have
> ..the same rust booboo's?
> 
> Kevin Murray  -FEETSFirst Films
> 
Certaintly the rear wingvents are a real problem, the real funny thing
is that their condition is strictly a function of the rubber seals, on
my '76 the sliding door one and the rear drivers side had totaly
deteriorated rubber and the frames and lower pivot had rusted seized
then broken off, I had approximately 5 such frames from various parts
buses and it took all of them to rebuild the 2, I cut them up and used
the good tops from one side as bottoms for the other and MIG welded
together, VW does sell the metal frames and they are not as bad as you
might think, $25 a few years ago for just the C shaped part, it pop
rivets to the straight side.  NOW FOR A TRULY AMAZING THING, blessed by
the VW gods, the vent wing immediately behind the driver was perfect, in
fact the origional rubber was perfect, whereas all other rubber was
shot, must have been from a special batch and VW should have kept its
formulation, after 15 years it was as brand new as was the frame inside
it.  In fact I kept it against the chance of buying another bus and put
2 of my rebuilt that came out nice enough themselves after painting into
the bus and deleted the rear vent on the drivers side replacing it with
a single large piece of glass from the opposite side of a parts bus.  I
urge anyone with the time though to consider rebuilding your frames,
like I said, cut two halves from opposite sides then weld or braze them
together and repaint, nice results fully covered by new rubber ($50 each
now, ouch) so it doesnt matter anyway, of course if the little clamp
assembly is too corroded or if the pin has rusted off the glass frame,
then you got to come up with some other options, more home fabrication
time.  I caution everyone to check these locations cause like Kevin says
when that clamp starts rusting in contact with the body you got
problems.

John Anderson
ja@coe.wvu.edu