Misato's Progress

Misato is currently in the shop getting some major body repair work done. The problem being repaired began when the bus was in a major front end collision on the passenger's side. The impact was hard enough that the frame itself was bent. The front corner was then removed(!) and a corner from another bus was sectioned in using -- get this -- a stick welder. An A/C stick welder. The repair was pretty decent but they got some dimensions wrong...causing the passenger's side door to be nearly impossible to close. There was so much bondo and etc. on there...it was just about obscene. It was used to cover up buckling in the body primarily. Sculpture! The windshield also didn't seat all the way. Yes, the repair was quite a mess. Then some crazy guy with long hair buys it and wants to fix it up on a college student's budget :-)

The repair is actually coming along pretty nicely. I can't afford the "proper" repair of cutting out the section again and welding in a new one properly, but the repair being done is more than satisfactory for my purposes. My ex-girlfriend once suggested I just leave it and keep a bunch of towels up there for when it rained. Well, no :-) Too much pride I guess. Bus owners with pride, what next? I've been taking some pictures of the rather astonishing damage to the body and will take some of the finished product as well to put up here.

The next thing I'll be doing to the bus is installing an capacitive discharge ignition system and Compufire points replacement. The CDI allows much higher voltage at the plugs, so I can nearly double the spark plug gap. It'll help mileage, starting, and even engine longevity. The Compufire helps even more (it is similar to the Pertronix points replacement). I'll be documenting the installation process, before-and-after performance, etc, with pictures! I also plan on installing the headlight relay system I'll be putting into the beetle and doing the same electrical cleanup work. When I can, I will also get bumper brackets for my rear bumper, painting it, and installing the over-riders etc. I'd like to see what I can do to straighten the front bumper also, it is bent just a bit.

I really need a digital camera, or at least my own scanner!

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