Our '85 fix-up-and-enjoy Vanagon

[vanagonjr]

[The Pilch]

[The Pilch]

[The Pilch]

Well, hellooooooo from a cold dark garage in Utah!!!

I obtained a proper mask, none of those paper covid ones. I'm going to wear this down Walmart...

This evening, I added another coat of bed liner to what I've already done. I won't bore you with pics of that. Then, as I am at the nose....I took Freddies face off!

Here's the aforementioned fourteen million rock chips...

That's proper annoying. But I do have a brand new unopened pouch of spot putty in my stash, which I'll use to try and smooth this boghorror out. I'll continue the bed liner around the front.

Then I shoved a bunch of cardboard from my recycle trash can into the radiator areas to avoid dust and paint going in there. Doesn't he look handsome...

Tomorrow, I'm going fishing, and upon my return with a fabulous score of rainbow trout, I shall begin the task of sorting out Freddies Face!
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'85 Vanagon GL, weekender package, 1.9 wbx named Freddie/ '61 Beetle named Ringo/ '78 Dodge Monaco which is nothing like the Bluesmobile so please don't cast that oily rag upon it.

[DuncanS]

I assume the bed liner will stay below the side marker lights and the lower radiator. I realize the line seems that it wants to keep going, but I'm nervous about a nice clean new color for the entire rest of the front and then an abrupt change to something not shiny and then shiny again with the bumper How about a Projektxtwo addition which would define the change all the way across? Seems like that might be a solution. Or stop it at the back edge of the bumper end caps? Or maybe the front edge since they are black too. They could get the same bed liner treatment. Maybe bed liner the entire bumper? In any case Freddie deserves a proper Christmas present, so perhaps the Projektxtwo unit?

Duncan

[The Pilch]

Thanks for the pic Duncan! That looks pretty sweet right there! I was kinda fixed on the bed liner following the same line around the front, just for simplicity sake really. But you are right about Freddie deserving a proper Christmas present I like GoWesty bumpers.......sold out.
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'85 Vanagon GL, weekender package, 1.9 wbx named Freddie/ '61 Beetle named Ringo/ '78 Dodge Monaco which is nothing like the Bluesmobile so please don't cast that oily rag upon it.

[The Pilch]

Saturday, while wifey went to work, I finally got back up to Tibble Fork in American Fork Canyon, Utah...

Managed to bring in four of these. Water levels very low this year and many trout were dying off. This is a tiddler!

Get back on topic!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I had a couple of hours before wifey came home, and just wanted a break from sanding. My hands are mashup from 100, 320, 400 and red scotchbrite the last few weeks. So I pondered hmmmm what can I do that's productive and only costs $12.99? That's right, I grabbed a rattle can of metallic blue, somewhere in the ballpark of Freddie's OG color, and blasted out a test area.

Pointless, I hear you say..well, I do partly agree, but not really. We are still unsure of the color to use. I've had some experience spraying, and one thing is for certain, I am not blessed with the talent for spraying metallics. My metallic practice panels looked like Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes packets....but this metallic blue from Duplicolor went well. I think wifey has another idea...but I am trying to force the issue of not having to repaint the door jams. We shall see. This was overall a good food-for-thought/eye-candy exercise. I can also see where dents are and now if only I could get my stud welder back.

Hope you all had a glorious weekend. Cheerio for now!
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'85 Vanagon GL, weekender package, 1.9 wbx named Freddie/ '61 Beetle named Ringo/ '78 Dodge Monaco which is nothing like the Bluesmobile so please don't cast that oily rag upon it.

[Povi]

I had luck with Ford's Windveil Blue Metallic. It's a Mustang color. It seems a better match for the 85' and 86', not so much for the 89'. I got it from an ebay vendor. I've also bought "dove blue" from two different ebay vendors and they weren't even close. Greenish tint

Cheers!
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89' Westy Subaru 2.2

[djkeev]

I too used to end up with metallic stripes.
The flake just wouldn't lie randomly for me.

About 30 years ago I mentioned it to a buddy who told me two things.

(1) If you don't have a mixer spray gun cup, it is imperative that you constantly shake your gun while spraying to keep the metallics in suspension.

(2) Forget what you learned about painting and keeping a wet edge in a nice neat fashion.
Basically spray randomly, so that those watching you paint will think that you've completely lost your mind!
Spray to the sides, spray up, spray down, spray in circles ..... maintaining an even distance from the Vehicle and constantly shaking the gun.

Sounds crazy I know.... I sure thought so when he told me...... but it works.

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[dobryan]

[DuncanS]

Yr front bumper is in such good shape, I'd keep it. You have the rubber for both sides and the end caps are all in one piece..................... Well the end caps look like......end caps. There is nothing wrong with the chrome bumper ending where it does. Of course we all wish it went around the corners as well and doesn't look like somebody was trying to save money and just tossed a little plastic at it. My guess the way this happened is somebody was trying to save money and just tossed a little plastic at it. There is no reason why some wood couldn't get whittled into a decent shape that was flush with the chrome and was painted the bed liner color. Or maybe a plastic bumper with the side wings could be bed linered.

This car doesn't have side cladding, but does on the front door. I'll bet if you used just the bumper itself with no door cladding and had the whole shebang bed linered, it would look great. You wouldn't need the air dam side pieces, although they might need to be there to continue the line. Note also his full length lower grill. Very snappy. The fiberglass bumper is a little higher so there would be no obvious bed liner on the nose.

Not a fan of aftermarket welded bumper 'cause of the sharp corners which don't appear anywhere else on the body. I might even explore a sculpted oak bumper which went around the corners and got the bed liner treatment.

So many choices.

Duncan
P.S. Air dams increase fuel mileage and......... decrease global warming??????

[DuncanS]

And if Freddie gets a nice Christmas present with the Projektxtwo unit then certainly this has to go in his stocking.

https://www.amazon.com/BRISA-Collection-Volkswagen-Windscreen-Accessories/dp/B082Q19H5K?th=1

The color is even correct.

[Red Ryder]

+1 for air dams!

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“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red

[DuncanS]

Look at how clean the nose of that car is!! No road rash or peeling clear coat. I hate you.

[Red Ryder]

[DuncanS]

Not so fast, Red. First of all, the headlights are Sylvania Silver Star sealed beams which were $20 apiece. How much did your Euro spec ones cost. Yeah, yours are probably better at seeing the deer farther out, but with my NHL hockey goalie reflexes I'm cool. (Actually, I have some of the worst reactions times ever. My brain/muscle control works on dial-up speeds and I was terrible at almost any sports.) AND, I'll concede your high beams seem far cleaner than mine, although I did clean them later and they look much better now.

But............. Lower grill. Beat this!

Ignore the bumper/door cladding extension. Even my OCD ruled it out as too complicated and prone to road crud jamming.

Duncan

[Red Ryder]

[DuncanS]

Creativity, schmreativity--Your paint job and nose detail with fog lamps et al make for a really beautiful T3.

I know that The Pilch will get there as well. Fun to watch him with his progress and obvious enjoyment of the process. Lots of others are enjoying the vicarious experience too. 5225 hits on his topic and 96 following and replying.

Duncan

[The Pilch]

[The Pilch]