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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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 Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:09 pm Post subject: Out of the garage (photos of my Westy) |
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The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the damn kids were crossing my lawn again, so I figgered I'd get the Westy out for a photo or two. Of course, by the time I got the garage door up, the sun had left for Florida. I still managed to turn the water hose on two of the slower kids, though!
Oh well, here's my 'Santa Fe Edition' Westy anyway. I've got the cabinet doors off, to redo the trim and I'm starting to take the curtains out. There are still some rumples where there were dents before I used my PDR gear. I lifted the dents, but still have some places too high and a couple where I just couldn't smooth out a long crease. But, it's coming together!
And for those of you who are just too lazy to bother writing your own reply, I have taken the liberty to do a little cut-and-paste thing for you:
Wow! Uncle Lon, you're a genius. You're cooler than cool; somewhere between Elvis and Santa Claus. I mean, you're the MAN, man. What a great guy, a wonderful humanitarian, blessed with both greatness and humility. And the owner of a good-looking dog as well!!
Humble Uncle Lon |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32988
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Madeouttaglass
Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2013
Posts: 228
Location: Shelter Cove, California
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joetiger 
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5274
Location: denver
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:17 pm Post subject: Re: Out of the garage (photos of my Westy) |
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| Uncle Lon wrote: |
Wow! Uncle Lon, you're a genius. You're cooler than cool; somewhere between Elvis and Santa Claus. I mean, you're the MAN, man. What a great guy, a wonderful humanitarian, blessed with both greatness and humility. And the owner of a good-looking dog as well!!
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ETA: Dave beat me to it!
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'91 Wolfsburg Carat "Barchetta"
'02 Baja-ish Beetle "Bubbles"
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Justice for Megan: https://linktr.ee/justiceformegantrussell |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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Gosh. (Blush) I wasn't expecting such a great torrent of adoration. I'd like to thank my mom and dad, my co-stars (Dolly and Bette, mostly), and the millions of little people who made my greatness possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
BTW, that red Westy in the background is the next project. Just got it back from the mechanic today.
Uncle Lon  |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32988
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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oldhuldy67
Samba Member
Joined: November 25, 2008
Posts: 506
Location: somewhere with a southern exposure
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| Wow! Uncle Lon, you're a genius. You're cooler than cool; somewhere between Elvis and Santa Claus. I mean, you're the MAN, man. What a great guy, a wonderful humanitarian, blessed with both greatness and humility. And the owner of a good-looking dog as well!! |
ditto, Dave
and you own TWO Vanagons?...it must all be true...
John in GA (10 degrees..but NO snow..yet)
1980 Westy |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Even I, who fear color, must state that that Van is one mighty fine looking unit!
(Now, on the other hand........the flowered upolstery Van? I'll need some serious quantities of Alcohol to like that one!  )
You should be proud..... Hopefully you will turn a profit on it?
I don't think that it will be a hard sell at all unless the price point ends up too high.
Bravo Lon! 
Dave |
Dave, don't give up on the Hawaiian Westy. I just met this morning with Sam - my upholstery guy, whose kids are now assured higher education - and we have ideas. Yeah, IDEAS! (Kinda like the idea of buying the fabric in the first place...)
And the brown Westy here, is not all that impressive unless you could have seen it 'before'. It was sitting under a tree, mostly blackened and with a huge puddle of oil underneath. All the upholstery was shot, the panels and headliners were pealing, and it smoked like my Aunt Loraine back when she had a thing going with the Marlboro Man.
Anyway, I think I can sell it for enough to break even, or maybe just loose a little.  But just think of the fun I've had and all the neat Vanagon guys and gals I will be able to meet in the future and bum a cup of coffee from.
Lon
Last edited by Uncle Lon on Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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msinabottle
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2005
Posts: 3492
Location: Denver Area, Colorado
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:45 pm Post subject: Beautiful Machine! |
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What a beautiful machine, well-tended, and glowing with good paint and affection! They do sort of... gleam... when they know you care about them. You're a lot of fun to have around, and I wish you many good times with your van. Vans. Whatever.
Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence." |
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Steelhead
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Joined: February 25, 2007
Posts: 1791
Location: Kentfield, CA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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Looking good Lon! Crying out for a pinstripe IMHO....maybe even color matched to wheels and with a navajo looking pattern (good luck finding that). Like the old Jeep Cherokees from the 70s.
All that bright brown could use a touch of definition. It may make it look more finished.
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'77 Bay Window / '89 Caratsburg (aka. the Stormtrooper) |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:01 pm Post subject: Re: Beautiful Machine! |
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| msinabottle wrote: |
What a beautiful machine, well-tended, and glowing with good paint and affection! They do sort of... gleam... when they know you care about them. You're a lot of fun to have around, and I wish you many good times with your van. Vans. Whatever.
Best! |
High praise from the owner of the venerable Winston! I do think this little Westy knows, somehow, that it has a new lease on life (but the Meguires wax does help with the glow.)  I have quite a few hours in its restoration so far, and a few more to go, but I like it, too. When I was younger, I owned a couple of Westies, and loved every minute in them. I'm just hoping someone else like me will get this Westy and make some memories as good as mine.
Uncle Lon |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelhead wrote: |
Looking good Lon! Crying out for a pinstripe IMHO....maybe even color matched to wheels and with a navajo looking pattern (good luck finding that). Like the old Jeep Cherokees from the 70s.
All that bright brown could use a touch of definition. It may make it look more finished. |
Thanks, Steelhead! I hadn't thought of a pinstripe. I was kinda thinking that the interior pushed the limits of being too 'busy', and that it was already a little over the top. But, I'll put it before the 'Uncle Lon's Committee for Aesthetic Improvement of the World in General' (in other words, The Missus) and see what the decision is.
U. L. |
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tam_shops
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Joined: November 15, 2012
Posts: 1531
Location: Vancouver BC
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Steelhead
Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2007
Posts: 1791
Location: Kentfield, CA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Uncle Lon wrote: |
| Steelhead wrote: |
Looking good Lon! Crying out for a pinstripe IMHO....maybe even color matched to wheels and with a navajo looking pattern (good luck finding that). Like the old Jeep Cherokees from the 70s.
All that bright brown could use a touch of definition. It may make it look more finished. |
Thanks, Steelhead! I hadn't thought of a pinstripe. I was kinda thinking that the interior pushed the limits of being too 'busy', and that it was already a little over the top. But, I'll put it before the 'Uncle Lon's Committee for Aesthetic Improvement of the World in General' (in other words, The Missus) and see what the decision is.
U. L. |
Yeah, the stripe might be better left as something simple. Too much indian pattern might hurt the eyes. My instinct is more around the lonely white wheels...often they are paired with a white pop top (or a white upper, in the case of a tintop bay window).
It is just an opinion thing, but its like I always tell my daughter, you can't just wear one white accessory, it needs to be matched with white somewhere else in the outfit. My wife doesn't fully grasp this, but I swear I'm onto something.
with or without...its lookin sharp.
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'77 Bay Window / '89 Caratsburg (aka. the Stormtrooper) |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| tam_shops wrote: |
Pretty, Shiny, Love it! Nice Job! Enjoy!
tam |
Thanks, Tam! I like your dove blue Westy, too. The one thing you've got that I am missing (and envious of) are the little attic dwellers sharing the upper bunk. Mine were like that only a week ago and now they are men on their own. You'll know what I mean someday. Take your kids camping!
Uncle Lon |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelhead wrote: |
Yeah, the stripe might be better left as something simple. Too much indian pattern might hurt the eyes. My instinct is more around the lonely white wheels...often they are paired with a white pop top (or a white upper, in the case of a tintop bay window).
It is just an opinion thing, but its like I always tell my daughter, you can't just wear one white accessory, it needs to be matched with white somewhere else in the outfit. My wife doesn't fully grasp this, but I swear I'm onto something.
with or without...its lookin sharp. |
I see what you mean. I think the new wheels do a lot for the exterior looks, but they do kinda jump out at you. I'll think about it a bit, and thanks for the suggestion.
U.L. |
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hans j
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Joined: May 06, 2006
Posts: 2745
Location: Salt Lake City UT
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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Looks great. I definitely like brown cabinets the best!
_________________
1986 Canadian Syncro Westy TDI - 1989 Syncro Single Cab - 2001 Audi S4 - 1981 VW Caddy ABA - 1980 VW Caddy EV - 1973 VW T-181 |
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jasonpap2002
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2012
Posts: 129
Location: Austin, Texas
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:18 pm Post subject: Nice! |
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Looks very clean, love the brown (have one too)! Interesting that there isn't a heater in the rear (thought all vanagons had it?).
Thanks for the post Uncle Lon! |
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DAV!D
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013
Posts: 980
Location: EL CAMINO
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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How many cans of spray paint was that?
J/k looks great! Oh and btw you can take the cold back, FL wants it's sun back.
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86 Syncro Build - Ecotec Motor Swap - Pop Top Conversion - Camper Build & Syncro Conversion |
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Uncle Lon
Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2013
Posts: 194
Location: Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| DAV!D wrote: |
How many cans of spray paint was that?
J/k looks great! Oh and btw you can take the cold back, FL wants it's sun back. |
David, I've spoken to my shop help (Jazzydog) and sarcasm is NOT appreciated!
And it's a balmy 19 here right now - not like those poor polar bears in the NE. My eldest son just landed in Miami this morning for an interview with the University there. So blame him!
U.L.
(Uh, you wouldn't have an empty space in your driveway for a Westy with an old guy, a kid and a dog, would ya?)  |
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