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Date:         Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:14:15 -0500
Reply-To:     Greg Potts <Greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Greg Potts <Greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject:      Re: Whole Pop top conversion
Comments: To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <442B51DD.3040600@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

Hi Volks,

I did a westfakia conversion on my Baywindow bus, it took me about 100 man/hours of labour to complete the project but that also included prepwork to repaint the whole vehicle. If I had to do another I would do it the same way but knowing what I do now I could do it in 60 hours, easy. Which is like 4 weekends... not too hard to schedule into a slow winter.

I used the frame around the pop-top hole and used the full westy bed. The results have been VERY good for the family and we have had 5 years of service from it so far and it is holding up just fine.

http://www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia

Happy trails,

Greg Potts Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1973/74/79 Westfakia Conversion **Bob the Tomato** LY3H 1977 Sunroof Automatic L63H/L90D http://www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia http://www.busesofthecorn.com

On 29-Mar-06, at 10:34 PM, mark drillock wrote:

> Of course, you could do it that way and some have.But removing the > windshield, all side windows, rear hatch, sliding door, etc, cutting, > fitting, and welding all 8 pillars is not that easy. And then having > body work and paint work to do before putting all those things back is > not reducing the work. Why do you think it is? Most of us want nothing > to do with that level of work. As for blending the paint at the welded > areas, that only works if both sections started out the same > color.Most > likely the whole upper section will have to be painted, inside and > out.You are also minimizing the work involved in interior > finishing. The > passenger models have headliner fabric running down all the rear > pillars > to the lower panels but Westys don't. So in addition to the exterior > weld grinding, body filler, and paint work, the same must be done > on the > inside and then some decision made as to how to finish off the rear > pillars that were cut and welded, for the parts that show on the > inside. > Of course various wires run up through the front pillars and around > the > ceiling areas so that must be removed and then replaced after the new > roof is welded in. And the entire interior must be removed or > carefully > masked off so the exposed welded interior metal surfaces can be > painted > to match the original vehicle color. Yep, that is a lot easier than > just > cutting a hole in the roof and bolting stuff in. > > Mark > > Zoltan wrote: > >> Hi guys, >> I was wondering why to do all that work when the whole pop top roof >> and part >> of the van that is made for the camper can be all installed onto a >> van. >> I would cut the donor at about the halfway at the windows around and >> fit the >> whole thing just like that onto the the other. It can be taylored >> to fit >> nicely and weld some reinforcing inside before lowering it onto the >> new one. >> At the windows, it is easy to weld, to bondo, and to blend in the >> paint. >> The area is narrow. As long as the windows will keep their proper >> size, all >> should be fine. Now, I am not sure what is inside the columns to be >> worried >> abut not to cut. Some guys on the list would probably able to >> tell us. >> There maybe some electricals that would have to be connected before >> assembly. >> Well, I think, it is easier to do this way and all the camper areas >> would be >> original. There would be no difference. No one could tell ever. >> Only it >> has to be done nicely, grind down the weldings, bondo it smooth, >> paint it >> correctly, reinstall the covering properly. >> I think, I could do one for about $4,000 plus the painting. >> I wonder what the list would add to this. >> Zoltan > >


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