Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 11:05:42 -0500
Reply-To: "Dr.Chris" <gronski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Dr.Chris" <gronski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Desperate for a High Top!
In-Reply-To: <200611020013.kA20Ca1v019595@ms-smtp-02.southeast.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Hi Jamie,
I found my AW top on this time last year on the Yahoo AdventureWagen
list (see attached post). It is actually a fairly easy upgrade to a
Westfalia Vanagon so before you go bringing a top over from Europe
(which I can't even begin to imagine the cost involved) think about
trying to source one in North America.
I decided I wanted an AW top when I saw Joe Federici's AW at Westies
at Watkins at the end of September, by the end of October I had
located it, and just after the end of December it was sitting on top
of my van. Not a bad turnaround time.
I would consider membership on the AdventureWagen yahoo group your
best bet for finding one. I'd also check eBay, the Samba, and
Craigslist (particularly in San Fransisco) an old running air cooled
AW might run you $2000 or so, even if you just take the to and abandon
the van it is going to be way cheaper than importation. Be sure to
search for both "adventurewagEn" and "adventurewagOn", as this is the
most common misspelling.
The post is somewhat inaccurate as to cost. I think I paid $200 for
it; which included the salvage yard cutting the entire roof (metal and
AW top together) off of the donor van at the pillars.
The gas from London to Oregon and back came to $978.64 (hotels and
other costs excluded), which I split with my girlfriend so its really
only half that. It ended up being one heck of a vacation.
I picked up the top in North Western Oregon, but did the install at
Scott Foss's "Turbovans" shop in South Western Oregon so it also
required a one way U-Haul to transport which was $100 or so. I traded
Scott my old Westy top for the use of his shop to do the transfer.
Realistically, given that I made a vacation out of it, I can't include
all these costs. But even if I did, I've seen the tops sell for $1,000
to $2,000 on their own so I figure it was all worth it. Plus you gotta
love permanent headroom and extra storage.
Chris
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David J <mdhiker@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:33 pm
Subject: Used AW top available in Oregon, very, very cheap!
Folks,
There's an AW sitting in the Damascus/Boring, Oregon U-Pull It yard.
The top is still on it, and while the fridge/stove module is
destroyed, the sink/furnace module is there, including the doors,
sink, water tank, and (broken) spigot - the furnace is gone.
The top appears fine, and has all the windows except for the top
skylight. I asked if they'd sell the top, and was told yes, for $80!!
I do not know if they will include the existing windows, but even so.
The woodwork around the top is still available, and you could/should
get it along with the top itself. They are open 7-days per week (until
5pm I believe), and their phone# and address are:
U-Pull It
19510 SE Sunnyside Rd
Boring, OR 97009
(503) 658-3191
Somebody grab this!
Best,
David Jaffe
'85 AW (getting 1.9l TD to keep)
'83.5 AW (getting Subie engine to sell)
On 11/1/06, Jamie Auch <jamie@kookymathteacher.com> wrote:
> Hi Folks,
> I have fallen in love with camping in my Vanagon and would like a hightop. Being in the USA, these tops are non existent. I'm
> ready to import a hightop '82 from Europe. Greg Potts mentioned :
>
> > Hi Jamie,
>
> >
>
> > Have you asked the guy who bought the sportsmobile vanagon high-top
>
> > moulds? I think I remember reading he was going to be putting them
>
> > into a fresh run soon.
>
> Does anyone have any information on this? Does anyone have a source for the tops?
>
>
>
> Jamie Auch
>
> The Kooky Math Teacher
>
