Date:         Thu, 21 Oct 2004 11:08:55 -0700
Reply-To:     Tom Sinclair <neeemo@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Sinclair <neeemo@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Installing a pop-top on a non-pop top EASY  ???  IN ONE
              WEEDEND ??
In-Reply-To:  <4177F580.8080505@verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I converted my 86 Syncro to a Westy. I removed the
roof skins and cross members from both vans by cutting
out the spotwelds and where the roof is brazed at the
front and rear corners.  It's a bit hard to explain,
but the Westy roof boxes in the curved rail that runs
around the inside top of the van.  You can see this on
Stuart's site.  I don't agree with what Stuart did
though.  He's cut too much structurual metal for my
taste--I didn't cut any, only transferred the
relatively flimsy roof skin, but the skin was
installed so that the curved rails are properly boxed
in for added--and factory quality--strength.

I had a website for my conversion when I did it, but
lost it when my old PC crashed.  There are some
pictures in the Yahoo group "Syncrolist" files section
showing when it was painted last year.  I could send
some pictures now, but all you would see is a factory
fresh Westy inside and out--which was the whole point.
 It was an enormous amount of work though and I would
probably go the other way--Westy into Syncro--if I did
it again, but in my case the wrecked, but otherwise
immaculate 86 Westy, became available first and the
Syncro was found to do the conversion.

Still working on the 5 cyl Tdi conversion
Tom



Syncro
--- Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET> wrote:

> Don't rush into this too quickly based on Chris'
> post.  There is no
> doubt that what Karl and Chris did is much simpler
> and therefore, much
> quicker.  But understand what they did and didn't
> do, compared to Stuart
> Black.  Some people want a roof, some want a Westy
> upper bunk and the
> roof, while still other's want a Westy with its full
> interior.
>
> Carefully read the web page on the "easy method"
> done by Karl Bloss and
> Chris and the linked page where the van is offered
> for sale - it has no
> bed, just a pop top.  One of the main reasons people
> do it the harder
> way is to get the bed.  Others who have the bed say
> they rarely use it
> except as a storage space when camped and using the
> Westy interior.
>
> The foundation for the Westy upper bed is an
> integral part of the Westy
> top - which is not the same as the top of a regular
> vanagon with a hole
> cut into it.  The Westy top is a flat platform for
> the bed.  Part of
> that is a rather beefy cross bar that would provide
> some significant
> structural support to the van's roof.  The regular
> van's roof line is
> curved.  I haven't ever seen pictures of a bed
> installed into a van
> converted in the manner Karl and Chris did the job
> although this poptop
> addition idea gets discussed from time to time and
> Chris always asserts
> that it is easy, etc.  They didn't do this part at
> all, much less in a
> weekend.
>
> So, if someone has done the whole job based on the
> Bloss / Turner
> procedure, adding a bed to the curved roof, please
> show us some pictures.
>
> While I will agree that having the pop top alone is
> a great addition for
> camping and traveling,  I primarily use the van's
> poptop feature for
> camping with my son when we attend astronomy
> gatherings.  He sleeps
> upstairs and I sleep downstairs.  If a couple with
> no children, or a
> couple who will put the children in a tent, were to
> add the poptop this
> way, then the absence of the bed wouldn't be a big
> deal.
>
> However, I do have some concern for the structural
> integrity of a
> regular roof which has had such a large hole cut
> into it and no bracing
> added.
>
> I am not saying not to do this, just be sure about
> what you want.  I
> have considered it for several years and read all I
> see about it.  Just
> understand the whole job and what it will take in
> time before you jump in.
>
> --
> Sam Walters
> Baltimore, MD
>
> 89 Syncro GL
> 85 Westy Weekender
>
>
> All incoming and outgoing email scanned by
> automatically updated copy of Norton AntiVirus.
>


=====
http://www.TomSinclair.com



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