Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 18:50:37 -0700
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Is lifting a Westie bed really this simple?
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I think I married the princess who could feel the pea under 12 mattresses.
I've basically have been told no way in h___ can I put a 5cm bump in the
engine under the Westfalia bed with the upcoming inline four engine swap.
This leaves me with two choices:
- lower the engine and transmission by 2" - not that big of a deal, this
can be done with some simple spacers - but I would loose 2" of ground
clearance.
- raise the Westfalia bed / seat up by two inches.
Why hasn't anyone ever lifted their bed on their Westfalia? It doesn't
look that hard to do. Looking at how the seat is fastened in it is quite
simple - or am I missing something.
To lift the rear seat up two inches would require some 2x4" pieces of wood
to go on the floor to raise the bench part up. The "L" brackets on the
bench that are bolted to the floor would need longer bolts and they could
go through the 2x4s for added stability. The rear heater would stay where
it is - bolted on the floor. This would leave a 2" gap on the top of the
vent leaving the first real "cosmetic" problem. The next problem to
overcome would be the two metal brackets on the engine hump. A 2x2" piece
of metal tubing would make this a quick fix. The last problem would be how
the rear of the seat would rest when in the reclined position. I think the
simplest way to eliminate this problem would be some 2x4" pieces of wood
and some plywood - creating a false floor that could be packed with
insulation to reduce engine noise and heat or some storage compartments for
things like booster cables or other seldom used knickknacks.
Is there anything that I am missing or is it really this "simple"?
-- David Marshall - Vanagon List Admin - Quesnel, BC, Canada --
-- 78 VW Rabbit, 80 VW Caddy, 84 VW Westie, 85 VW Cabriolet --
-- 87 Audi 5000 Quattro, 88 2.0L VW Syncro Double Cab --
-- David's Volkswagen Home Page http://www.volkswagen.org --
-- Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning http://www.fastforward.ca --
-- david@volkswagen.org (pmail) or vanagon@volkswagen.org (list) --