Date:         23 Apr 96 16:37:22 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "William A. McKinley" <75112.2101@CompuServe.COM>
Subject:      Re: '73 Westy Questions

Steve,
I am tthe fortunate (?!?) owner of a '72 Westy without the pop-top, which is
still originally configured. Here's what I have (not sure of the differences
between mine and yours).

>Found the switch for the light over the drop table (on the dashboard??????),

Mine has two toggle switches mounted on thru the lense. It is wired so that one
switch operates the two outboard lamps, the other operates the center one. The
switches are double throw, so the center position is off, one side is on when
the doors open, the other is on all the time (same as the dome light). I'm
pretty sure a PO installed these. The dashbourd switch operates the lights same
as opening the doors (again, just like the dome light).

>How do you fold the front seats?

My front seats don't have headrests. Seems to me you would probably have to
remove the driver's seat. The passenger seat in mine comes out by lifting way up
on the front of the bottom part of the seat, then folding the bach of the seat
foreward. With the back and the seat portions folded together and aimed roughly
at the top edge of the windshield, the back bottom of the seatframe should lift
out of the piece that holds it to the floor. Alternately, instead of removing
the seat, you can now just drop the bottom back into position and fold the back
foreward. It comes out easier than it goes in. This seat style is not mounted to
an adjustable track like the driver's side. 

>What was the floor covered with originally?

Our floors were covered thusly:
Bottom layer...the metric equivalent of 1/2 to 5/8" plywood. It piece measures
larger than 48" in both dimensions, so you'll probably have to piece it
together.
Next comes the metric equivalent of 1/4" masonite. Same dimensioning problems as
the plywood.
Top layer, a bueish greyish kind of pebbly patterned vinyl or linoleum. I found
a reasonable match at HQ in a rack, the kind of roll ends that are pre-packaged.
All this flooring covers below the jumpseat and the sink/icebox by the sliding
door, but just goes under the edge of the fold out seat.
Remember, these original pieces were metric, so the total thickness you get will
vary from the original. Try to keep it as close as possible. Should come pretty
close to even with the doorsill. A piece of aluminum threshold about 1 !/4" wide
covers this gap. The side panels of the van go all the way to the metal floor of
the van, and the plywood/masonite/vinyl buts up to it. 

>Was there originally a holding tank under the sink drain?

Of sorts, held about a couple of gallons. A piece of PVC pipe the same size as
the sink drain attached to the drain with an elbow and went directly to the
driver's side where it finished off in a bracket coming from the bottom of the
van and a nice screw cap. (Early '70's... "dump your waste out back where noone
can see it"). Makes for a nice hookup at a campground, tho.

>Given that the exterior is a brilliant international orange, any guesses on
>the original upholstery and/or curtain colour?

Mine is a yellow orange vinyl, curtains are brown, yellow and white plaid
curtains. Also very early 70's. Those have been changed by the CO, but I still
have the original front curtain, which is in excellent shape. There is also a
screen, white trimmed in brown vinyl, that snaps into the back hatch door. 

>Speaking of upholstery, the rear bed in this beast consists of the seat
>bottom and back, a rectangular foam pad in the back of most of the engine
>shelf, and a long thin clipped rectange that covers the spare tire well.
>Does this even vaguely resemble the original configuration?

Yes, it sounds like the original stuff if your spare is mounted on the front of
your van. Mine is still in the back, so I don't have the wedge to cover this
part. I also had to pay an outrageous ammount for the chrome VW emblem up front.

>Was a stove or refrigerator an option in this year?

Definetly not for '72, and I don't think so for '73 (Westy , anyway).

If you send me E-mail next week and I don't answer, it's because the movers took
away my computer. I'll be back on line probably mid June (moving from Puerto
Rico to Milwaukee).

Good Luck! If you run across someone that has the pushbutton handles for all the
cabinets, let me know. I need them all.

Andy McKinley
75112.2101@compuserve.com
'72 Westy, looking for a Thing to buy

"...the car itself was still full of bugs." -Heinz Nordhoff, 1948, rebuilding
the VW after the war.