cool John,
I hope that was helpful.
I'm a little nutty over vans getting that way in the first place..
but if that part didnt' bother you too much , and the other was
useful...great !

I just really get off on making things strong and solod again, and not
rusted anymore, and potected from future rust .  Mechanical repairs are
semi-boring in comparison ....mechanical reapirs being not  quite  as
creative as saving and preserving a whole vanagon body/chassis.  ( engine
conversions ..
even doing something like a 2.1 wbxr block into an ealier vanagon....all
that is great fun I think. )

that's great you have two vanagons.
the more you have, the better you get at fixing them and preserving them and
enjoying them.
and it's sure nice once in a while to try a suspect electronic part on the
other van. That can be super handy.
scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@charter.net>
To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 5:40 PM
Subject: Re: Rust hole through the floor - how do I best repair?

>  Scott,
>
> Thanks for all the information! I am going to do this as you described.
> This is my daily driver we are speaking of. I'm getting another van ready
> for the road, but I'm not quite there, so with this one being down, it's
> going to be awkward. But I want it done right.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
> On 7/29/2010 3:43 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>> hi
>> re
>> I expect that the hole and rusted metal I can see are but the tip
>> of the iceberg
>>
>> you got it !
>> it sure can be the tip of the iceberg.
>> frustrating for me since it is SO  easy to see and fix while it's still
>> surface rust.
>> While it's surface rust under the front driver's floor mat or whatever is
>> there ..
>> it is SO easy to fix permanently, it can be done blinfolded in 10
>> minutes,
>> it's that easy to stop and treat surface rust.
>>
>> and even with large sections missing it's not hard to fix super well.
>>
>> first ...clean away everything that is rotted ..
>> until all the body cancer rust is gone.  it's fun to save in a box ...
>> to see the rusted powder part of your van turned into ...kinda like
>> someones
>> ashes in a urn ..
>>
>> anyway ..
>> clean and remove until all the bad stuff is gone.
>> then *treat the remaining metal* ..
>> Ohspho is a famouns rust converting metal treatment ..
>> dangerous stuff, will etch concrete floors nicely.
>>
>> or brush-on, or spray on 'rust converter' stuff .
>> a small bottle at the hardware store is about 7 bucks..
>> you brush that on ..
>> converts rusted metal to a very hard black surface.
>>
>> if I am going to be bonding pieces of metal to areas with big holes...I
>> leave the remaining metal treated..
>> I don't paint it yet.
>>
>> then get sheet metal to fill in what is missing.
>> I like galvananized sheet metal in a pretty hefty guage ...hardware store
>> stuff is 'almost' heavy enoug guage.
>> for a whole missing driver's floor, I'd cut one out of my parts vans ..
>> and I could sell you that part if you are interested.
>>
>> then to joint the new metal to the old ..
>> you want professional grade two part epoxy steel.
>> the stuff I get from a pro body supply store, you put a twin tube into a
>> gun
>> ..
>> like a cauking gun sort of , but it has a mixing tube on the front ..
>> so the two parts get mixed at you squease it out of the tubes.  The
>> mixing
>> nozzles are disposable , and about a buck each.
>>
>> so you cut sections of nice material..
>> aluminum plate is all right ...sometimes I have pieces of stainless I've
>> collected here and there ..
>> and just plain pieces of car body ..
>> this epoxy is so strong , from a twin tubes in a mixing gun, I call it
>> spaceship grade metal glue.
>> if you glue a pice of metal over a hole with an inch overlap around the
>> sides ..
>> and let the stuff cure, ..
>> and it's quickly curing too  ....
>> you could lift the van completely off the ground with it hanging by that
>> one
>> piece of metal, or almost, it's that strong ....
>> you do nice work with this method..
>> it'll be stronger than it was originally.
>>
>> I've rebuilt an entire rusted away jacking point this way.
>> Can be hyper strong , done even half right.
>> in the end you paint it ..
>> lately I am really liking Zero Rust brand rust converter paint..
>> comes in nice intense basic colors ..
>> makes a fine coat by itself ( in about 2 or 3 applications or coats ) or
>> a
>> great primer .
>>
>> but you do that right, and it'll be stronger than the rest of the van.
>> and ..
>> so so sad to see surface rust not stopped and treated..
>> it's just so super easy to treat surface rust before it turns into body
>> cancer.
>> it's so easy it's child's play , and it's very rewarding to do ..
>> at least to me.
>> I love things that are cared for ..
>>
>> and ..I am starting on the rebuilt engine assembly and installation for a
>> 1982 Sunroof diesel vanagon ..
>> that is so cherry in every way, barely two tiny dings, paint not faded
>> anywhere, etc..
>> so cherry it almost should be in a museum ...
>> man is that nice to see cared for stuff.  28 years old...and it looks
>> like
>> it's maybe a year old.
>> I don't even let it get exposed to light, and it's indoors in a dry
>> climate
>> ...talk about preserved !
>>
>> anyway, please tackle rust while it's-so-easy-to-deal-with surface rust.
>> Your vanagon will love you for it.
>> the silly thing to me too..
>> just like a 1/10th of a second application of a good spray lube to a door
>> latch or hinge or any mechanism ...
>> like how easy it is, how rewarding it is to do, and how well it lasts for
>> the effort ..
>> it's like a 1,000 to 1 benefit/effort ratio........
>> it's the same in surface rust.
>> a spot of surface rust can be stopped PERMANENTLY in about 20 second
>> work..
>> ok....maybe two minutes work.
>> two minutes work to stop servere surface rust that took years to develope
>> ..
>> then two minutes to stop and treat that rust, then it's good for 5 years
>> at
>> least...
>>
>> why would anyone NOT treat surface rust when the effort is so minimal,
>> the
>> result SO rewarding, and the repair so nearly permanent ?????  And the
>> cost
>> is almost nothing ...as long as it's still *surface*  rust.
>>
>> ya just clean it to bare metal with a power wire brush, like with  a hand
>> help disc grinder with a steel wire brush on it.
>> then ya treat it with a good rust-converter product or paint ..
>> maybe at top coat later ..
>> that's like no effort, and it's good for 10 years at least.
>>
>> I mean if it's that easy, why wouldn't people who care about their
>> vanagon
>> or vanagons  do it ???
>>
>> Scott
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 12:42 PM
>> Subject: Rust hole through the floor - how do I best repair?
>>
>>
>>>  Went to pullout fromt he driveway, and the gas pedal came loose from
>>> the floor. I first thought it was the connection to the feed rod ant the
>>> top of pedal, that that pedal had come loose at the hinge at the floor.
>>> Inspection showed that the floor had  completely rusted through and i
>>> was looking at the ground underneath the van. This is goig to be the
>>> devil to fix. There is no metal left to which to fasten the hinge of the
>>> pedal. I expect that the hole and rusted metal I can see are but the tip
>>> of the iceberg, and there will be much more that has to be cleaned up
>>> and repaired. Inspection shows that this is a weak spot, and over the
>>> years , water from ones shoes during rains, etc, combined with dirt and
>>> grit, work together to destroy the floor at this point.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions as to how to deal with this? I want a primo repair. I
>>> don't want to ever have to redo it in my lifetime.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>> --
>>> John Rodgers
>>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>>> Chelsea, AL
>>> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>
>>
>