Winston Wehabilitated: The Complete Saga

[msinabottle]

Well, there WAS one last round... For now... I mean, I can stop any time I want to... I'm NOT an addict... I can quit! No, really!

Less floridly, I threw a few more things onto Winston, and a few more dollars I don't have into Winston. Note my avatar, which has been accurate for 8 years so far.

I have mentioned in other threads that I did get a complete set of the Terra Wagen postal flares from GoWesty--$5 less is $5, and they also gave me their GoBucks, which, is something... I call that something 'A rationalization.'

And, as the more sagacious among you might note, I also sprang for a full set of OEM Mud Flaps, from Bus Depot. I lie mildly, I bought the front set from OEM VW (whom I still mourn) and initially only installed the one before the propane tank, this summer I bought the rear set and grommets from Bus Depot.

It's all good. I used 'The Search,' for the Search is strong with me, and decided that I would let Les and the same people who did the rest of Winston's body work at Wheels of Time to put on, first the postal flares, then the mud flaps. I wasn't going to blow it at the last minute with my mistakes--and I couldn't find any information ANYWHERE on precisely how to mount the mudflaps. As I figured, the professionals didn't have any trouble with any of it, and to help you lot, I left some pretty detailed pictures of the installation.

and

which is more than I had. There are pictures that show it in even greater detail in my gallery.

I would have posted it all in September when I had it done but I didn't get any good photographs of the entire job until this Wednesday, when, as related elswhere, I got Winston out to wash him, get his oil warmed for changing, and show him off to my barber, who wasn't at the barbershop. Oh, well.

Those who were at the RMW camp out will note that the wheel arches went on last--but I'll give it to you guys at Terra Wagen, you completed the look. They really do finish things up quite nicely. I also hope they protect against still more mud and gravel.

I've been worrying about the mud flaps aging badly, so I picked up a bottle of Meguire's Supreme Shine, and while the oil drained out of Winston I applied that to the flaps. On the one in front of the propane tank, mud stuck and STAYED stuck, through multiple washes. That Meguir's stuff has Scotchguard and UV Protection, and it's supposed to stay on the rubber on which you spray it. Further bulletins as gloating warrants, but it certainly left the mud flaps shiny and slick.

I also played with a Mothers product, 'Back to Black,' since I couldn't find (particularly these days!)



any of the other plastic restoration products we've talked about here on the Samba. I used it on Winston's gas cap, rear light housings, and gas cap grommet--and I admit that the results were pretty good:

Don't use it on painted plastic, so, not on Winston's grill. But I'll put it on the mirrors, I suppose. The Baby Oil always got good results, but doesn't do much to protect things in Colorado's thin, high UV atmosphere.

Anything else exciting?

YES!

I had asked who would be the first to use Castrol Edge with Syntec Technology 5W50 in a vanagon's engine. That's that full synthetic with 'old car' additives = ZDDP? Or the equivalent? Gad, I hope so.



Well... I had the stuff, I wanted Winston's oil changed before storing him... and I used IT!

It... looks like oil. What can I say, the light went out pretty fast, it helped that I'd pre-soaked the oil filter with the new stuff, the engine ran well on it down one hill and up two others, and then I crossed my fingers and snugged Winston into the garage for the Winter. That's what I did the last time I experimented with Winston's oil--and then the oil light started coming on at idle. Worry fodder. I tried to remember everything else... All the water's out, the fridge drain and vent are sealed, the battery tender's plugged in...

There's no real way to let you know how well the super oil works until I've had Winston out on a long drive in harsh conditions. When that happens, I'll share the results.

Gad, I've shared everything else. One final note-- to that fellow who said that Winston and the 'Winston Wanna Be's' (I loved that line!) will all look passe' in five years...

BLEAH!

People like that deserve to be bleahed.



I rather obviously think he looks pretty darn good.

And, to quote a... MUCH earlier post...

Who else's opinion matters?

(Then why I am fishing for compliments and doing the fashion show?)

HOW DARE YOU NOTICE MY HYPOCRISY!



Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[luVWagn]

Let the silence remain silent, i love these posts!
_________________
'91 Syncro 16 Reimo Hightop Conversion, eTDI

[oldhuldy67]

Always glad to hear about Winston..Winston Churchill Westfalia I.

[Ahwahnee]

[Tristar Eric]

Wow, looks amazing!

Eric
_________________
Vanagon/Transporter flares here: www.terrawagen.com
[email protected]

[msinabottle]

Les at Wheels of Time told me today he's done two more Vanagons.

You can't stop at just one...

Winston is still wowing 'em.

Thank you!

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[campism]

Nice mods and a great result, but I can't believe you left the bracket exposed on the right-front and have that long bolt untrimmed! My God, man, can you imagine how Winston must feel rolling around with the automotive equivalent of having his bowtie askew?!?

_________________
'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[dobryan]

^^^^ Now you've done it. Rob better fix that immediately..... oh the shame!
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[msinabottle]

Winston is like his owner--we are not averse to cutting a handsome figure, but we also prize functionality.

I thought you all might be a bit weary of us... So I didn't do a play-by-play of the sink 'P Trap' replacement and the new 'right angle' drain pipe. And the microwave 'cradle'... and the two new ground wires I still need to install... and replacing the digital clock's capacitor... and the GoWesty instrument tab metal plates upon which the HOLES WERE TOO NARROW FOR THE SUPPLIED SCREWS and...



Anyway, they don't bother me. That preservative on the rubbber seems to work pretty well, though. One more camping trip and I change his oil and let him sleep through the winter... While I think about getting him a set of Nokian WR-Cs.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[DwarfVader]

so incredibly jealous...
_________________
- oderint dum metuant -

I'll find my van someday, or it will find me.

[msinabottle]

Don't be jealous...

Be inspired! I did it, with the help of wonderful people, this great board, a tremendous aftermarket, and the advice of wise and caring people. It paid off, and I am very happy and do not consider the money and the time wasted--which is a wonderful way to feel.

Ad astra per aspera!

Optimum!

_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[morymob]

Could i park my poor old syncro beside yours 4 a couple hrs, it needs to be embarrassed & maybe get inspired to be better??

[VanAllen_84]

[pablum]

A very handsome van, and I love that orangey brown.

My take on gender comes from the original muttersprache: German has three.

Buses are feminine, vanagons are masculine, and eurovans are neutral gender.
_________________
The wise man learns from history, the fool from experience.
-
I see [a cat] in the street and i aim for the pest with my car. -- bluebus86

[bobbyblack]

msinabottle:

Great thread, great history, and awesome package overall! A true inspiration.

I have been interested in the Jalousie windows you had installed. I have seen a couple other threads on that process, but wondered if you had these built by someone I could contact for a prepared solution, or if you did those on your own? If you did them, do you have some pics of that process, by chance?

Question #2, also about the Jalousie's: the passenger side. can you tell me a little bit about your experience with operation on those? How much can they be open and not get smashed by the slider door when opening?

Thanks for the great thread, and documentation. I'd love to walk in your footsteps, great inspiration!

-bobby
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[msinabottle]

Ack! Somehow I missed the reactivation of this thread! Very sorry I didn't notice sooner. Let me try to answer your questions.

VanAllen, The Skylight Guy never did start making those plates before he shut down all together--but I will send anyone who wants them the plate template, the font, and the other stuff we used to make mine, and with modern laser printing and adhesives, it's not a difficult project. PM me a good Email address here, we still don't have a 'files' library on the Samba.

pablum, I quite agree with your gender choices. I also am quoting your 'experience' proverb to my students.

On the jalousies, bobbyblack, they were my assembly, I did hire a metal shop to cut down some of the parts, you can see what and how in the 'Jalousies' thread. The metal shop guy said I could have done the cutting myself. RMW is importing and selling those European sliding rear windows. That'd be easier by far.

<added> Sorry, wasn't reading thoroughly. When I did the rebuild I didn't know that at that time (I haven't checked lately) Amazon had the actual lifting mechanism boxes still for sale. I wish I'd known, I would have replaced both of them, but they do raise and lower the jalousies--I have to push the right hand side completely closed with a finger. dobryan, Dave being skilled and thorough, put in a limiter so he couldn't open his jalousies so far that the slider WOULD hit them. I wanted the air, so my method, which works pretty well, is to hang my baseball hat on the slider handle if I've left the jalousies open far enough to hit the slider. I reach for the handle, my hat is there, I know to close the jalousies. That has worked QUITE well.</added>

Feel free to follow up!

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[pablum]