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Well, since I shot off my big mouth about the inestimable joys of doing one's own autobody work, I got out into the garage this afternoon (Sunday, a lovely day...if you enjoy wind, dust, cold and swarms of locusts) and began to do the prep work on my '71 Squarebutt. It has been six years of benign neglect since I did a complete prep/paint job on the T3. And guess what, volks? Six years is more than enuff for the evil spirits to do some of their nasties. I started with the out-of-sight undersides beneath the doors..found moderaterly bad rust from rock chips, etc. (No, Keith, not from salt...on our roads in the Southwest we sprinkle Chipotle chile peppers...those delicately smoked pieces of jalapenos that add just that delightful tang to your travelling experience). What I want to share with you is that I shouldn't have neglected those out-of-sight parts of the car. It took the entire afternoon to clean up those areas to my satisfaction. And that is just the start. I estimate that it will require three or four weekends -- or more -- for me to get the Square properly prepped for a paint job. So, my advice (there is no one so holy as a reformed sinner) to you is not to let your car go too long without getting out and getting under. In addition to the sanding and priming, I did a lot of those too-often-forgotten under-the-car chores that were 'way past due. Yes, I told the Square that I was sorry and would do better in the future.... one can only hope for forgiveness. Folks, there is a lot more to owning a nearly 30-year-old carg׈casionally wiping down the dash cover. Please be better in your consistent attention to your T3 than I sometimes am. Phil dillard@suu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------- Search old messages on the Web! Visit http://www.vwtype3.org/list/