Date:         Sun, 3 Oct 1999 10:04:35 -0700
Reply-To:     steve delasalle <sdelasal@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         steve delasalle <sdelasal@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Rust on a Bus
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I was looking at another westy a couple of days ago
with a view to buying it. It was an 83.  I'm looking
for something with a good body i.e. no rust - I don't
mind dents or surface rust though.  In SE Michigan
that sees hard to find!
Anyway, the van looked good - a few dents and creases.
I looked in the usual rust spots...

1) Front lip on body next to bumper - looked okay -
maybe patched up.
2) Horizontal seam behind driver door - minor rust
below surface - had been patched up though.
3) Underneath rear wheel arch 'battery tray area' -
looked okay.

The van seemed good... But... then, in the location
vertically down from the passenger door handle right
at the bottom of the bus, just before you go
underneath & next to the plastic 'bung',  I noticed
that the paint was 'blistering' I pushed it in and it
collapsed with a small hole appearing about size of a
dime.  I've never noticed this as a weak rust point in
any of the other 3-4 buses that I've looked at.. Three
questions...

1) Is this a well known rust point - how comes given
the plastic bung thats there - Was the bung there as a
result of rust treatment - or is it intended as a
drainage hole.

2) How easy is it to treat rust in this area - i.e. if
I probed deeper how much is likely to be rotten.

3) Anyone have an other 'rust points' that are worth
checking when inspecting a bus.

Steve


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