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tharmon
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 261
Location: Long Beach, CA USA
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 Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:09 pm Post subject: Arn't the "chrome" scrapers supposed to be highly |
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... just got my left/right door scrapers with chrome molding, from Bus Depot. The "chrome" is really brushed aluminum... dull in it's shine. Isn't it supposed to look like real chrome???... nice and shiny??
Tom |
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ratwell
Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2003
Posts: 8717
Location: Victoria, BC
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Elwood-Bluesvan
Samba Member
Joined: January 18, 2005
Posts: 520
Location: West Coast
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| ratwell- what you say?? genuine? is that really what we have to accept as the only thing available? this "sucks" can the origainal metal chrome be re-used with great care, if removed tenderly? |
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ratwell
Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2003
Posts: 8717
Location: Victoria, BC
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vwsquirl
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2003
Posts: 126
Location: seattle, washington
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:26 am Post subject: |
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| MY SCRAPERS HAD A THIN CLEAR PLASTIC ON IT THAT i HAD TO PEEL OFF....COULD THAT BE ON YOURS? |
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tharmon
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 261
Location: Long Beach, CA USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| [email protected] wrote: |
| MY SCRAPERS HAD A THIN CLEAR PLASTIC ON IT THAT i HAD TO PEEL OFF....COULD THAT BE ON YOURS? |
Thanks for the reply.. you gave me hope for a minute... but alas... no clear plastic to peal off!! just dull aluminum... Where did you buy yours?
I called all 4-5 vendors I'm aware of and they all say now the are the dull brushed aluminum!
So I guess But Depot will have to change their description from "chrome" to "dull aluminum" outside scrapers.... I've never heard of dull "chrome"!!
Tom |
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Blaubus
Samba Member
Joined: October 25, 2003
Posts: 5153
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| the original factory scrapers were ALUMINUM not chrome. wolfsburgwest has them for 29 bucks which i think beats all others on price . no plastic to peel either. i have used them... no complaints. dont buy them from west coast metric. the rubber did not even contact my window! they also should not look like BRUSHED alum. it should be completely smooth and bright, but not polished to a mirror finish. should look the same as a section of undamaged belt trim (deluxe model- not found on camper) |
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tharmon
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 261
Location: Long Beach, CA USA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:13 am Post subject: |
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| dansvans wrote: |
| the original factory scrapers were ALUMINUM not chrome. wolfsburgwest has them for 29 bucks which i think beats all others on price . no plastic to peel either. i have used them... no complaints. dont buy them from west coast metric. the rubber did not even contact my window! they also should not look like BRUSHED alum. it should be completely smooth and bright, but not polished to a mirror finish. should look the same as a section of undamaged belt trim (deluxe model- not found on camper) |
Thanks for the reply Dansvans. I know the originals were aluminum... but like you say, they were "bright"! I'm looking right now at the ones I just got the other day from Bus Depot and they are brushed aluminum, ugly in my opinion. I called every where I know (5 suppliers) including Wulfsburgwest... and they all said that the "chrome" look is no longer available. I would be so happy/relieved if you could tell me some different news!! Where can I get the "bright" scrapers???
If you want, I can try to post a digital picture of the brushed aluminum scraper.. (never have done this before). ... When did you last buy scrapers from Wulfsburgwest??  by the way, thats also what I paid for scrapers from Bus Depot. |
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Amskeptic
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Joined: October 18, 2002
Posts: 8568
Location: All Across The Country
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:36 am Post subject: |
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It is a long journey down the disappointing trail of replacement parts.
I, too, railed powerlessly against the crap I was tacking onto my bus.
I still love driving it though!
Colin
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tharmon
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 261
Location: Long Beach, CA USA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Elwood-Bluesvan wrote: |
| ratwell- what you say?? genuine? is that really what we have to accept as the only thing available? this "sucks" can the origainal metal chrome be re-used with great care, if removed tenderly? |
Ellwood: Another thought on your comment above: I'm considering detatching the rubber from the metal on my new scrapers. The rubber is held onto the aluminum by 8 rivets. I could then take in the aluminum to an anodizing company I know of down town LA and have it "bright dipped". This process leave it almost like chrome. Then reattach with new rivits... I"m not sure about the new rivits on the rubber... have to check into that...
Any thoughts out there on this idea?? thanks... Tom |
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Busdepot
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Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 1312
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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There are only two suppliers of the outer scrapers, both in Brazil. One version is genuine Volkswagen/Brazil, the other an aftermarket knockoff. The VW ones fit well, the aftermarket ones fit poorly and the clips tend to snap off. You can guess which one I carry. However, many suppliers (including some that relabel them under their own "premium" names) buy the aftermarket ones. The temptation to skimp here is great, as the aftermarket ones only wholesale for about $10 each and can fetch about $35 at retail. The genuine ones cost about double, and availability is a problem; I buy a hundred at a time when I can get them, because it can be months before I see them again.
Another problem with this item is shipping. The outer scrapers are very fragile, and it's an ongoing struggle to get them to customers' hands in one piece. I have to buy special boxes to ensure that they arrive in one piece. (Even so, a tiny bit of straightening is still often required, but in the event that they arrive badly bent I always insure them.) Some vendors charge extra "handling" fees to cover this extra packaging cost, but I include it in the price.
As for the chrome finish, I can't honestly say which has brighter "chrome." They're both a bit dull as I recall. VW tends to use the term "chrome" loosely. Witness the late Bus front emblem and Vanagon window moldings, both whose "chrome" is actually plastic. At least the scrapers use real metal! 
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The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com |
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tharmon
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Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 261
Location: Long Beach, CA USA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Ron: From your explanation, obviously its not Bus Depot's fault. The suppliers just don't make the scrapers like they used to.
Why do you think they stopped making the scrapers with the "chrome" like appearance? I guess to keep the cost down... like everything else???
Thanks.. Tom |
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Busdepot
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Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 1312
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Why do you think they stopped making the scrapers with the "chrome" like appearance? |
Because the aluminum finish is what was used on Mexican and Brazilian Kombi's. Those, not original German busses, are what VW is making replacement parts for at this point. We should probably consider ourselves lucky; if it weren't for the need to provide parts for Brazilian and Mexican busses, VW would certainly have abandoned Bus replacement part manufacturing long ago. In fact, even the current "chrome" ones will probably soon go away, as later model Brazilian models used all-black ones. This will eventually leave the worse-fitting aftermarket knockoffs, or black OE replacements, as the only available options.
_________________
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The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com
Last edited by Busdepot on Sun Mar 27, 2005 4:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ratwell
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Joined: April 26, 2003
Posts: 8717
Location: Victoria, BC
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Blaubus
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Joined: October 25, 2003
Posts: 5153
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| oh thats bad news for me, i still have three new unattached bright ones. the fourth will not match the third. crap! no matter how frantically i work to keep ahead with the hoarding of desirable parts, one always gets by me, such is the old car hobby. i wonder if all window seal moulding has gone the same direction! oh no! |
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honeybus
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Joined: August 06, 2002
Posts: 479
Location: Aldie, Virginia
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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| tharmon wrote: |
Then reattach with new rivits... I"m not sure about the new rivits on the rubber... have to check into that...
Any thoughts out there on this idea?? thanks... Tom |
Thinking, thinking, thinking . . . Rivets?? Nah, just slip the rubber back in and use some glue. Or fill the rivet/rubber holes with some God sent J B Weld...
Last year it was my karma to try to remove the outside 'aluminum' scrapers from a few junk yard buses to see if I could do it without damaging the 'aluminum'. After a few failures, I was twice successful.
BTW, it seems that the INSIDE rubbers, the ones that are just snapped on bare to the door, are a mirror to the dried up aluminum scraper rubbers. Since it is usually just the outside aluminum scraper rubbers that get dry rotted, I plan to drill out the rottened aluminum scraper rubbers from the salvaged frames and glue in the inside rubber from the other-side door.
Hints from Heloise -
_________________
More than I need -
'78 Westy ... purchased 11 Dec 06 ($9,000); sand blasted/primered 7 Jan 07 ($1,200); body shop 3 Apr 07 ($2,000); paint shop 7 Nov 07 ($6,000); home 22 Apr 08; started TLC 28 Aug 08; got very first sign of life 8 Jun 2010; Run about 1,000 miles in Florida in May 2011; 1,600 miles road trip Orlando-Key West-Aldie Virginia 10-26 Mar 2020 (COVID-19 started)
Thanks for all the fish. |
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stevo
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Joined: January 22, 2004
Posts: 908
Location: the eugeniverse
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| Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| honeybus wrote: |
| tharmon wrote: |
Then reattach with new rivits... I"m not sure about the new rivits on the rubber... have to check into that...
Any thoughts out there on this idea?? thanks... Tom |
Thinking, thinking, thinking . . . Rivets?? Nah, just slip the rubber back in and use some glue. Or fill the rivet/rubber holes with some God sent J B Weld...
Last year it was my karma to try to remove the outside 'aluminum' scrapers from a few junk yard buses to see if I could do it without damaging the 'aluminum'. After a few failures, I was twice successful.
BTW, it seems that the INSIDE rubbers, the ones that are just snapped on bare to the door, are a mirror to the dried up aluminum scraper rubbers. Since it is usually just the outside aluminum scraper rubbers that get dry rotted, I plan to drill out the rottened aluminum scraper rubbers from the salvaged frames and glue in the inside rubber from the other-side door.
Hints from Heloise - |
...and then what happened? Did the glue trick work?
In coming days I'm going on a trip to the fastener store to see what can be found about stainless rivets that fit this application.
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When you cross an Irishman, they never forget. I mean, never. |
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SGKent 
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Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: Arn't the "chrome" scrapers supposed to be highly |
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wow almost a 20 year old thread resurrected.
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busdaddy
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Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51130
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2022 8:20 am Post subject: Re: Arn't the "chrome" scrapers supposed to be highly |
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I often replace the rubber on OG trim, the inner R fits the left outer and vice versa, I use short all aluminum pop rivets and hammer them slightly after popping to flatten them a bit.
But lately not all inner scrapers are created equal, some don't have the molded swoosh on the rear end, those suck.
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stevo
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Joined: January 22, 2004
Posts: 908
Location: the eugeniverse
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| Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2022 8:41 am Post subject: Re: Arn't the "chrome" scrapers supposed to be highly |
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| busdaddy wrote: |
I often replace the rubber on OG trim, the inner R fits the left outer and vice versa, I use short all aluminum pop rivets and hammer them slightly after popping to flatten them a bit.
But lately not all inner scrapers are created equal, some don't have the molded swoosh on the rear end, those suck. |
I'm in the same boat. I like your plan, but am skeptical about the new rubber. Who is your source, and how would you rate 1 to 10?
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When you cross an Irishman, they never forget. I mean, never. |
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