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1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:31 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:31 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....
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VdubVanner
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:47 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

RalphWiggam wrote:
I don't even own a vanagon, but I enjoy reading your thread. Nice mix of VW life. Thanks for spending the time documenting. Good read. Have fun out there on the road....


Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And ... whewww... Thank you! Ralph you're tiring me out typing.

I have to ask: You have an Audi, you have a Porsche, you have a Volvo and you even have a '72 VW Westy...so why not add an '86 to '91 Vanagon/Westy?! There has to be a reason why you're lurking over in our part of the world other than reading my drivel, er, informative and entertaining thread.

I had a '73 bus with a crank sunroof and I still miss it a little -- with the emphasis on little. My '89 Westy is sooooo much better in every way. I do understand the connection to your Dad and his ownership of the '72 previously, though, and would keep it, too.

BTW I had the same issue as you did when posting this message but it only came up four times instead of six. Very Happy

I deleted the other 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
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erste
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

love this thread and keep fighting!!

I have a bug net for the rear hatch with a vinyl surround, but getting it installed on my tintop turned out to be a hassle. I sewed in magnets, but it’s too heavy. So I installed snaps, but just on the sides. Snap holes ended up leaking, and I only recently realized they were the leak point back there. No way to use snaps on top, or at least I didn’t want to accidentally drill through the roof. I tried velcro but it just peels off the headliner. A simple, lighter net would have worked better, and maybe I’ll try that, or use contact cement to hold the velcro in place.

All that to say THANK YOU for the thorough netting info.
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VdubVanner
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:19 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

erste wrote:
love this thread...
All that to say THANK YOU for the thorough netting info.


You're welcome!

Two years ago to this day, I started this thread with some apprehension. Its main goal was to document the transformation of my ol' rusty beater into what it is today. That way I'd have an illustrated record for an insurance company to provide full value coverage and something for me to help remember events since I have trouble even now trying to recall what happened when. I was also attempting in my fumbling way -- I hadn't attained my Wabi-Sabi Master ranking yet -- to show anyone interested in reviving an aging Westy what it would cost in time and trouble to do the job. I had no mechanical skills, or very limited ones, compared to the master home/pro mechanics that frequent the pages of the Samba and felt that the thread might give guidance to those in the same unskilled category.

BEFORE Body Makeover (I'd already painted the bumpers and air scoop as prep by this time so it actually looks a lot better than Day 1 of the Mechanical Makeover):

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


AFTER Makeover I & II (early this morning outside Tony's Auto Service):

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I was in to Tony's to get my winter weight oil changed to 20W50 dino oil for the warmer months ahead. I'm crossing my fingers and toes and hoping that the ol' improved van -- named Fritz thanks to a gentle nudge by Gregor and Janice Brandt -- is now dialed in. That effort took two years. Along the way I also snagged the coveted personalized license plate "VWWESTY" and a diagnosis of incurable cancer. Life has its ups and downs -- but mine is mostly ups. Was all the time, expense, frustration and annoyance worth it? I reckon it was. But make no mistake, a project of this magnitude is costly in more ways than money.

Going into the Makeover, I knew very little about the mechanical goings on of a water-cooled Westy. I knew where the engine and radiator were and where to check for oil and coolant but not a whole lot more in detail. Ordering the parts for the re-do was an education in itself. Gradually, I started understanding a lot more about my vehicle. In the early years, I thought nothing of hopping aboard and driving it anywhere. I kept the oil and coolant filled and the van's relative youthfulness did the rest. I also kept a log of stuff that needed preventative maintenance based on the advice of the authors of the book I mentioned on page 1 of this thread.

Hopefully, with the help of the great guys at Tony's Auto Service and the wonders of modern medicine, both Fritz and I will continue driving into the distant future.

Where I see a need for a detailed illustrated explanation of doing something on a Westy or to enhance the camping experience -- the sliding door bugscreenery is an example -- I'll attempt, in my fumble-fingered and feeble-minded wabi-sabi way, to share what I've discovered with other owners.

Two years sure passes fast!
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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


Last edited by VdubVanner on Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:33 pm; edited 3 times in total
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VicVan
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:25 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

Thanks for the detailed writeup on the bug screen. One of my objectives in the coming years is to drive all the way to the Arctic Circle in the summer. I heard I'll need a bug screen for that!
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:37 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

Awesome job! And I take full responsibly for the fact that your van has a name. Smile
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'Lucky' our 1987 Red Westy, ASV 1.9 TDI ~130HP, Peloquin differential (had a GW 2.3 that we loved, but it died, we drove it hard!)
We've driven in 49 countries and 5 continents to date
Canada to Argentina and back, 2015 to 2017.
Canada to Europe and back (including Turkey, Morocco and Iceland), 2017 to 2019
Mexico 2022-2023
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VdubVanner
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2021 9:07 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

VicVan wrote:
Thanks for the detailed writeup on the bug screen. One of my objectives in the coming years is to drive all the way to the Arctic Circle in the summer. I heard I'll need a bug screen for that!


I'd say an extra spare tire may turn out to be more useful depending on when you go. The Dempster is hard on tires due to the sharp shale they use on the road surface. The last time we did that route it was later in August to time it for the fall colours in Tombstone Territorial Park. Cold by then so no bugs! In fact, by the time we got to Inuvik, the local weather forecast was calling for the first snowfalls so we hightailed it south on the single lane, wet slop that passed for a highway. It was absolutely drenched with heavy rain. A little sign in the Tombstone Territorial Interpretive Centre -- then not much more than a shack -- gave this advice on weather: Native lore has it that when the fireweed plant blooms at the top (it blooms from the bottom up) it's not long until snow and winter arrives. Yup, the fireweed were all blooming at the top!

Some route advice: I found the approach from Alaska -- north on the Taylor Hwy aka #5 east of Tok -- to be absolutely magical with the setting sun lighting up the Top of the World Hwy leading into Dawson. https://www.bellsalaska.com/maps/top-of-the-world-highway-map.pdf We'd done it once before from Dawson on an earlier trip and it seemed ho-hum at the time. You have to do it from the west for the best effect. Then run up the Dempster. Of course, there's a couple of border crossings involved.

*** Note: on the first trip up we had a flat with only one spare to use. On the second trip in the Westy, I came prepared with two spares and got through unscathed while watching others on the side of the infamous, tire chewing road. All luck!
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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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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2021 9:15 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

gbrandt wrote:
And I take full responsibly for the fact that your van has a name. Smile

And so you should! Shame on you

I still haven't come up with something to get even with you yet but I'm working on it. Very Happy
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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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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:04 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

A good spare, and some tools to fix a damaged tire. Duly noted!
If we're lucy we're doing that in 2022, if not then 2023.
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RalphWiggam
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:03 am    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

Ooops. Sorry about the ultra repost. Samba was having issues when I was trying to post.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:08 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

"Sure is a beaut!"

Before I could get a single word out to answer, the gas station attendant nearby chimed in with "Yeah, it sure is!"

The opening compliment directed at Fritz was from a guy pumping gas next to me this morning who looked to be a biker. Bandana around his head, scruffy black T-shirt and old worn-out jeans -- they all matched his dated black truck. Nice guy in other words. I ran into a bunch down Sturgis way years ago who were all smiles, peace signs and thumbs up when they saw the old Westy. We had no idea what Sturgis was at the time but that trip was in early August and the entire region was crawling with hordes of bikes and bikers in every size, shape and form. All we were aiming for was Mt Rushmore, Jewel Cave National Monument -- the third longest cave in the world at 200 miles-plus -- and Wind Cave National Park, also one of the world's longest. If you haven't seen those caves, I highly recommend doing so. The U.S. has some of the best parks interpretive staff in the world and it was a joy to take a tour with them. Even busy, busy, busy Mt Rushmore turned out to be not so bad. I hate crowds and I actually thought the staff handled them quite well. At the time we were on our way to see my mother-in-law in Windsor, Ontario and decided to shortcut to Manitowac, Wisconsin to take the ferry across Lake Michigan to Ludington, Michigan. If I recall correctly we raced across the state and got there with about 10 minutes to spare before boarding (we had no reservation and didn't know what to expect). This was at night so it was a thrill to make that crossing, starry skies and all.

Anyway, back to this morning. I'm finding it a little strange to hear compliments coming my way after driving a rusty van around for years. It's unnerving. Last week a friendly older woman in the library parking lot shot me the line "You're out early with the van" assuming that it had just come out of winter storage. I explained that I drove it year-round so it wasn't really unusual. She left with the parting comment "Nice looking VW!"

Crikey, Fritz is starting to feel like a celebrity. I'm rather uncomfortable getting any attention since I like to stay low key. I guess those days are over with.

Okay, a couple more comments about the sliding door bugscreenery:

1) It fits perfectly in a 2.5 gallon Hefty bag https://www.amazon.ca/Hefty-Slider-Jumbo-Storage-Gallon/dp/B0741C6N93 :

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


To get it in there without a fight, first fold the end slightly and slide 'er in. Then unfold it fully. Bingo! BTW The total weight of the netting portion of the bugscreenery -- without the around-the-door hooked velcro included -- comes to 1.46 lbs/23.4 oz. That comes off 2 lbs lighter compared to the GoWesty version https://www.gowesty.com/product/made-in-usa/2470/sliding-door-screen- (I'm assuming the weight of all the required snaps adds up in their item.)

2) I was loading the van today with all my camping junk and noticed that my flannel shirt was catching on the hooked velcro on the side of the door next to the bench seat where I was working. Not a big deal but something to watch for when at close quarters and doing the same thing. EASY FIX: Take a long stretch of the leftover looped velcro that was trimmed off from one of the sides of the screen door and apply it over the hooked stuff next to the door. Problem solved! When you need the screen up and running just remove that looped stretch and store it in the same 2.5 gal plastic bag that houses the bugscreenery.

After months of bouncing in and out of the shop, I'm assuming things may finally be settling down to the point where loading the van back up is a safe bet. I normally keep it loaded year-round. Do you think I could remember how it was packed months before? Nope. Slightly but not 100% sure. Last fall, while removing everything, I had a go at my two stoves that I always carry and use away from the vehicle so food smells are separated from our sleeping quarters. It's an old habit from living in griz country and I've been doing it since I had the '73 camperized bus. I actually had the rusted propane tank yanked off and won't miss it.

Here's the stoves I use:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


One plus one = a two burner stove i.e. the same as the van. The one on the left is a new replacement -- a dual fuel burner -- and the one on the right is a golden oldie that still works like a charm. I've been using similar Colemans for more than 40 years, starting with a green Sportster model. I used the same stove in Oz and donated it to a happy fellow in Cairns before we flew home. I love those stoves! And they basically all work the same so there's no fuss or trying to remember how to use them when priming and firing them up. The bonus is that they can simmer right down.

Here's what they look like packed for under the bench seat:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I don't drink coffee but that Folgers container fits the dual fuel stove perfectly.

This feels a little like showing you my underwear but we know each other now so what the heck, here's how I pack that space:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I have two, white gas fuel bottles and have them wrapped in foam carpet underlay or a stove mitt -- both with foam padding underneath -- and a towel usually topping them so they don't bang around. Besides the axe and folding saw, I have a couple of breaker bars buried at the back -- an 18-incher for the spare tire underneath and a 30-incher for the lug nuts on the others. I also have a spare impact socket taped to the 30-incher just in case. Yup, the standard VW jack is under there with the reminder "Must set brake first!". To handle a muddy or soft ground set up, I carry a block of wood for the jack.

What else is under there? Hmmm...a solar shower bag, a couple frying pans with lids, a pot, some windscreens for the stoves, a box with folding steel chocks for the wheels, a heavy-duty nylon/poly tow rope that came from a neighbour who used to tow/pilot glider planes, a flat wire grill for fire use, a sponge, a couple of folding/collapsible water buckets (yellow items), two thick black plastic gold pans for dishes and hands (they take boiling water poured into them without batting an eye), the front shade/privacy tarp for the poptop window, a half full jug of 20W50 LiquiMoly dino oil some bear bells etc etc. Quite a collection of junk, eh?

In the rear over the back mattress goes the soft stuff that won't kill us if propelled forward in an accident: pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, sleeping pads, wildlife mojo etc. One exception is the bicycle pump that gets tucked back there in case of need of inflating a tire or two.

This time around I'm taking photos and listing what's where so I have a chance of finding it or repacking it the same way again. I have more sorting/packing to do over the next few days. That gives me an excuse to roll out into the alley, turn up Windspeaker radio and chat to my amused neighbours as they drive or walk by. My antics around the van are always good for a big grin or chuckle. Smile

Update: Just because Fritz is a handsome fella now doesn't mean that he won't earn his keep by hauling dirt, gravel and other heavy items around when necessary. While moving the camping crap and corruption collection back into the van post-makeovers, my daughter requested the purchase of some top soil for her garden before the spring rush. So out I went...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Throw a tarp down, add 180lbs of primo dirt and no problem at all -- even with unsorted camping gear strewn around and the cooler in place.

Man I love these vehicles. All-round do-it-alls like a Swiss army knife: daily driver, city shuttle bus, load hauler, home on wheels -- they can't be beat.
_________________
"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


Last edited by VdubVanner on Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:36 am; edited 4 times in total
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VdubVanner
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2021 5:38 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

So I roll up to the gas pump again today -- I tend to keep my tank full to prevent condensation and rusting this time of year -- and a guy filling up an older car behind me shouts "What year?". "'89" I say rather meekly and with that he smiles and says "Looks in great shape!" Fast forward two minutes and a motorcyclist pulls up to a distant pump, takes off his helmet and the first far-reaching words out of his mouth are "What year?". "89" I say yet again and he counters with "Nice!". This is getting to me. I better start filling up in the dead of night!

Talking to a friendly neighbour who I haven't seen in some time -- yup, in the alley again -- I mentioned my collection of wildlife mojo and the planned trip to go looking for migrating eagles near the end of the month. "Hey, I might have an eagle beanie baby at home!" Never dreaming that she'd go to all the trouble of digging through stuff to find it, the comment was almost forgotten -- until I found this stuffed in my mailbox today:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Looks great inside on the "perch" opposite the western tanager:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


As soon as I open the slider, it's on the hunt for quarry to lure in plus it guards the door from evil spirits (the orca and sasquatch do the same for the rear hatch):

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I'm liking it already. Dang, I have some great neighbours! She actually had to talk her grown son out of it for me. BTW Mojo is even more powerful if received as a special gift from someone. To pay homage to a recent renaming of a mountain peak near Canmore AB I've decided to go with the Stoney Nakoda name for bald eagle which is Anu Katha (pronounced Anu Kasa -- which is actually the way the Saskatchewan Nakoda spell it: https://www.academia.edu/35146124/Nakoda_Vocabulary_and_Phrases page 103 -- note, however, the eagle pictured on that page is an African fish eagle not a North American bald eagle!) ) https://globalnews.ca/news/7367396/mountain-racist-name-rockies/ .

On the topic of the chair anchors that I mentioned before, I made a pair up from spare shock-cord I had in my camping pile downstairs (nine inches in length doubled over) and some featherweight tent pegs from Cabelas https://www.cabelas.ca/product/38551/coghlans-ultralight-9-tent-pegs :

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I push the tent peg in with the sole of my boot. Use the white cord as the stake puller. If you missed the linked video for that idea here it is again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YijGxeVmEi4 .

The chairs can still be blown over in a gust but they won't go flying off into a campfire, lake or fast flowing river. I reckon those stakes and shock-cord are worth the effort of adding to the chair kit.
_________________
"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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VdubVanner
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:56 am    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

Okay, that Yotache adjustable bugscreenery finally popped back up on the radar and will be available as of April 9th if'n you're interested:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081HXSWQ5?tag=camelanon...uage=en_US

I expect it to go skulking back into the shadowy "Currently Unavailable" ranks shortly thereafter.

You've been warned!

HAPPY EASTER!

UPDATE FOR CHEAPSTERS: If you're only dealing with mossies in your area then these might do the trick at a substantial cost savings for the front windows: https://wagan.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/easy-air-auto-screen?variant=32882216599655 (LARGE size = #6008 = stretch to 25" X 46" see Description section) or, in Canada, maybe these https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00YQO4X4U/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1N8M1HF35D0SI&psc=1 . At that price, if they wear out after a few years of heavy use simply replace them for a fraction of the cost of the custom-made-for-a-Vanagon versions. My MM&T front window screens finally shipped out and I should be seeing them soon. Photos and descriptions will follow.

Teaser for trip report that's coming soon (I'm working outside in the alley and garage getting ready for another trip while we have a warm spell at the moment):

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Let's call that trip "Rocky Mountain High in God's Country". Intoxicating!

BTW Those shiny screws on the utility hookup flaps are gone now. I painted them black so they wouldn't stand out any more. That was one of the jobs I was working on yesterday.
_________________
"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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Location: Cowtown AB
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 3:15 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

That warm spell ended with a bang this morning while I was out in the alley -- I believe they call it snow flurries -- so I closed up shop and headed in.

Time for another episode! As I mentioned, I was keen on getting out to the mountains to see some of the golden eagle migration but my COVID shot and that of my wife's got in the way. Due to my compromised immune system, the vaccination took a bit more out of me than I thought. For all that, I get 40% efficacy vs the normal 80% efficacy after 20 days thanks to the cancer drugs. The second shot boosts me up to 90% or so they claim.

Anyhoo, March 31st looked good since there had been a couple of days of light snow and cold temperatures that tend to ground eagles gliding on ridgetop updrafts. So off I went. I decided to give the better known watching site of Mt Lorette a pass for a trip back to the south end of God's Country instead. At Mt Lorette you're seeing eagles waaaaay off in the distance whereas along the highway west of Longview I can sometimes pick up eagles drifting closer along the foothills. Over the last 20 years the numbers of goldies counted has plummeted so either way it was going to be a crap shoot. Do you recall this classic tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-CEX9qlBxU ? Steven Stills wrote that song based on true accounts as reported in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/03/archives/shooting-of-500-eagles-described-by-a-pilot.html . If he thought Canada was any better, he was dead wrong. More recently, eagle researcher Carol McIntyre up in Denali National Park https://www.nps.gov/articles/carol-mcintyre-wildlife-biologist.htm radio-tracked a couple of her golden-headed subjects to Alberta where they went off the screen. (Carol "the Rock Star" is my kind of woman. Be sure to read the Audubon link on that page.) Maybe we had less impact than south of the border but the guilt was the same. On top of all that are the natural predator-prey population cycles. A bust in prey numbers is soon followed by a bust in predator numbers.

So, at the outset, I didn't have high hopes even with all the magical wildlife mojo that I brought to the viewing table. Still off I went across #543 looking hither and thither for baldies and goldies. Zip, zero, nada! When I finally rolled into Little New York aka Longview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longview,_Alberta and got out to look around my left foot was still bothering me:

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That sprained ankle? I blame it on more flattery. Yup, I made the mistake of rolling up to my favourite Cowtown gas station that morning and no sooner had I topped the tank for the trip than a fine fellow pipes up -- are you ready for the chorus -- "Great shape! What year is it?" I was so distracted I hopped in the van without waiting for my receipt and when I noticed the error I immediately sprung out to sprint to the pump for that little piece of paper. While springing out, the wind blew the door against my boot but my body followed its trajectory leaving me hanging upside down with my hand breaking the fall. Looking back at the boot, it seemed to be at a painful right angle from where it should have been. That's how my morning started. I couldn't duplicate that maneouver if someone paid me to try. Although tempted to go home and pout I carried on. Fritz was being stoic but I reckon he thought that I got what was coming to me. It was HIM after all that should be the centre of attention not me. He was right. I suddenly recalled a saying of my Dad's; "You know what happens to Big Wheels? They get peed on by little dogs." Hmmmm...maybe that was Fritz grabbing my foot to get even? Off we drove towards Scabby Dried Meat Trail to run the windshield-cracking gauntlet yet again. That gave Fritz enough to think about that he didn't even notice the City of Calgary Waste & Recycling truck driver pull up next to me, honk and give me a HUGE grin and thumbs up. I assumed that he'd seen the VWWESTY plate adorning the back end. Since my door-slamming pal Fritz was suitably distracted with thoughts of the expressway ordeal ahead, he missed my appreciative return smile and thumbs up. Maybe the day would turn out fine even with that bad start.

From "Little New York" we turned west to reach the Dead End:

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Where there were bare hillsides in January now a fresh snowfall was sprinkled across the landscape. Lovely! But still no eagles. Was my magic mojo letting me down? No, siree, sir: my white hat and company finally started to show their stuff:

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I pulled over and let the "blockade" continue:

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The wind was so strong I had a hard time holding the camera still. And it was freezing cold to boot. I yelled at the passengers from the car behind me to look up. We were about 10 feet apart but the driver couldn't hear a word I said due to the force of the wind. I pointed upward to the top of the rocky ridge above us:

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Eventually the road-salt-licking bighorns dispersed and I drove on to the dead end with sunshine beaming out from between the clouds:

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This was about noon-ish and there were all of four vehicles parked here. The occupant of the silver steed was already out and about while the two fellows in the white SUV were preparing for a hike up adjacent Junction Hill. I'd politely asked them if I could park in front of them so I could scan the peaks and slopes for golden eagles with my binoculars from the warm, windless confines of the van. My spotting scope was no use outside since any bit of wind would knock the subject back and forth in the viewing area.

Here was my view from the front row seat(s):

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I asked the guys -- a father and son by the looks of them -- if they'd just got there and they told me they'd spent the night sleeping in a quinzhee a kilometre or so off the highway. Quinzhees, or "snow forts", which my brothers and I used to build in our backyards all the time as kids in Edmonton and Red Deer, are really cozy inside. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinzhee + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZEycb-rvts ) These two were just prepping themselves for the freezing, wind-whipped jaunt up Junction Hill for the next bit of fun. Off they went ... in the wrong direction:

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Immediately correcting themselves and turning right to the real trail head, they vanished. The wild-looking, bearded loner in the red SUV at the back of the pack was unloading his burly bike and large pack. He'd been up to Cat Creek the week before (see map above) and claimed to have seen quite a few golden eagles migrating "in the evening" over Fitzsimmons Creek and Cat Creek. Very plausible. I took him at his word based on his sunburned/wind-whipped outdoorsy look. This guy had been in the woods before -- perhaps a little too long. Off he went cycling uphill into the blasting wind to who knows where:

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Based on the size of his backpack, he was going camping as well. He said he had some time off from work and was looking forward to a break. Tough hombre!

So there I was munching my lunch and downing my meds with a throbbing left ankle -- in a cozy VW Westy. No quinzhee for me. Ahhhhh, what a decadent life! But after scanning for eagles with my binocs for about a half hour with no luck I was getting antsy and starting to feel left out:

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Ah, shucks, maybe I could hobble up the road to have a look with my fine optics from that vantage point. I'd still be able to keep an eye on Fritz at the same time:

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There were three problems with that strategy: 1) my swollen ankle 2) Mt Muir and 3) Mt McPhail. The backpacking biker's tracks didn't help any:

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Suddenly that familiar Rocky Mountain high was hitting me. I was getting intoxicated with the fresh, frost-nipped air and the snow-capped peaks. Hmmm...maybe I could just keep going and have a quick look-see around the bend. The foot was cold enough to keep from throbbing too much. Then it hit me: I'd left the doors unlocked and gear out in the open. Dang! Down I hobbled to close Fritz up tight before turning around, hobbling up again and running into the silver steed fellow:

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Yelling at him over the wind to find out if he'd spotted any eagles he admitted to seeing "large birds" up on the top of Junction Hill. "Were they black?" (Ravens.) "No, they were brown." Interesting intel with the chance of golden eagles gliding by. You'll note how everyone was bundled up that day. I was no different with my hood up and long johns on. The Calgary forecast was for 14 degrees C! Based on his info I decided to forge on up and around the corner. Looking back, Fritz was now out of sight:

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Mt Armstrong and the Highwood Valley were awesome as was the freshly covered highway that hadn't melted on this side of the hill:

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Unbroken white surface save for the wavering tracks of a wild cyclist near the edge of the road. I was about to change that:

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Or add to it:

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That coyote just beat me to the clean look and had, in fact, veered over to sniff at the cyclist's tracks. Looking ahead I could see the rugged peak of Mt Bishop (?) and the Fitzsimmons Creek picnic area:

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I limped in to have a look at the signage on the toilets. Since I hadn't been anywhere for so long I'd yet to see how Alberta Parks was responding to COVID. I was also casing the place out as a possible refuge in case of an unexpected meeting with an early emerging griz or roaming cougar (not planning on going walkabout I hadn't loaded the bear spray into the van that morning):

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One side of the fine establishment was actually open even though the road was closed for the season. Nice! Might come in handy. Closing the door I walked off back to the road and looked up on the hillside. Was I seeing things? Nope, there they all were ready to be counted:

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With the snow melting back, the grass was already greening up for those winter-starved elk. I could see through my binos that some of them were looking down at me and watching my every move. A critter out here doesn't last long without eyes scanning for predators.

There were 50+ elk on that hillside all filling their faces with the fresh green growth. Wowsers! What a wildlife-watching jackpot. This is why the government closed the highway each winter: it really was a wildlife sanctuary full of elk, deer, bighorns, coyotes, griz, cougar etc. In other words, a nature bum's paradise. I was looking around and thinking I was in heaven. Unlike Banff, not a single soul was around and no vehicles could zoom through destroying the tranquility -- not even one with a personalized VWWESTY plate. Hiking down the center of the two lanes of highway was a unique sensation. I'd never been on a "trail" that was this wide and paved before. Weird but absolutely wonderful. The sight lines for spotting far-off wildlife were incredible. Suddenly I was having strange thoughts: what if I brought a bike in here? I could cover more distance. But I will say this: based on the wavering line of the cyclist's tracks I doubt he even looked up and saw those elk. Or maybe they hadn't wandered out into the open yet. It was getting late enough in the day for animals to emerge from cover to feed.

Leaning against the bear-proof garbage container in that parking lot I spent some time enjoying the elk herd feeding. But it was getting later in the day so I continued on down the road. Something was drawing me on. One thing was certain: I was sure glad that I had strong sunglasses on or I would have gone snow blind that roadway was so white and reflective. Looking over my shoulder and off in the distance for anything with big teeth and claws, I caught sight of a brown head on the horizon. Yikes! Suddenly I felt extremely vulnerable. Looking through the binoculars -- a must-have piece of equipment in these parts -- I breathed a quick sigh of relief. The first head was joined by two more and then the bodies appeared:

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I was in the shadow from a large tree and was harder to spot but when I raised my binos again, they caught sight of me and scooted off with their "white flags" flying in the breeze. The minutes-old tracks told the story:

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See the human or whatever it was and split pronto! By this time I'd noticed that the cyclist had stashed his bike in the bush by the road and continued on foot -- hence the reason why he stuck to the edge of the highway. That spot melted first and would obliterate his tracks and presence in due course. I ended my foray at Strawberry Equestrian Camp and saw his tracks continuing on. I left him a quick note in the snow hoping it wouldn't melt:

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Then I turned tail and walked back the same way I came hoping that my luck would hold and I wouldn't meet something that could eat me. I stopped in at the toilets again and discovered that when the door closed it slammed shut and was now locked! Good thing I hadn't needed it as a safe house:

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Looking down the final stretch, I could see how much snow had melted. Minutes before this photo was taken another half-dozen white-tails crossed the road just upslope of Fritz. With the sun setting, prime time feeding was now on. Fritz was ready and waiting with much of the snow around him gone as well:

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Okay so I hadn't seen any eagles. Big deal. My wildlife mojo worked its collective magic and came up with suitable stand-ins. My old moose mojo was added for this trip at the last minute after discovering it during the repacking of my camping outfit:

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Maybe that helped me reach a wildlife-watching bonanza?

It was now about 5:30pm and I was tired and hungry. Time to head home. One last stop, though: a check to see if the bighorns were still out and about. They were:

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Doing a U-ie on the empty highway, I pulled up closer to wish them a good evening and good feeding:

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I stopped in Longview to use my "new" cellphone to call home and let my family know I was on my way (this was the first one I'd ever operated and had to be taught by my patient daughter on how to use it):

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My older sister insisted -- with the backing of my wife and daughter -- that I carry it now that I was a feeble-minded and fumble-fingered, cancer-ridden old fool who was known to go off on his own into the boonies. Funny thing is that phone never worked in the mountains. That iPhone 7-plus was a nice hand-me-down gift from my big sis, though, who was upgrading to an iPhone 347 or whatever the current rage was all about. Note that I took that pic of the phone on April Fool's Day because it was no use to me at all in mountainous terrain. Next time I venture onto that closed road I'll be carrying two canisters of bear spray instead.

Now about that biking idea:

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That's a story for another day. I will mention here that I added the Foldie Fondo photo upthread for a reason: I rode 40+ miles that day on the same bike and I was full of cancer at the time. The nagging pain in my groin that I had assumed was a hernia was eventually diagnosed as cancer a few months later. Heck, maybe I could ride a few miles in the paved backcountry, too, now that I was virtually pain free?

Rocky Mountain highs in God's Country can become addictive. Shocked

Happy Easter and count your blessings!
_________________
"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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VdubVanner
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Joined: August 03, 2017
Posts: 734
Location: Cowtown AB
VdubVanner is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:39 pm    Post subject: Re: 1989 Westy Makeover: GoWesty 2.3L Engine plus plus plus Reply with quote

We'll get back to that folding bike in a minute...but first some black-painted screws and front window bugscreenery:

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I finally got sick and tired of looking at the shine off the new screws on the utility hook-up flaps. A few dabs of Dupli-color Trim paint and the shine was gone.

My M&T Mfg front bug screens finally arrived and I found out who actually makes them for a whole host of vendors including GoWesty: Acme Auto -- Quality Soft Trim Products of Long Beach, California. http://www.acmeautoheadlining.com/westfaliatent.html + http://www.acmeautoheadlining.com/doorscreens.html + http://www.acmeautoheadlining.com/onlinevenders.html .

Let's have a look at 'em:

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A heavy magnetic strip or tape holds them tight to the edge of the windows.

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That tricky tight curve at the front of the bugscreenery that Abel addressed in his own fashion is taken care of by Acme Auto with similar deft handiwork.

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Black to match the tinted windows. Beauty!

Storage is the same as the sliding door bugscreenery -- a 2.5gal Hefty ziploc bag. They fold approximately the same.

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Note: I thought that I was going to be getting the shorter version of the front window screens based on the product photos and Abel's pricing (his long was $90 and I paid $85):

https://vanalert.myshopify.com/collections/miscell...3083801694

Deal!
_________________
"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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