Date:         Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:34:33 -0700
Reply-To:     mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Part out or Sell now No Lowly Vanagons
In-Reply-To:  <CAB2Rwfgqc5yoPZN0oFoKPMDfuJuypr9XPPnVT-4j-xDiPHgVoA@mail.gmail.com>
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The Westfalia add-on poptop kits cut only a small hole like I do, just
the skin over the floor area. My holes are 43" by 43", with rounded
corners with about a 4" radius. I put a plate or bowl down on the roof
to mark the corners for cutting. That photo is the most recent top I did
in Nov 2012, 1990 passenger van. Here it is finished, camped at
Thanksgiving with the first van I put a top on 19 years ago, the grey
Syncro. The blue van in the photo is a stock 82 Westy 1.9TD.

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1050291.jpg

The factory sunroof vans are not great for adding a top to. Better a
plain hardtop van. Really.

People who cut out the whole roof and weld in a Westy roof are doing so
to get a flat roof and one that is a little lower than the hardtop roof
so there is more room for cushions up there when the top is down. Then
they use the factory bed up there. Too much work, too much welding, too
much painting. I follow the Westfalia kit model. Small hole, no cutting
of roof support arches.

The side lips of my cut opening need some support. I use angle stock
steel or aluminum under the lip, especially where the front support legs
go. The cut lip gets filed smooth. Then I put cloth adhesive tape over
the metal edge, folded so it goes above and below the lip. Then I pull
the headliner up over the lip and put edge trim over the lip, capturing
the headliner. Then trim the excess headliner on top.

Sorry, I am leaving on a trip and won't have time for full details till
next week.

Mark

neil n wrote:
> I recall your Syncro Westy now.
>
> The roof hole in the image you link to seems very similar in size to
> the factory sunroof.
>
> I've seen the threads where people cut and weld the roof and top from
> a Westy to a passenger Vanagon.
>
> I didn't know that Westfalia sold the top etc. as a kit. So based upon that.....
>
> A quick look in 60 and 75 of Bentley, if one cut a large hole (OEM
> Westy size) in a tin top, the only difference between that and an OEM
> Westy hole, is the lip. Does that lip provide any strength to the body
> if a big hole is cut?
>
> Neil.
>
>