Date:         Mon, 2 Nov 1998 20:07:56 -0500
Reply-To:     Bulley-Hewlett & Associates <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bulley-Hewlett & Associates <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject:      silicone sealant removal
Comments: To: "vanagon@vanagon.com" <vanagon@vanagon.com>

Our previous owner took very good care of our White Westy. Overall,
whatever it needed, she paid someone to do. The receipts show that the Van
saw service bays in a half-dozen countries here and across the pond.
Thanks, Ms. S. Wood. :)

At some point in its 16 years of service, a service tech somewhere in the
world sealed the gap between the rubber top seal and the Fiberglas top with
clear silicone gook. Did a neat job of it and apparently used about a
gallon of the muck, as the bead is about an inch wide, tapering neatly up
the top. While this has served to preserve the seal in nearly pristine
condition, there are a couple of spots where the seal is loosing the battle
with water and time, and will soon have to come off.

I don't want to screw up the top in an way, as ours still has a bright
white shine to it. Question is, how does one remove gobs of silicone from
Fiberglas without using damaging chemicals or anything that might
scratch/haze the gel-coat?

G. Matthew Bulley
Principal
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Communications for Organizational Development
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free