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Date:         Thu, 22 Jul 2004 11:38:54 -0600
Reply-To:     "J. Stefanovich" <jstef@FLASH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "J. Stefanovich" <jstef@FLASH.NET>
Subject:      Woe is me !!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"


        Last Thursday, my neighbor called and asked if I could stop by her house and fix a few things for her.  When I got there I parked in her driveway and went in.  First, she had a leak in the hot water hose to the washing machine.  Then, she had bought a new light fixture to go over the kitchen table and wanted me to install in.  I removed the hose and showed her a crack in in and told her I would go get another as soon as I installed the light.  She asked if she could pick it up as she needed to go to the grocery anyway and Lowe's is in the same block less than a mile from her house.  I said sure and gave her the old hose to take with her.  I was moving my ladder into the kitchen when I heard the garage door open.  Then I heard a crunch.  She had backed her late husband's 79 Cherokee into the front of my van.  Here's the damage.


http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v149/skerarro/


 I got five estimates for repair, ranging from $2100 - $2800.  Here's the problem. This lady is in her late 70's and lives on Social Security of less than $900/mo and spends a lot of that at Walgreen's on medication.  She has had two claims against her insurance in the past year, once when an uninsured driver rear ended her and one when she ran into a Coke machine in front of a convenience store.  She can't afford to pay $2000 + for repairs out of her pocket and she is certain that if she files with her insurance company she's gonna get cancelled and then won't be able to drive.


Soooooo....   I'm trying to figure the best, and least expensive, way to make my van presentable.  This is my work van and has my name on it so I want it to look nice. I have owned it for over 22 years.  I had it repainted VW Delft white two years ago and put in a factory rebuilt 1.6 D I got in Holland just last September.  I'm thinking of attempting the repair myself.  Can anyone please point me in the right direction to get started.  Some of the advice I have so far is: 1. pull it out as best you can, bondo it, then put a nice bra over it and let it go at that.   2.  Find the corner metal and do it right - it does not seem to be that bad a bump.


        I have access to a MIG welder and have limited experience with one.  I sure know how to sand and grind and squirt paint.


Any suggestions, tips etc. gratefully accepted.


Thanks


Joe/Albuquerque
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