1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus

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In the previous post, I mentioned never fully trusting the original engine either. I'm not paranoid, I'm just careful based on past experience(s).

I dug into my Westy files for an exchange between Mellow Yellow and "Dave" aka djkeev that I particularly like. In fact, Dave's viewpoint matches a lot of my own including the following admission: "I don't play much music either. I prefer to spend the time with my wife talking, or in mutual silence watching the World go by and I listen to the vehicle and the highway roll by, A running antique VW will tell you a lot about its health ....... if you listen to it. These quirks of mine keep me rolling without any serious mechanical problems."

You'll find the following at the bottom of the first page of the thread "Stock coolant tank vs RMW's The Tank". Pure words of wisdom -- although I don't check things out quite as much as Dave does. Listening, though, is a biggie for me. I hear TICKing or TAPPing/SLAPPing or anything else, my VW spidey sense kicks in immediately:

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Now just because you end up in the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club doesn't mean you can't steer your way back onto the highways and byways of the land. But you need 1) GoWesty Warranty Coverage 2) Time -- Measured in Months 3) Patience 4) Patience 5) Patience and 6) A Fine Mechanic to make things right.

Knowing that Dr. Frankenstein was still working on piecing his creation together -- Fritz's engine and associated doodads were disassembled at this point -- I stayed away from the shop to prevent a certain nagging/curious individual from getting underfoot. No need to mention names since we all know who I'm talking about. No, instead I took my lengthy Thanksgiving grocery list and my other wheels to the store to load up on food. Our Canadian Thanksgiving comes considerably earlier than the U.S. one so we space our turkey eating out a bit better.

Here's my other 2WD wheels for grocery shopping:

Yeah, I roll that right into the store, load it up, get to the self checkout, unload, scan the items, load 'em up and wheel it back out again. I've carried 60lbs+ on it (bagged soil from Home Depot) but today's run was probably only about half that. And, yes, there was a frozen turkey in the bottom bag. That Burley Travoy is actually designed as a bike trailer but I use it as a handcart, even in winter, and it does the trick. I also had a daypack on my back to hold a couple of large boxes of Tetley tea that was on sale -- bulky but light. I never drink tea but my wife comes from a British background and you know how they love their tea. The nice thing with the Travoy? No TAPPing/SLAPPing pistons, no TICKing muffler, in fact, no unreliable vehicle parts to worry about at all. And it doesn't even have loose shoelaces to tie up. I grabbed its foam handle and pulled the Travoy the mile or so to get home.

Well, I'd just about settled in for a well-earned lunch by this time and the phone rings. "Hey, it's Matthew from Tony's. Jesse said that you had a small hose that you wanted to add to the parts that were going on the engine before the new coolant was poured in. Have you got it?" To tell you the truth I was kind of tired by this time but I could finally see a way to weasel my way into the ICU bay where they had Fritz. And I wouldn't even ruffle any feathers. No, sir, I'd be on an honest-to-goodness parts delivery mission.

"Matt, do I have time to eat or do you need it right now?" After cutting me some slack for refueling, I went looking through my spare parts pile for that teeny weeny hose. Aha! Finally found it: https://www.vancafe.com/N90128703-p/n90128703.htm . I'd bought that to potentially replace the original supplied by GoWesty with the engine -- the small hose we reefed on over a dozen times in an attempt to stop the clamps from letting coolant drip out. I finally succeeded on the umpteenth try and let the matter lie -- until Jesse remembered I had the VC alternative.

After hastily eating and taking my cancer meds, I popped onto my folding bike with the little hose tucked in my back bag. Confession: I could hardly wait to get underfoot again.

Rolling through the open shop bay door, I heard Jesse from over yonder in the ICU: "Ah, another parts delivery." I caught him on a snack break so my timing was perfect:

Parking my bike, I handed him the hose and immediately noticed that it was shorter than the GoWesty one. I left it up to him to decide which one was better suited for that critical location. Then I started snooping:

Okay, I have to confess that I really enjoy poking fun at GoWesty over my wonky GW engine and parts -- Lord knows I've earned the right to try to keep them humble -- but they do make some really nice stuff even if they aren't perfect and this is one of the items that I added:

That billet aluminum thermostat housing is a beauty: https://www.gowesty.com/product/-/23281/gowesty-thermostat-housing-kit-?v= . When I stuck my head in the empty engine compartment it was deja vu all over again:

Had a year really passed since the initial Makeover? Yup! And more months besides. We discussed the 4-hole fuel injectors and I suggested that he have a look at this thread for the link to the spray pattern video that Stefan did for me. (Thanks again, Stefan!) A picture/video is worth a thousand words -- maybe more in the case of those otherwise-hidden fuel injectors. Missed that video first time around? Here's the link again to the 4-hole spray pattern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PibisidsSbQ .

The heart below shows another GoWesty item I love: https://www.gowesty.com/product/engine-exhaust/23805/metal-air-bleed-nipple-kit and the skull and crossbones shows that dang spot where the small hose leaked over and over and over and over again:

Jesse quickly showed me some images on his phone of the top-notch re-construction work on the engine that he'd done and after complimenting him on such fine work -- and begging for some copies of those photos -- I jumped back on my bike and pedaled home. Fingers crossed, the engine might be back in by day's end and Jesse could then drive it home for the initial break-in.
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"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

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Let's get back to the driving force, so to speak, behind all my troubles: Pistons. Wonky ones at that!

Recall that Jesse ran out of the back of the shop with a very scored/scratched/gouged piston to show me. He claimed it was from cylinder 1 but I corrected him and said it looked like the piston from #4 -- the one that was the worst of the bunch based on the bore scope exam. Turned out I was right. Here it is again to turn a few stomachs:

Not good!

Now by the time I showed up with that wee coolant hose for Jesse, most of the blood and gore had already been cleaned up. Dang! But while he was wafting that enticing looking piece of whole-wheat bread around, I spied some evil looking objects on the table:

Yup, the wonky pistons. Jesse had already installed the set provided under warranty by GoWesty and I was crossing my fingers that all would be well. It seems that these cast pistons have been causing troubles since Day 1 albeit in small numbers: https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=82 . The coating was the problem and likely was on mine as well.

So let's turn our attention for a moment to the supplier, United Engine & Machine aka UEM, an outfit that's been around for almost 100 years:

Hmmm...that's certainly a fitting logo for these progressive times: a young angel riding a piston that goes up and down between her legs. I'm not saying that I dislike that logo, I'm just saying that it does harken back to the age of the dinosaurs (I'm talking about my youth here). Okay, let's move on to the division of UEM that Westy owners should be interested in:

Note they use the term "Better" not "Best". A question put forward in the company history: "Silv-O-Lite ... What Does It Mean?" I'll tell you what it means to me: a whole lotta wasted time and trouble dealing with wonky piston coatings. According to the standard line, however: "As the story goes, the name Silv-O-Lite originated from the fact that small amounts of silver were alloyed into the aluminum. Hence the name. This name goes back to the company's earliest beginnings in 1922."

Again, "Each Silv-O-Lite piston is manufactured from cast aluminum and then machined to produce a unique diamond finish, all to exacting skirt tolerances. It is then heat-treated and machined for strength and durability, tighter piston-to-cylinder wall clearances, and longer piston life. Longer what? Mine lasted all of 3,000 miles! Oh, well, that's just a small insignificant detail so let's move on.

Silv-O-Lite Line 2 Line ("L2L") pistons are what GoWesty uses:

Now that stuff is way over my head. So let's continue on again:

Would you like two tablespoons of sugar with your iced tea or one? That seems to make a BIG difference in the coating holding up. No?

I have a feeling that when GoWesty puts together its rebuilt engines they know the Silv-O-Lite production batch codes that go into each of those builds. Or at least they should. And if my rebuild had wonky piston coatings then it stands to reason that others that used the same batch of pistons would very likely experience the same problems. Does that make sense?

Quality control? https://uempistons.com/files/uem-quality-guidelines-english.pdf They lost me at "Congruence".

Looking at getting a membership in the GoWesty Belly Flop Club? Those pistons will likely be your entry point. Hopefully, Jesse will provide some more detailed photos in the near future.
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"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

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To Err is Humane; to Forgive, Divine.
Alexander Pope
An Essay on Criticism (1711)

No one is perfect. EVERYONE makes mistakes. Pope was using Old English so his spelling of human was correct for the time. No mistake there but he made others somewhere else in his life. So have I, so have you and so have businesses that deal with Westfalias and Vanagons including UEM, GoWesty, Van Cafe, Bus Depot, Bus Lab, etc etc. Maybe they haven't eaten as much humble pie as yours truly but they've certainly choked down a slice or two.

As much as I hated getting dragged through a warranty claim, there's a silver lining in every cloud. If I hadn't gone through that ordeal -- one I'm almost at the end of hopefully -- I wouldn't have met my fave artist Michelle Hoogveld, discovered the artistic internal and external makeover of Tony's Auto Service, got to hang out with great mechanics, walk and bike for miles and had a perfect opportunity to look around at local attractions at a SLO pace. Call it an adventure of another kind because that's what it was. Oh, and I even earned the right to poke fun at GoWesty -- and have done so numerous times. We're square now.

I didn't expect Jesse to get the van engine installed and everything connected that late in the day after I left him with the small VC coolant hose -- which he used BTW -- but I reckoned by yesterday afternoon Fritz might be out of the Intensive Care Unit and parked in the emergency waiting room. He was: Hallelujah! Jesse had just run the initial break-in on him and backed him out minutes before I arrived.

I suddenly had an old tune start running through my head -- and I'm dating myself with this selection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgqHguBQIjc (the long version -- much better so Crank 'Er Up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBuVQguyPVY -- replace the Easy Rider footage with a Westy and you've got it) . Same biker switch to V-dubs and you've got this one, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9V_2-Pbz4Q or Travelin' Man (another of my favourites) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlsMPC2Hcsg&feature=emb_logo . Believe it or not, Bob used to wear a top hat like that in his early days on stage. How do I know that? Well, back in my high school days in Canada's Motor City -- Windsor, Ontario across the river from Detroit -- we used to hire local American talent like him to play at our dances. At the time I was considered the school DJ and was the warm-up act for the band using a turntable hooked up to the PA system backstage in the gym. I was blasting out MC5's "Kick Out the Jams" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvJGQ_piwI0 rather loudly when top-hatted and platform shoe-ed Bob walked up to me and dropped this comment at point-blank range so I could hear him "Good music, man!". At the time I was all of 18 and he was ten years my senior. Groovy, man, groovy! I think my reply was a stunned "Thanks!". Seger music still rocks if you spent any time in the Windsor-Detroit area as a youth in the late 60s/early 70s. MC5? Short for Motor City 5. Another local band and the Godfathers of Punk. That was a great place to live back then -- rock 'n roll and motorhead heaven. In the mornings, before classes started, I'd sit in the principal's office/school admin area playing the likes of The Doors; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Jimi Hendrix; The Rolling Stones; Joni Mitchell; Santana; The Allman Brothers; Janis Joplin; James Taylor; Beatles etc over the PA system. I'd have students wander in and say crank 'er up and teachers step in a few minutes later and say turn 'er down. To keep both sides of the field happy, I'd make tapes from my parent's records -- Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole and others -- and devote one day a week to entertaining the teaching and office staff. Those were the days! I wonder if they let kids do that now? But I'm digressing again....

Once Jesse got Fritz out of the way, he drove the next patient in, a white Westy due for a GoWesty 2.45L:

Next to it was the GW 2.3L transplant recipient. That owner was going through the same thing I'd endured the year before with a mechanical makeover followed by bodywork. Good luck! The orange tarps were strung up due to a leak around the skylights. Roofer Mark who I featured previously in the thread had fixed that problem but we've had no heavy rain to test his handiwork so Jesse wasn't taking any chances.

Jesse mentioned that the art on the east wall outside had been vandalized by a rival rattle can artist so it had been re-done recently by a safer bet -- a spray can artist from Montreal. Cool! I had to go see that and get some pics:

Yup, a shout out to Visual Orgasm, the local spray can supplier.

A bullet hole, perhaps a tribute to the rivalry that went on prior to this wall art.

Remember the side key drop that was labeled as such? Gone:

Something that had been bothering me for some time was how Jesse's van came to be named Charlie. Showing my old age I queried him with "Hey, Jess, did you name your van after Steinbeck's Travels With Charley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travels_with_Charley . "What? No my kids named him after Charlie Brown." Get it? Brown van, favourite cartoon character = Charlie (Brown). BTW I reckon if Steinbeck were alive today he'd be driving cross-country using a Westy not a camper pick-up truck like he did in '60. Factoid: Steinbeck's paternal farming ancestors were residents of the North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Guess where Westies were made?

The naming thing led to another surprise: Shane had already given a tag to his new white van -- Michelle.

Left of his is another Tony's Auto purchase -- Rusty!

Both were named after their past owners i.e. Michelle owned the white van and Rusty was driven by Rusty (no rust-related connotation). The Syncro rounded out the collection but I didn't catch its name likely because at this point it didn't have one. All of them were purchased with the intent of fixing them up for use in a Rocky Mountain rental fleet. Jesse told me he had another two parked out at his Dad's place as well. Coooool! But I reckon the Brothers S. will be so busy on the mechanical end with the flood of customers from all corners of the West, they may never get to those rental makeovers. Jesse also informed me that a garage in nearby Airdrie that had been doing Westy/Vanagon work was ending all that fun and now shooing them in the direction of Tony's Auto. Dang, at this rate I'll never get near the place for timely repairs. "Take a ticket at the door please and wait your turn. We'll get to you in a month and a half!"

Oh, well, I guess I'll console myself with some regional country and western or folk/bluegrass like www.cjwe.ca/player/ or Corb Lund (Taber AB), the Dungarees (Edmonton AB) or The Dead South (Regina Sk): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FzVhw8_bY . (Unfortunately, it turns out the cello bass strummer on the left was a sexual predator and had to step away from the band a few months back after a justified backlash against him.) My music tastes might be mellowing with age but I still like my rock 'n roll, too.

That last song "In Hell I'll Be In Good Company" reminded me of this poster that you might want to pin up in your forever-breaking-down Westy (source: a bar in Butte, Montana):

I'll also be shaking hands with relatives. Have you heard of the relatives from Hell? Well, I actually have some: they're from Hell, Norway (I'm part Norwegian on my maternal grandmother's side) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Norway . The village has an annual music festival called "Blues in Hell" so it can't be all that bad. It's also the perfect place to see "when Hell freezes over", normally every winter. Some of the related devils actually paid a visit to see my folks in Red Deer, my hometown, a couple decades ago and turned out to be quite, um, heavenly. True story: when my Norwegian ancestors came over to settle, they held the Scandinavian surname "Wang" *** (from the old style Vang) which immigration officials managed to mangle to "Wong" which suddenly made them all Chinese, at least on paper. The descendants of those "Chinamen" -- as they were called back then with some degree of derision -- are still scattered over the western prairies of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

*** Please no dick, dong, schlong, johnson etc jokes. Unless they're really good ones.
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"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VicVan]

Can't wait to hear how Fritz is doing!

Also, a bit appalled by the new injectors' performance...
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'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)

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Okay, VicVan, here's the update:

As you saw, Fritz aka Frankenstein's monster was out of the ICU on Wednesday afternoon. I told Jesse to drive it back and forth to his place for a couple of days to make sure everything was working properly and not leaking.

GoWesty has a nice break-in procedure and you've got to follow it to the letter of the law to give those pistons a chance to keep you out of the GoWesty Belly Flop Club (unless they're naturally predisposed to it like mine were):

https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=22

For the most part, keep it under 4,000rpm and vary your rpm making sure not to hold it steady for more than ten minutes at a time. It's kind of like SLO 'N GO on the highway or expressway. In town, you naturally speed up and down and shift up and down with lights and traffic.

By Friday afternoon -- that's yesterday -- I was given the all clear and went down to Tony's Auto Service to get Fritz. Once home, I had a look at the engine:

Yup, all there! And it sounded smooth as silk. I'd left off the back mattress for the work and the engine was still running relatively quiet. The pistons are obviously out of sight and there's no telling how this set's coatings will hold up but I'm crossing my fingers. As I said upthread, I piggybacked a few other items on since the coolant and engine were out:

The biggies were the Van Cafe failproof fuel rails and the new 4-hole Denso/Defus fuel injectors.:

So far, so good. The injectors are actually working out really well and at start up there is ZERO hesitation to get up and go. The starter jumps to attention and VROOOM we have ignition. Yeah, one of the injectors had debris inside of it but I had that cleared out BEFORE installing them and it now pays dividends. I might be imagining it but my gas mileage seems higher, too. Nothing measured yet but it will be after they settle in. I may just leave those in. The aluminum fuel rails rock, too.

A last minute addition to the work was tossing the original small GoWesty hose (location marked upthread with the skull and cross bones or see below) and replacing it with the shorter Van Cafe version:

Looks like a better fit to me and Jesse said the clamps snug up against the "humps" on the pipe connections tighter:

Now I might have taken that GoWesty hose off but I put another piece of GoWesty product on -- and it's exquisite:

That's the billet aluminum thermostat housing. Beautiful! And something else in metal that should reduce your chances of breaking down in the middle of nowhere -- or even in the middle of somewhere. I had Jesse use the nylon top from my other housing (which was only about a year old) for two reasons: 1) I forgot to order the billet aluminum top and 2) nylon should be fine because even if it cracks, it's repairable on the road and shouldn't leak too much. My OEM nylon housing lasted decades so I rather doubt I'll have problems but then again -- they don't make 'em like they used to!

Fritz and I were both ready to stretch our legs a bit and continue that 1,000 mile break-in before freezing temperatures drop in. The 20W50 LiquiMoly dino oil I have installed for the break-in does not like anything below minus 7 degrees C.

To get us both psyched up, we turned to Canned Heat again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eQMA_noRYQ . Suggestion: Crank 'er up!

Leave the city...

....and get away:

Yubba, dubba, do!!!

I have a gas station at the edge of the city that I use for refueling and while pumping in the suggested 91 octane I had a look at the oil level and coolant overflow tank. Both fine!

Then it was the break-in game of SLO 'N GO on the way home, too:

Again, the engine sounded great and the ride was better than I remember likely because the springs and shocks are settling down. Once I parked it in the garage, I flipped the back license plate to have a look at the coolant level again and it was fine but something caught my eye -- something that I had completely overlooked at the gas station.

What was this? A new WARNING label?! Yup:

Those jokers at Tony's Auto added that one! They'd provided me with a couple of others on Friday but never mentioned the "slow poke" one. So on went one of the two stickers previously supplied to keep the WARNING label company:

Why not put the Tony's license plate on the back of the license plate holder?

That way it would remind me of the joke and Tony's at the same time -- repeatedly since I love checking my oil and coolant overflow tank. My wife and daughter hate the sight of stickers so they'd never be any the wiser. Out of sight, out of mind! Funny enough that license plate sticker also documents the years of the Makeover (2019) and Makeover of Makeover (2020) and the month of completion as well as my birthday -- this time round I'm officially a senior/old geezer at 65! Nice touch but accidental.

My routine now is get up, have breakfast, drive out to the West/East/South/North then return for lunch and my meds, let the engine cool right down and then repeat. Full warm up and cool down are a necessity for the break-in. Of course, it gets the full cool down overnight. Then I have to sit a fair time to let the engine warm up before I can drive it. Rinse and repeat until we get to 1,000 miles or thereabouts. And thereabouts had better beat the early snowfalls and subzero temperatures. Brrrrrrrrr!
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"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VicVan]

Nice! Excellent news!
I hope it'll (finally) work out. You must be thrilled to ba able to drive again. Hope you beat the cold weather!
Take care and enjoy
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'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)

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Thanks VV!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all the Canucks reading this!

Yesterday I was finally getting a little more confidence in the repairs -- no leaking GoWesty hose again for one thing -- so off I dashed to Red Deer to visit with family that I haven't seen in months and months and months. I very carefully checked everything over before I left, then stopped a couple of times along the way to see if the fuel lines to the rails or any of the coolant hoses were leaking. Nope! Onward...

After a wickedly windy drive north to Red Deer -- sometimes referred to disparagingly as "Dead Rear" due to the bum-numbing distance between Cowtown and Edmonton -- I observed COVID-19 protocol and ate my pack lunch at my brother's place in his backyard then followed his vehicle to the nursing home where my Mom is housed. At 91 with full faculties, she'll likely outlive me -- and no I haven't told her about my cancer. Why bother? Since they only allow two authorized family members access for visitation -- my brother and his wife have that designation since they live in town -- I had him phone her up while we were both standing outside and ask her to lift the blind and open the screen window to her room to see a visitor that he'd brought along.

Good surprise for her and a nice visit and chat. I killed two birds with one stone: visited family and racked up more mileage for the break-in. Beauty!

Now I chose that Canned Heat song On The Road Again upthread for a reason -- the lyrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A5Xl9hPowA :

Well, I'm so tired of crying
But I'm out on the road again
I'm on the road again
Well, I'm so tired of crying
But I'm out on the road again
I'm on the road again...
You know the first time I traveled
Out in the rain and snow
In the rain and snow
You know the first time I traveled
Out in the rain and snow
In the rain and snow...

Well, I was certainly tired of crying the blues about having no vehicle to drive and since I now had one again, I headed for the door in the afternoon today to add some more break-in mileage i.e. The Game of SLO 'N GO up and down the rpm scale keeping below 4,000 rpm. Just as I was about to walk out the back door to the garage and Fritz, it stopped raining and started snowing! Lyrical!

Since I'd already gone west and north, I needed to add points east and south on the compass to finish the job and get tuned to the universe of the road again. Off eastward I went towards Strathmore and continued to the hamlet of Gleichen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleichen,_Alberta . I felt like going farther but had a turkey dinner waiting for me back home. I had to turn around even though the rain and snow had disappeared and the highway was dry as a bone and perfect for cruising. The sparse traffic allowed me to continue the rpm game-playing the entire way.

Arriving home I went inside with my mission accomplished and scarfed down turkey and trimmings -- including pumpkin pie. Yum! Hope y'all got some.

I was now ready to head south and finish the 1,000 mile break-in quest.

Weather forecast? Rain, freezing temperatures and snow ahead this week. Turn that Canned Heat up full blast -- I can use it to warm things up.
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VdubVanner]

The weather ahead spelled trouble with a capital T so I took to some binge driving in order to keep the 20W50 from turning into oily ice cream. I had one point on the compass yet to drive and that was due south. Say, maybe I could kill two birds with one stone again. Stefan, the legendary fuel injection magician and medicine man, lived in south O.O.M. (Outer Outer Mongolia aka High River) and I could drop my 31-year-old OEM Bosch injectors off for a thorough go over and flow testing:

With all the blood tests and needles I've been getting lately -- including today's monthly poke-a-pig -- his nifty looking sticker fit my mood.

So off I went down Scabby Dried Meat Trail aka Deerfoot Trail on Tuesday morning in an attempt to get the heck out of Cowtown. Of course, I hit an accident scene or some such right at the southern edge of town and traffic was backed up a mile or more -- or at least as far as my old eyes could see. Dodging onto a handy exit ramp and doubling back to follow another route I finally made my way to High River. Would the magician be home? I'd given him a heads up the night before but don't have a cellphone so I couldn't give him a call on arrival.

No worries: a second after driving up to his door, he greeted me in his customary friendly manner and we had a nice chat. My new pal then took the VW OEM injectors in hand and promised to give them the customary clean-up and testing. Beauty! As always, I thanked him for the great pics and videos that he'd done for me in the past. Service above and beyond doesn't do it justice. After wolfing down a pack lunch and my meds in a nearby Canadian Tire parking lot, I was ready to continue.

Bird number one down, the next was the open road and more of the SLO 'N GO game to run up enough mileage for the 1,000 mile break-in requirement before the first oil change could be done.

To ensure that I didn't have anything interfere with my engine listening, I left the ol' radio stay uncoded after the battery was disconnected for the recent mechanical work:

No code = no music.

That didn't mean that I hadn't fortified myself before leaving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX9kqRdbwRU . I take that as an ode to my companion Westy and is another favourite road song.

Destination? A little used secondary stretch of road down Stavely way: #529. William Least Moon would call it a blue highway https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Highways-Journey-into-...d=&sr= . I'd cross to Champion and head north to the four-lane Trans-Canada and back into Calgary to finish the day.

Driving along at a snail's pace of 40mph at times to drop the rpm gave me the opportunity to a) take pics and b) interact with the locals:

Ahhhhh, the open road, especially while going SLO -- as long as I saw no one sneaking up from behind, particularly BIG rigs with a schedule to keep. At one point, I spotted a farmer about my age out mending a fence within eyesight. Just as I was raising my right hand to wave, he beat me to it and shot me a smile and peace sign with his weathered, old work glove on. He was bundled up against the wind and cold and it was touching to see that friendly action. Made my day!

Of course, not all of the trip was SLO and I gradually worked the speed/rpm scales up and down continually. But another SLO spot allowed me to admire a clump of trees (simple scenery but beautiful in its own right):

All day I was dancing around storm clouds carrying cold rain. It wasn't until I returned to Cowtown that they finally hit me. The next morning brought what I was dreading:

That's my neighbour's '84. That poor feral biovan doesn't get garaged due to too many other vehicles that hog that protection. More on that van in an upcoming special feature presentation. Fritz, of course, was parked out of the weather in his wee little 1940s shack of a garage.

That afternoon cleared up but was still cold. Off I went eastward to finish the break-in. The weather forecast was looking worse by the day and I had to get the required 20W50 for warranty out and some winter weight 10W30 in:

After a scant six days for break-in -- enjoying my captain's chair with its fancy-dancy armrests almost all the way -- I was finally ready for the oil and filter change that was necessary for warranty. Jesse, of course, had also spent two days initially doing break-in driving before my rpm road trips started. Off to Tony's I went on Thursday morning for the oil and filter change. Although Shane dangled a carrot in front of me -- Liqui Moly's new 5W50 Molygen synthetic oil -- it was way too slick for a new engine still breaking in the rings so I opted for a 10W30 dino oil for the cold winter months. Next spring, in goes the 20W50 dino again. I don't drive much in winter at any rate so the 10W30 wouldn't see a lot of action especially on the highway at high speeds.

Today? Snow squall warning for Cowtown with deep subzero temps ahead in the coming days. That 10W30 is going to come in handy.

This break-in experience was quite different than the first one last year (pre-belly flop days). Then I was sticking mostly to within-city-borders due to my uneasiness with the new engine. I knew there was coolant leaking from somewhere due to frequent top ups of the overflow tank yet I couldn't immediately spot the sources. When I did, tightening the clamps didn't stop the leaks. I didn't have enough confidence to take the van out on the open road. There was also a strange transition or barrier between speeds of high 50mphs into the low 60s that didn't feel right. The acceleration just didn't feel smooth through that range. Now? Smooth as silk. I was starting to feel like my old van had come back from the dead -- especially with the new fuel injectors (and perhaps because of them).

Recommendation? Install new (tested!) fuel injectors with a makeover of this magnitude or at the very least have your OEMs cleaned and flow tested. It'll pay dividends.
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VdubVanner]

Remember when I said I had a slim window of opportunity to get the warranty work done? I beat that window by a day. It's like December around here right now! More snow and freezing temperatures don't make for great breaking-in weather with 20W50 conventional oil.

Here's the oil that went in with the new filter (on sale, too):

I was using Castrol synthetic 5W50 in the old 2.1L and it worked mighty fine. I'm confident the 10W30 will too.

I thought I'd mentioned my gas mileage early on with the original Makeover and finally found it on page 8 of this thread: I averaged about 20mpg CDN which is about 17mpg U.S. That was with the van unloaded over a mix of city and highway driving using the Liqui Moly 20W50 dino oil.

Looking at my latest break-in trips using the same oil, I really did do a little better so it wasn't my imagination. I reckon those new 4-hole injectors are doing their thing:

117km using 15.2L = 21.75mpg CDN = 18.11mpg U.S. = 12.99L/100km
138km using 18.58L = 21.26mpg CDN = 17.47 mpg U.S. = 13.46L/100km
181km using 23.6L = 21.67mpg CDN = 18.04mpg U.S. = 13.04 L/100km
194km using 24.89L = 22.01mpg CDN = 18.33mpg U.S. = 12.83L/100km
199km using 24.9L = 22.58mpg CDN = 18.8mpg U.S. = 12.51L/100km
335km using 42.0L =22.5mpg CDN = 18.76mpg U.S. = 12.54L/100km

That's a break-in average of 21.96mpg CDN or 18.29mpg U.S. Not too bad for a game of SLO 'N GO! And with 20W50 dino oil doing the lubing. With a slick synthetic in the future those numbers should go up. One thing I noticed while driving those miles/kilometres: the comfort, warmth and vibration absorption of the leather steering wheel cover that I'd recently stitched in there. Beauty!

As mentioned previously I'm big on wildlife-related mojo on the road and also look for similar omens. The day I finished the break-in and had the oil and filter changed, a great horned owl appeared on the top of a power pole directly behind our garage where Fritz was housed and was repeatedly buzzed by a dive-bombing merlin, a small falcon. Never had that happen before. I've seen both in the neighbourhood in the past but never together and never within eyesight of my back window. Magical mojo at work? I sure hope so! Maybe this piston job will stick.

I'd like to thank the hard-working folks at GoWesty and Tony's Auto Service for their warranty help in the busy, bustling time of a worldwide pandemic. Now even though that little GW hose out back leaked umpteen times, I should point out here that it also led me to finally anointing the ol' van with a name. Of course, Doc Brandt had a hand in that, too, but the wee hose was definitely the catalyst. That hose also prevented me from driving great distances and with a wonky piston set perhaps that saved me some major trouble in an out-of-the-way spot. Life works in mysterious ways.

The main work fell to Jesse at Tony's Auto, as usual, and I think I aged him 30 years with all the blather and bother on this makeover of the Makeover:

[Photo credit: jesse.the.dub Instagram account Face App]

I sure hope that with a little rest and recuperation, he'll return to his youthful, cheery self. Same goes for Matthew at Tony's. Get some R&R guys. You both deserve it.
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VicVan]

I'm impressed by the gas mileage! I wish I could get those numbers...
So is the van going to be stored for the winter now, or will you be able to drive it once in a while?
_________________
'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)

[VdubVanner]

Sorry for the delay in responding. I had to confer with that wise, old great horned owl but he didn't return to the top of the pole behind our garage until dawn this morning.

So I asked him the eternal question haunting every Westy owner come winter: should I store it or drive it? Here's what he told me -- and this is a loose translation after he initially gave me a "I really don't give a hoot" comeback:

"Life is short. And then you die. Better drive whenever you can. These are the conditions under which a wise one would proceed to roll out the wheels once winter or snowfall hits:
1) Milder temperatures i.e. above -25 degrees C. No make that -20. These vans really hate cold weather.
2) Keep off slick icy roads i.e. if you can't walk on the road without ice-grippers, neither can your van. Dedicated snow tires should then be on the menu. Maybe even snow chains or cables.
3) Watch for firm dry packed snow or clear dry roads. Perfect. Even non-winter rated Yokohama Y370s can handle that.
4) Stay out of blowing, blinding blizzards regardless of temperature levels. Do you have any idea what body work costs these days?
5) Make sure that you adequately undercoated your vehicle against corrosive salt-laden urban roads or that van will soon be a rust bucket."

After swiveling his head around a few times like Linda Blair in The Exorcist, he managed to add the following:

6) Playing "Sneak A Peek" is fine under most conditions.

Sneak A Peek? Well, that's another game where you timidly back the van out of your garage every few days -- assuming driving conditions aren't met -- and let it warm up to normal operating temperatures and then get it the heck back inside to keep it warm and cozy. Like so (I'd already broomed most of the overnight snowfall off the gravel approach so it was melting clear) :

It's even nicer if you have your radio re-coded and tuned to the Windspeaker frequency: www.cjwe.ca/player/ . You might even learn a few words of T'suutina, Cree, Nakoda or Blackfoot while doing so.

BTW If you don't follow these directions explicitly, you could end up in therapy. A Westy can do that to you -- just ask renowned Vanagon/Westy psychologist Doc Brandt:

Following those hoots of advice, the old owl flew off in search of wandering neighbourhood cats and skunks. Good hunting!

New weather forecast? Cowtown could break century-old daily records for October with weekend lows of -16 degrees C. Fritz is snug as a bug in a rug in his tiny garage and not likely to emerge quite yet. Much too early in the year for that kind of shock. Keep in mind that Fritz is my only vehicle so, yes, he'll definitely be seeing road time this winter. ***

*** Norwegian alternative: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/09/...us-winter/ . See a wee note that I added below the "Why Worry" poster upthread about my Norwegian roots. I like walking around at thirty below: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." I've been saying that for decades but didn't know it was Norwegian. Probably picked it up from my "Chinese" grandmother as a kid. To tell you the truth, I'm not into driving for hours in winter time any more. I walk locally instead for hours looking at the river, river ice and wildlife (if out and about) and then get cozy at home like a true happy Scandinavian: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinat...t-country/ . Hygge is the word! Northern indigenous peoples have been doing that for eons -- ii.e. staying very localized in winter with stored food supplies to munch on. No sense wasting precious energy. Nope, give them a warm fire and some grub -- and down time for art (at least on the West Coast) -- and they were content. It was also the best time to pass on culture and traditions with lots of time for story-telling. Nothing wrong with being parked in one place with family around. The Happiest Place in the World? The Land of the Vikings, my ancestral stock: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/2017-worlds-happiest-countries/ . Canada is right up there with the best of them, too.
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VdubVanner]

"Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to read is based on a true account of a crime. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent..." ***

It was a SLO day in The City of Angels. Sergeant Joe Friday of the Dragnet division was filing away his mound of solved cases when in walked a battered and beaten young lady who was half undressed. It was a sight that he would never forget. The first thing out of her mouth was "Officer, could you extinguish that cigarette hanging from your mouth, please? This is a non-smoking building and the year is 2020 not the 1950s." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(franchise) + https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Friday + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_IvpNcxkAE .

"Yes, Ma'am, sorry." With one crushing swipe into the ash tray he snuffed the life out of the last burning ember. "What can I do for you, Ma'am?"

"I'd like to report a brutal assault, Sergeant." She paused and added "I should have known better. I had two heaping tablespoons of sugar with my iced tea this morning instead of my normal single and things went gradually downhill from there."

"All we want are the facts, Ma'am."

"Well, Sgt. Friday, the last thing I remember was riding carefree with my beautiful thin skirt sliding on a piston...

...the rest is a blur. It was dark and I was in a place where the sun doesn't shine. The next thing, I woke up and my skirt was gone and my bottom was rubbed raw and bruised."

"Yes, Ma'am. I get the picture. Have a seat -- or stand if you prefer in your sensitive condition -- and we'll be right with you. Here's a suit to cover up with."

With that information, Sgt Friday rounded up the usual suspects and had them enter the police line-up booth:

They were a suspicious looking bunch. The skirtless young angel peered through the one-way glass sobbing lightly under her breath and asked: "Could you have them turn slightly? I want to be sure before identifying the beast that did this to me."

"Yes, Ma'am." And with a quick wave of his hand he motioned for his assistant to have the four suspects turn slightly so the victim could have a better look at their profiles:

"I know this sounds silly Sgt Friday but could you have that piston on the left turn around and bend over?"

"Not silly at all, Ma'am." Another wave of his hand and the request was carried out:

Sobbing heavily now, she let out a garbled "Yes, that's him. That's the one."

"We'll take care of it from here, Ma'am. You're free to go after you sign some paper work."

Yes, the dirty deed was carried out by the brute in cylinder #4. The coding on the back of his head had told her everything they needed to know. His scarred lifeless face was also a dead giveaway. Obvious psychopath!

It was now up to renowned forensic scientist Dr Jesse Schinkel to put things right and give that young lady the lubed ride that she truly deserved. First, though, he cautioned her to never add two tablespoons of sugar to her iced tea. "My dear, that is simply not done. You're asking for trouble when you do such provocative things." [See upthread post about pistons for back story.]

The overworked scientist dived into action immediately. The work was done so expertly and swiftly that some of these photos, which he so generously provided, may not be in the correct order but they stand as court evidence nonetheless:

Yes, some blood had to be spilled along the way.

Being ever so careful not to contaminate the evidence, the experienced criminologist blocked the path for dirt and debris. The rags stuffed into the case openings were a must for the cleaning process and to prevent the accidental disappearance of the wrist pin clip into the bottom end. Standard procedure in forensic science.

Dr Schinkel worked steadily now, wiping the sweat from his brow and concentrating on the job at hand. If it was the last thing he did on this Earth, it would be to rectify the horrible atrocity that had been inflicted on such a young angel:

Yes, yes, now he was in his stride. The next move was almost robotic and perfection in motion. It had to be done just so -- like a fine work of art he applied his talents and laid down the gasket sealant by hand with nerves of steel:

With a sigh of relief, he finished the job just as Sgt Friday walked by his lab. Yelling out the open door, he caught Friday with some welcome sweet words: "Best work I've ever done, Joe. Now go send that vile offender back to where he belongs!"

Another case closed in the Dragnet division. The City of Angels rests peaceably again -- until Sgt Joe Friday and his team of experts are called into action to rectify another horrible piston set gone wrong.

Update: For his distinguished efforts and outstanding photographic documentation, Dr Schinkel was inducted as an honorary member of the highly exclusive -- and prestigious -- GoWesty Belly Flop Club. Congratulations Jesse!

*** What was I saying about story-telling?
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VdubVanner]

Brrrrrrrrr! It's getting colder by the hour around here: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/...in-alberta . TWENTY degrees below normal temps = MINUS 21 degrees C tomorrow morning (southern Ontario is basking in daytime highs of 20 PLUS degree temperatures). https://i.imgur.com/I3Y3LUp.jpg
Crikey, I reckon it's time for some more story-telling. Let's all sit down in front of a fireplace, grab some popcorn and get cozy like some happy Scandinavians.

Heck, let's make it even better: steady yourselves for a special feature presentation:

HAILSTORM ALLEY: How One Westy Stood Up To A Record-Setting Icy Pounding June 13th, 2020

So far, the last bit of this thread has been about TICKing, TAPPing and SLAPPing so along those lines let's add THUMPing. Cowtown aka Calgary is usually THUMP, THUMP, THUMPing its chest about being The Best City To Live In Worldwide (actually #5 in 2019) or North America (#1 don't ya know https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-ranked-fifth-most-livable-city-in-the-world-1.4577157 ); having The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth ( https://culturalquirks.com/2012/04/10/100-facts-about-the-greatest-outdoor-show-on-earth/ ); notching its western belt buckle with The World's Longest Urban Pathway and Bikeway System (1,000 km of regional pathways and 96 km of trails); being The Best City In The World To Drive (as judged by Mister-Auto.co.uk who have obviously never driven on the stone-chip gauntlet of Scabby Dried Meat Trail) and grabbing the title as The World's Cleanest City (as judged by clearwater.eu.com).

One thing the City of Calgary THUMPing department is thoroughly silent on, though, is the rather cool temperatures hereabouts and a related four letter cuss word best not spoken of in front of gentle folk: H-A-I-L. And believe me that is a real THUMPing subject! In fact, Cowtown is The World's Hail Capital based on economic impact and insurance claims.

To sturdy yourselves for the rest of this feature presentation -- you might be hiding under your blankets and donning helmets by the end of it -- I suggest listening to this tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGZDwxnjG1g .

For a little background on the subject read this http://www.calgaryherald.com/Documentary+explores+...story.html and watch
When Hail Attacks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKMHz3kt3tg -- that video is a mood setter for the rest of this icy tale. This might come in handy, too: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/storm-calgary-hail-weather-damage-tornado-1.5639284 + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh1FiKvzDaY .

The massive hailstorm that hit Calgary and area on June 13th of this year -- which ripped off vinyl house siding like it was tissue paper and thrashed vehicles to a pulp, particularly in northeast Calgary -- is the costliest hailstorm and the fourth costliest weather event in Canadian history with insured damages of at least $1.2 billion. It's only been exceeded by the Fort McMurray, AB wildfire in 2016 ($4 billion), the Eastern Canada ice storm in 1998 ($2.3 billion) and the flooding in Cowtown and southern Alberta in 2013 ($1.7 billion). Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the THUMPing the Bow River gave us that year -- another weather-related event. The hailstorm to end all hailstorms (so far) even got coverage in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/06/15/calgary-hail-storm/ .

Hailstorm Alley runs from south of Cowtown northward beyond Red Deer: https://i.imgur.com/S6eAtAC.jpg + https://i.imgur.com/TuQf2kH.jpg . The dynamics of a hailstorm are simple and easily understood with this image:
https://i.imgur.com/pdM69Sh.jpg .

To lessen the impact to their collective wallets, the insurance companies have been seeding hail clouds with silver iodide for decades. In this case there really is a silver lining to the clouds: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cloud-seedi...-1.5664718 . Some swear by this methodology and others swear at it claiming it's a non-essential toxin that has little to no effect. The area of aerial coverage is shown here: https://i.imgur.com/bF7HdaP.jpg . Another way to address the issue -- especially when it comes to vehicles of all sizes and shapes -- is to get them under cover: https://i.imgur.com/9GiCO5d.jpg + https://globalnews.ca/news/7074440/calgary-hail-storm-car-dealerships-protective-tents/ .

But what if you can't get your van under cover or protected to some degree by cloud seeding?

Then you might end up like Fritz by being traumatized at an early age with a pounding and the loss of his skylight. I reckon the first owner decided to replace that thin skylight with this thicker plexiglass cover (as shown before in the thread) for piece of mind:

Fritz like the rest of the Westy clan was born an innocent babe into a region of Germany -- specifically the city of Rheda-Wiedenbruck with the Westfalia-Werke factory -- where hail is almost unknown: https://i.imgur.com/SwwLv1d.jpg + https://i.imgur.com/kMI1vVh.jpg + https://i.imgur.com/qXYPX0u.jpg (Anzahl Tage = Number of Days -- with hail). Shipped overseas and finally on the farm in Stettler, Alberta with his initial German owner, the young German-flagged Westy's runs into Red Deer for supplies would have given him a very nasty introduction to Central Alberta's infamous Hailstorm Alley.

Fritz, though, was only shaken up with a light sampling of a good hail pummeling. What if there was a van out there somewhere that was left to fend for itself out in the open with no protection whatsoever?

Enter stage right my neighbour's 1984 Westy. His van has spent its entire lifetime out in the open with absolutely no pampering. For the majority of the year it's stored out in a lot in N.E. Calgary -- the very place where the record-setting hailstorm hit in June. I like to think of it as both "feral" and a milder example of a biovan -- one that starts to blend into its environment with outdoor exposure. Here's a biovan on the extreme end of the scale i.e. totally feral/wild:

[ Photo Source: https://www.bustopia.com/vw-junkyards-wrecking.html ]

That, of course, is in a wet climate. We live in a dry climate. But still, even in Alberta, a van can get a little funky if left outside, with moss...

....lichen (in my neighbour's collection it would appear to be Candle Lantern or perhaps a variety of Hidden Gold Speck lichen) and other "flora" growing aboard:

The lichen-and-moss-splotched cracked bra was the funkiest that I've ever seen:

I forgot to mention that my neighbour is an honest-to-gawd scientist and great guy who loves to experiment. By his count that bra was never off -- even once -- in all the time he's had the van and that's more than TWO DECADES. He swears the previous owner never had it off either. Do the math:

I had to be there when it finally came off. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. What I've done is establish his van's credentials as a bonafide feral biovan -- it's wild and outdoors the entire year. After the hailstorm hit, I asked him how the van had fared. He had no answer since he was so tied up taking care of a problem with another vehicle (he owns umpteen compared to my lone Fritzie) that he hadn't checked on it yet. So his feral biovan sat out in the N.E. lot for several weeks until he finally got to it. And here's what he found (keep in mind that we had rain after that hailstorm during those passing weeks):

There was obvious damage to the skylight with arrows to a damaged RV in the background. Looking closer at the skylight, there's a prior obvious quick tape repair (which he told me was from a hail hit on Scabby Dried Meat Trail several years ago):

Inside things were a mess and the foam and carpet were absolutely soaked (those are mice sticky boards and traps on the floor):

He did manage to take a few photos of other vehicles in the same lot that got ravaged: https://i.imgur.com/UQAWzRW.jpg + https://i.imgur.com/JsH2BwU.jpg . They'd had the snot kicked out of them!

I had to wait until he drove it home to set eyes on the damage. Compared to the new vehicles in that lot, his '84 Westy stood up very well but obviously had glass hits and dings to one side (the hail came in at an angle as well as from directly above):

One amazing thing to note is how well the side windows held up. No cracks or impact hits at all.

It is extremely hard to spot and count hail dents using photos since you need to have the light strike the depression just the right way to see it. However, shifting around the back end of the driver's side to pick up as many dents as I could along that side -- the main strike zone -- I ran up an impressive total of 52 hits minimum. Of course, some were larger and more conspicuous than others.

Glass? Yup, it got nailed good:

That is one heck of an impact crater! It looks like it was hit by a bullet.

Even the tough wheel hubcaps took some really big hits and finally cracked:

So did the trim:

As an owner of an '89, I found this historical artifact interesting:

Delta Six Industries was based in North Hollywood back then not Chatsworth, California as they were in later years.

The skylight was still wide open and needed to be closed up ASAP after the sopping wet foam flooring and carpet were yanked out:

Leaving the skylight open invites in not only precipitation and falling debris like leaves but also squirrels, raccoons and cats (perhaps looking for resident mice). I'd mentioned this to Jesse at Tony's and he said that at least one van with a missing skylight that he knew of firsthand had a cat take up residence inside. Better close that skylight up fast with a local replacement from Concept-1:

That was a temporary measure. The idea was to copy my set-up and get something tougher up top, either an acrylic/plexiglass cover or lexan/polycarbonate. The latter is MUCH stronger but is less scratch resistant and discolours more easily. You decide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlEfJFDWXpM .
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VdubVanner]

Now although that video above loves to make it look like acrylic/plexiglass is second best, it does come in a "bullet resistant" grade as well: https://www.acmeplastics.com/acrylic-sheets/acrylic-bullet-resistant-level-1-sheet . It, however, is 1 1/4" thick which exceeds all but the thickest polycarbonate version.

Nevertheless, headlight protectors are made of the cheaper acrylic and hold up just fine to hard hits. Shane's white van "Michelle" at Tony's illustrates this quite well:

Look closely at the left headlight and the protector shows evidence of a major save from a large rock:

So don't pooh, pooh plexiglass as a possible skylight replacement if the original is damaged by hail. If held in a long term lot, it would be relatively easy to add a small square of plywood over the acrylic if additional protection was needed.

My neighbour wanted the best so he managed to wangle a deal on a scratched piece of polycarbonate sheet from Acrylic Concepts in town that was cut to fit. Here it is from below showing the scratches while checking sizing before gluing it down:

Now if you wanted to hide those scratches somewhat, one trick would be to spray the topside with a variety of Plastidip, either smoke or black etc.

Then some weightlifting was in order (setting the marine goop he used after installing a new skylight seal):

Bingo! Installed:

Next on the view-through list was a nice new windshield (I'd already donated a used hubcap from Tony's to replace the rear damaged one):

http://xygna.com/auto/who-we-are/

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for -- or at least I had -- the removal of the bra after decades of "Being There". I got to do the honours since I wanted to be sure that what I found had not been tampered with. This was a serious scientific experiment of some 36 years and I didn't want to have my neighbour start it all over again. Drum roll, please, and a little musical accompaniment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFkdx2wU5YU :

You dirty little thing!

More, more...take it all off...

Hmmmmm...just kind of silty no corrosion or wearing abrasion.

Cleaned up it looked...gulp, really good:

So good, in fact, that it had a mirror-like finish that showed my handheld camera taking the shot.

Wowsers!!

Now I'm not about to say don't take your van's bra off every so often and wash and wax your beast's front -- especially in the wet feral lands -- but in the relatively dry West you might get away with really pushing the envelop. Not that I'd do that to Fritz, mind you.

Counting the number of noticeable hail dents out front under the bra got me to a total of eight.

Conclusion: That van is one mighty tough mother!

Bring it on!

And get it on (if you have any inflatable mattresses at hand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3aQbu3W22U ):

Note: One place you don't need inflatable protection on a Westy is the fiberglass roof. Go back to that first photo taken in the lot with the RV in the background and have a good look at the VW roof: no obvious damage except the wimpy skylight. And that was one wicked hailstorm that nailed the van. Those fiberglass roofs are unbelievably strong.

Parting thought: Cloud seeding (for hail or anything else) is hardly a new idea. Never trust your government: https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-secret-weather-manipulation-program-of-the-vietnam-1689249533 + https://www.popsci.com/operation-popeye-government-weather-vietnam-war/ .

Now back to your regular programming....
_________________
"Fritz", a temperamental and unforgiving 1989 Westy that proudly bears his German flags and status as a member of the exclusive GoWesty Belly Flop Club.
1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VicVan]

[Jake de Villiers]

[VdubVanner]

[VicVan]

Great little setup he has there! Nice encounter
_________________
'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)