Date:         11 Dec 96 18:44:03 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Turner,Ronald L." <102660.66@CompuServe.COM>
Subject:      Re: How common is the factory sunroof?

Ok folks. Compuserve is screwin' me over. I've tried to send this post like 5
times. Let's see if it'll be 6. Can't seem to send any mail "to all".  (of
course tomorrow they'll probably finally send this message five times in a
row...I'll bet it happens...)
Here goes again......

Here's the story on the sunroof Vanagons:

Technically, you can still order a brand new '97 T4 Caravelle (eurovan) in
Europe with a sliding sunroof, but not here in the states, and it's been that
way since about '86 or '87.

Really, '85 was the last year for the sliding steel sunroof in the US, but I
have seen a '86 syncro with one. It was probably one of the last few. And of
course, it did not have A/C. 

It really has pretty much all to do with the redesigning of the cieling mount
A/C system for '86.  All VW vans,and late buses up to and including '85 models,
that had A/C, had the dealer installed kits from VWOA.   In other words, all '85
down vans that came over from Germany, had no A/C when they arrived. Often it
was installed at the POE.  Then for '86 VW re-designed the overhead A/C system,
moving the evaporator to the back of the van. Supposedly this was to give more
head room, but you can still bonk your head into the center tube...  With this
redesign, the A/c unit became a FACTORY option, so dealers didn't have to put it
in per request. Well, when they did this, there became that problem about the
sunroof. There was no way to have sunroof, AND a a/c with that big long duct
running front to back. Previously on the '80-'85 versions,the front mounted ,
dealer installed A/c unit (manufactured thru a VWOA subsidiary in Texas) you
could have the sunroof, AND the A/c system. I've only ever seen this on one van
- a '84 Wolfsburg Ed. vanagon ( I imagine it was a pretty pricey set of
options??). The '85 down a/c system would actually overlap the sunroof opening
at the front by just a inch or so, but did not himder use. Since the sunroof
crank was offset (towards the drivers side) it was still possible to run the
center tube between the blower and the front mounted evap. 

So, then in '86 VWOA was faced with a "dilemma".  It was either the sunroof, or
the A/c. You couldn't have both.  VWOA decided for us that most of us would
prefer an a/c over a suroof    ( gee -thanks, VWOA  :<(   and so then the a/c
became pretty much standard on all US import vanagons '86-'91, and the beloved
sunroof was dropped from the US market in about late '86. 

Bummer......   :<(

chris
'83.5 GL Sunroof 9 passenger waterboxer
'84 GL Sunroof