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Date:         Sat, 13 Sep 2003 09:46:16 -0700
Reply-To:     David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject:      Re: Anyone widened a VW van?
Comments: To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
In-Reply-To:  <a06002002bb87eb74f260@[203.167.180.133]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

VW did... it was called the LT!

David Marshall

Fast Forward Automotive Inc. 4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3

http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160

- Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions - Vanagon, Transporter and Iltis Sales and Importation - European Lighting for most Volkswagen models

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-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf Of Andrew Grebneff Sent: September 12, 2003 3:48 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Anyone widened a VW van?

Just wondering if anyone has been known to widen a VW van. Plenty have been stretched and no few shortened, but it seems to me a useful and feasible custom trick would be to widen one.

A Split or Bay (T1/ T2) is a basically simple construction and ought to lend iteslf to this. A T3 would probably be so as well, but is already a little wider than the older van. The T3 suspension would be easier to widen, as none of the major components are bilateral; the T1/2 torsionbars and housings are bilateral and would need custom work to widen.

I think that not only would it open up a bit of extra usable interior room (and allow comfortable seating 4-abreast in the back), but might look kinda neat. A widened T2 or T3 might look better than a T1, as widening the narrow point of the front-panel "owl-beak" might look awkward. Any list-artists around who can widen a photographic image by splicing in a 15-20cm strip in the middle?

Other cars have been widened. A Golf 1 GTi body was widened and fitted to a Porsche 928 floorpan in Germany... looked REALLY good, and was stiffer than a stock 928. And Mitsubishi Australia widened the first-generation FWD Galant Sigma for the Australasian market, and repeated the trick for the second-generation, resulting in the idea being adopted by the head office and being sold around the world today as the Diamante (among other badge-engineered names). -- Andrew Grebneff Dunedin, New Zealand 64 (3) 473-8863 <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> Fossil preparator Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut


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