Brian, I'm in the process of doing this now to one of my machines. I'm taking the slow, easy does it, in stages, approach. 1. obtain donor top 2. inspect, measure, repair (clean, sew, weld, paint) 3. install luggage rack, ( this gives you the exhilaration of wind drag! remember that seal, or use black duct tape across the front) 4. increase access to the roof. I started with an after-market sunroof. 16" x 32" $30 from Big Guys auto recycling. this gives me the opportunity to bail out. it also shows me how weak the roof of an un-westy can be. I think I want to add extra cross supports at front and rear of this now rather flimsy porthole into my roof. This is where I'm at now, awaiting my new seals from New Jersey and my guaranteed, double-walled hallucination generating Amber skylight from Canada. I don't know if you're aware that the westy roof is made of plywood and sits 4" or so closer to the inside of the cabin. Soooo, its angle aluminium and screws and alot bigger hole in your roof if you want to maintain the stock sleeping height, or its thinner foam and plywood risers if you want to maintain the integrity of you roof. Either way, you've got to make some holes. The single most needed item to actually mount to big tub on top, is..... Drum Roll...... a 1/8" thick 1" wide piece of cold-rolled steel, with 3 1/4" or so holes in it, spaced 140mm apart, and 6mm nuts brazed over the holes. This 12" steel bar mates with the rear hinges and will really ease the fastening of the bugger down. Ideally, if you didn't want to make any standing room in your machine, the only reason for cutting any holes in the roof is to just get at the latch to prop it all up, I'm pretty sure you could get into the little tent up above from the luggage rack thru the tent window. ( I plan on heaving my 8 year old up there, along with any other rascals he finds!) Other item of use so far... 3/16" pop-rivits silicone sealer purple paint and rollers Hose repair tape old bicycle inner tubes (you can never have enough ) 8' x 10' heavy canvas tarp, fully grommeted ( makes the most versatile awning/tent/holder-togetherer available. $25 at Le Home Depot ( you can make a really good awning mount and poles from a salvaged 10' oak palette , find them at sheet metal shops, out back, this side of the burn barrel ;-) I'll send you some pix if you want... David Luddy www.bilenky.com/rumors.html

At 10:51 AM 08/07/2001 -0400, you wrote: >I have been told both that it can and can't be done... I have >82 vanagon and want to install a westfalia poptop (vw oem) I >was also told there was a site showing this procedure... help? > >Brian Scotto