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Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:50 am

howiesfamily wrote: Kirk, if I'd have known you were planning on going that far to pick up something like that, I would have told you about the 71 Westy pop-top here in the wrecking yard in Fort Worth that was complete up until about a week ago. They would have taken about $400 for it. Nice looking mustard color seats, childs cot, and everything. Someone took a cutting torch to the drivers side B pillar now. Still has lots of good parts if he needs them though. I have the cot and brackets.

Damn Goomus, you know to tell me about good stuff like that. How about I bring this beast out to your house and store it? I can put it next to that half a bug. :lol:

Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:29 am

The half a bug is now an entertainment center on someone's patio in Venus. Besides, I've got enough rat turds of my own in my shop. I can't eat raisens or chocolate chips anymore. :(

Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:05 pm

I smell a rat...

Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:07 pm

howiesfamily wrote: the 71 Westy pop-top here in the wrecking yard in Fort Worth

same yard I saw you at way back whenever that was? Riverside drive I think?

Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:10 pm

Yep. Same bus. The only thing missing since you hit it is someone took a torch to the B-pillar on the drivers side and they took the Z-bed pads. Left the brackets, though. :-k

Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:15 pm

Since I am trying to Convince my wife to let me get a project bus I would request we burey this story in the depths of the internet.

Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:42 pm

skylermoon wrote: Since I am trying to Convince my wife to let me get a project bus I would request we burey this story in the depths of the internet.

Convince her? Dude, just let her go on a shopping trip. Call it even. :D

Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:09 pm

Here's a little revenge for all of you that have had battles or dealings with mice.

After removing the nose of my bus for it's replacement (still in progress) I discovered this little fart in some kind of vent hole near the heater tube. Totally creeped me out. That's what he gets for stealing cheese!

Wed Jul 12, 2006 8:28 am

Sorry if I'm repeating a previous post. Somebody linked to this thread over in the Vanagon forum and I don't have time to read it all but,

is this what they call 'patina?' :wink:

Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:15 am

Well, for an update, he lost the battle. His wife refused, even after he spent nearly five hours cleaning it, to let him keep it. In fact, he is still cleaning it, but really, to no avail. (He offered it to me, and I politely declined.)

Our friend came home and found the bus, and immediately called me. It wasn't a pleasant conversation, and long story short, it now sits outside my apartment.

This does not bode well with the powers that be.

Edit: He put it on the Samba, but changed his mind. He's looking into storage units now instead. This weekend I am helping him gut the rest of the interior, and we plan on scrubbing it out with simple green and bleach at yet another local car wash. I'll try to remember the pics. :lol:

Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:49 am

mightyart wrote: Wow, I've helped a few friends like that before. :roll:
Wait a few days, him and his wife will decide to try to give it to you since you know about VWs. :lol:

I've played this game before. :lol:
call a junkyard they will come haul it away for free, it's worth about 60.00 scrap.
Tell your friend I know where there is a Vanagon Westy Cheap and in the Dallas area. :lol:

Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:15 pm

Hi - I'm Steve the idiot freind. Most of what Kirk said is true, but I swear he exaggerated that a bit. Maybe. :lol:

Anyway, Ratty is out back of a freinds shop now, and I have been piddiling on it abit.

Anyway, as you can see, I gutted the interior. I threw away the Zbed (kept the hindges, see my ads) and jump seat, and gave away the fridge. I figured that none of it could be saved anyway.That Zbed was kinda hard to get out, but then I just sorta smashed it, and it came right out. :wink:

Then I made about six trips to the trash, with the filled up shop trash can, and got all the garbage out. I used the shop vac for about two hours, and I think I got all the turds out of it too. There were even turds in the heater vent! I pretty much filled it with Simple Green and bleach, and scrubbed it for two hours. Doesn't smell at all now, but I still wouldn't sit my sandwich on it. I still need to clean the glass and dash, but its too hot, and I'm tired for the day. I still don't know what is going to come of the Ratbus, but I feel better that its clean(er). I wonder if getting it on the road is even feasible? I guess if you have enough money, anything is. :?

Anyway, Ratty is still here. :)

Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:21 pm

Bay Window Steve wrote: Hi - I'm Steve the idiot freind. Most of what Kirk said is true, but I swear he exaggerated that a bit. Maybe. :lol:

Anyway, Ratty is out back of a freinds shop now, and I have been piddiling on it abit.

Anyway, as you can see, I gutted the interior. I threw away the Zbed (kept the hindges, see my ads) and jump seat, and gave away the fridge. I figured that none of it could be saved anyway.That Zbed was kinda hard to get out, but then I just sorta smashed it, and it came right out. :wink:

Then I made about six trips to the trash, with the filled up shop trash can, and got all the garbage out. I used the shop vac for about two hours, and I think I got all the turds out of it too. There were even turds in the heater vent! I pretty much filled it with Simple Green and bleach, and scrubbed it for two hours. Doesn't smell at all now, but I still wouldn't sit my sandwich on it. I still need to clean the glass and dash, but its too hot, and I'm tired for the day. I still don't know what is going to come of the Ratbus, but I feel better that its clean(er). I wonder if getting it on the road is even feasible? I guess if you have enough money, anything is. :?

Anyway, Ratty is still here. :)
Looks promising....

Sat Aug 05, 2006 1:06 pm

You have a way with words for sure!

it looks a lot better now that you have cleaned it how many times? glad you saved it!

Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:32 pm

This will be a great story if and when you get it all fixed up. I can't wait to see the pix.

Sat Aug 05, 2006 4:16 pm

I expected this story to end with, "Crusher picked it up and even made me pay them $20 to take it away..."

Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:06 pm

Good for you! I wouldn't have done it, but I'm glad to see another one saved. =D>

Sat Aug 05, 2006 9:13 pm

That is so great. Again good for you! I truly - really hope the out come will include your lady riding with pride in that original painted bus with a big smile of pride on what you have done! Give her my post, and I would love to share my female input.

Barb

Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:21 pm

The last thing I expected was the pictures of the bus looking ALMOST
presentable.
The story was well written and fun. Good luck on the bus.
I don't want to see you on Divorce Court. She would WIN!

Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:39 pm

Man, reading this makes me feel great! Looks like what i went through last summer. rat doo doo no more