TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1968~79 VW Type 2 window wiper & washer upgrades

Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:36 pm

NASkeet wrote: Micropassatman wrote: Do you plan on supplying us with this manual, here in the U.S.?

In principle, I am willing to supply a copy of the manual (written in British English), to anyone, anywhere in the World, including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, etc. My home computer went on the blink a few weeks ago, which I have yet to sort out, so I am not presently able to print out a copy of the manual.

In the past, I have sold copies of it, as part of a package, along with the unmodified cross-over-arm, pantograph rear-window wiper systems, I had managed to salvage from Vauxhall Astra Mk. 1 or Vauxhall Chevette estate cars (i.e. van, wagon or station wagon), found in some of the car breakers' yards in my locale.

Several years ago, I was surprised to find three of these rear-window wiper systems, in just one car breaker's yard, whilst searching for other components, on a completely different car marque. I bought all three, of which I presently have one left. I am uncertain, how readily one can obtain these rear-window wiper systems now, because it has been a few years, since I last visited a car breaker's yard. The car models from which they are derived, ceased production in Great Britain, in the mid-1980s.

That's all for the moment.

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet
Hi M8, I live in the UK & would be interested in a copy of your manual & the spare wiper kit you have, how much would you want for them? :D

Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:55 pm

I had a 1983 Rabbit GTI with a rear wiper. I guess that would be a Golf over in the UK. I wonder how well the wiper system from one of those would work?

Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:51 am

vwbusbusvw wrote: VDubTech wrote: If it reads anything like your posts, I would probably kill myself before I got through the first chapter.

Now, that's funny.

Is there really that much interest in hacking a wiper onto the back of your bus?

I think it's an unnecessary hack. Really, though. How hard is it to install a wiper on the back, if one were so inclined? Is all the "documentation" necessary?:roll:

Regards,

Vw Bus. Vw

If you truly believe what you say, then you have given little if any thought to the issues of the 1968~79 VW Type 2 rear-hatch structure or the width to height aspect ratio of the rear window! Having carefully considered these and examined the available accessory rear-window wipers and the factory-fitted rear-window wipers, on many station wagon and van models, over a period of several months, I concluded that a more radical design was needed.

It was purely serendipity, which led me to the Vauxhall Astra Mk. 1 station wagon and later to the Vauxhall Chevette station wagon, whose rear-wiper design, was especially suitable.

It is rumoured that immitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In which case, I should be flattered by the fact that Brian Rawlings, from Keynsham, Bristol, England, also elected in 1997, to a retro-fit a cross-over-arm, pantograph rear-window wiper, to his own 1968~79 VW Type 2 Devon campervan, as shown below, after reading one of my technical articles:

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:43 am

Of all the "hacks" done to these vehicles over the years, I think this qualifies as one of the more useful modifications developed.
While not for everyone, I can see why someone would find this useful. I really don't see the problem or need for bashing here. :?
Thanks for this post Nigel, very informative.

Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:42 am

Shown below, is my abridged technical article about the cross-over-arm, pantograph rear-window wiper, which appeared in one of the commercially published, British VW magazines:

Nigel Skeet, "A Clean Sweep", Workshop, VW Motoring, December 1996, pages 85~86.

Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:46 pm

I look forward to reading Nigel's posts as there are not many who put such much effort into providing detailed information.

Regarding intermittent wipers, my 76 Aussie Kombi has the switch position for intermittent operation (pull wiper lever towards you rather than away) but it is blocked by a removeable plastic plug. In the steering column the spaces are provided for the wiring as well. I haven't checked the relay mounting block to see if the extra terminal can be accommodated but I suspect it can. I have had a few half-hearted looks for a suitable relay but am usually in too much of a hurry at the wreckers (Ah to be single again!). :wink:

Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:14 am

ALTERNATIVE, 1964~67 & 1968~79 VW TYPE 2, REAR-WINDOW WIPER SYSTEMS

On some modern cars, equipped with a conventional single rear-window wiper, it is mounted such that the wiper spindle, passes through the bottom of the window glass, allowing it to sweep an arc of 180 degrees. However, even if it were practical to adopt this improved configuration, sweeping an arc of less than 305 mm (i.e. 12 inches) radius, would be far from ideal for the 1964~67 & 1968~79 VW Type 2's wide, shallow rear window, whose aspect ratio of width to height, is about 3½ : 1.

Apart from the possible use of a specialised, linear-track window wiper or conventional multiple wipers, the cross-over-arm, pantograph wiper design, is the only practical option! Conventional parallel-arm, pantograph wiper systems, which might reasonably be converted to the cross-over-arm configuration, are relatively common on vehicles such as: heavy commercial vehicles (aka lorries, trucks, etc.), public transport omnibuses, agricultural tractors, off-road excavation equipment, boats and aircraft. Hence, even without accesss to Vauxhall Chevette & Astra Mk.1 estate cars or their equivalent, there should be many options, including the purchase of new equipment, from companies such as Vetus.

http://www.vetus.co.uk
sales@vetus.co.uk

During past researches on the Internet, I have come across websites for linear-track window wipers, as used for boat windscreens and other marine applications, but they seem to be powered by 110V or 240V AC supplies and I could find no information about how the motor & linear track, could be mounted to a vehicle's rear hatch. However, it might be practical to use a triple or double window-wiper system, as used for road-vehicles' front windscreens.

In April 2006, I saw in my home town, an L-prefix registration year (corresponding to the early or mid-1990s, I think), Toyota Camry 2•2GL estate car (i.e. station wagon, in USA parlance), with tandem rear-window wipers, having wiper spindles spaced at approximately 350 mm (i.e. nearly 14 inches) centres, so there appears to be a precedent, for factory-fitted, double rear-window wipers!

During my brief correspondence in 1995, with the legendary Arthur Barraclough (who died unexpectedly, in August 1996, at the age of 84), he informed me that he had retro-fitted to the rear hatch of his much modified, British specification, 1970 VW "1600" Type 2 Devon campervan "Rosie" (bequeathed to the Peter Black Museum, in Yorkshire), a double front windscreen-wiper system, which he claimed had originated from a Ford Cortina shooting brake. To my knowledge, there were no Ford Cortina models officially described as shooting brakes, but there was an early-1970s vintage, Ford Cortina Mk.1 estate car, with simulated-wooden side mouldings, which some might term a shooting brake!

Hence, it might be possible to find a donor vehicle, whose factory-fitted, double front windscreen-wiper system, could be adapted for use with the 1964~67 & 1968~79 VW Type 2's wide, shallow rear window. However, there are two important considerations with regard to the wiper-spindle positions, bearing in mind the configuration of the rear hatch, plus the width and aspect ratio of the rear window. These are: (a) how far below the bottom of the rear window, and (b) the sepation distance between wiper-spindle centres. Most vehicles (e.g. VW Types 1, 2, 3 & 4), position the front windscreen-wiper spindles, almost directly below the bottom of the window, corresponding to the upper portion of bodywork bulge, in the VW Type 2's rear hatch, which might preclude a neat, factory-fitted appearance, on the inside of the hatch.

Having already retro-fitted to my own 1973 VW Type 2, a Vauxhall Astra Mk.1 estate-car based, cross-over-arm, pantograph rear-window wiper, I have no reason to actively investigate these alternative rear-window wiper systems, but I shall certainly be interested to learn of other people's attempts; both successful and otherwise!

Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:25 pm

:D Nigel if you have a spare MK1 astra rear wiper sustem I would be interested in buying it off you. :D

Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:51 am

it's a beautiful hack and a wonderful inovation. i'd like one.

vwbusbusvw wrote: VDubTech wrote: If it reads anything like your posts, I would probably kill myself before I got through the first chapter.

Now, that's funny.

Is there really that much interest in hacking a wiper onto the back of your bus?

I think it's an unnecessary hack. Really, though. How hard is it to install a wiper on the back, if one were so inclined? Is all the "documentation" necessary?:roll:

Regards,

Vw Bus. Vw

Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:54 am

You're too late.

Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:01 am

does anyone have a modification where I can get a little robot that cleans the inside and outside of my windows while we drive? That would be more useful. Something like this maybe where the modern version could just service my car while I am driving.

Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:16 am

SGKent wrote: does anyone have a modification where I can get a little robot that cleans the inside and outside of my windows while we drive? That would be more useful. Something like this maybe where the modern version could just service my car while I am driving.

I bet a Roomba could fill that job.