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Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:58 pm

how much is a hitch like this one worth

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=355825.

Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:11 pm

Walk Thru KO wrote: how much is a hitch like this one worth

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=355825

A lot. Ususally $1K plus.

Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:01 pm

That's the later stronger '67 style. It's missing the bolts and metal stiffeners which are available as a kit from Golde in England.

Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:36 pm

I plan on making my own- it's only flat stock with holes drilled in it.

Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:38 am

crofty wrote: I plan on making my own- it's only flat stock with holes drilled in it.

Much easyer said than done. Joe Slack made a duplicate of a similar one for the club bus. It requires some bending and shaping of the bar stock. He is a welder and has quite the ability to replicate nearly anything. After it was done, he said he ain't doing another one! :shock:

I usually consider myself to be able to do just about anything, but a man needs to know his limitations! :wink:

Hell, I am still in the process of making hoops for the Plump truck. Been at it for almost 3 forking years now! Wanting to do it right but then realizing the need for special tooling and such is holding the project back. After an initial investment of $200 in material, I must finish the product. :roll:

But hey, if you are hell bent (pun intended) into doing it yourself, more power to you! 8)

Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:01 am

Ask Thom, he made a few, I bought one, he did very good work!!

Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:20 am

Mikee wrote: Ask Thom, he made a few, I bought one, he did very good work!!

I have one as well. He sold out of the few that he made. His hitch page is still up, however:

http://vintagebus.com/hitch/

Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:34 am

Nothing better than being able to say "I made it myself!" :P

However, one must weigh in the time, tooling, money and effort it really takes before jumping into it head first. That's what happened to me with the hoops. :roll:

I overheard the process the current producer is going through in order to make some for sale at the OCTOs and such. I don't know his name but every step he was talking about is exactly what I have done and have yet to do. He sells them for around $450. Considering what I have to go through, $450 is more than fair for his set and knowing what it takes now, I'd rather buy it from him. 8)

Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:47 am

pyrOman wrote: crofty wrote: I plan on making my own- it's only flat stock with holes drilled in it.

Much easyer said than done. Joe Slack made a duplicate of a similar one for the club bus. It requires some bending and shaping of the bar stock. He is a welder and has quite the ability to replicate nearly anything. After it was done, he said he ain't doing another one! :shock:

I usually consider myself to be able to do just about anything, but a man needs to know his limitations! :wink:

Hell, I am still in the process of making hoops for the Plump truck. Been at it for almost 3 forking years now! Wanting to do it right but then realizing the need for special tooling and such is holding the project back. After an initial investment of $200 in material, I must finish the product. :roll:

But hey, if you are hell bent (pun intended) into doing it yourself, more power to you! 8)

If I can't make this then shoot me in the head-I'm done.

Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:15 am

crofty wrote: If I can't make this then shoot me in the head-I'm done.

:lol:

I thought you meant the whole thing not just the brackets! :oops:

Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:50 am

This is the type I was talking about. 8)

Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:10 am

I made a small batch patterned off my original, and if I close one eye and squint real hard it looks like I broke even. I didn't sell the last one until the bus show in Vallejo.

Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:09 pm

Thom, that is a damned nice looking jig and hitch.

I would like to have a hitch again too, but I'd like a receiver type so I can mount a swing-away bike rack.

Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:28 pm

I knew what you meant, Crofty.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:50 am

The hitch I have a line on has a metal Westfalia tag on it, does this increase the value of it? Also I believe it is the earlier style hitch (but not barndoor). Does anyone have any interest in buying this? Let me know and I will forward to my friend who ownes it.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:00 am

Walk Thru KO wrote: The hitch I have a lead on has a metal Westfalia tag on it, does this increase the value of it? Also I believe it is the earlier style hitch (but not barndoor). Does anyone have any interest in buying this even though I don't have my hands at the moment but it is a very likely deal for me. Let me know.

buy and flip it....in the classifieds

Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:56 pm

Major Woody wrote: Thom, that is a damned nice looking jig and hitch.

I would like to have a hitch again too, but I'd like a receiver type so I can mount a swing-away bike rack.

No kidding!
I cannot believe nobody in the aftermarket has made (or currently making) any of these...

Hmmm... Jeremy?

Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:51 pm

Try... www.bbt4vw.com ... I got two towhooks from them. Fit perfect on a '66 and '67. Don't know what shipping from Belgium would be. Mine came inside a trailer so no extra cost.

Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:30 am

Mr. Electric Wizard wrote: Major Woody wrote: Thom, that is a damned nice looking jig and hitch.

I would like to have a hitch again too, but I'd like a receiver type so I can mount a swing-away bike rack.

No kidding!
I cannot believe nobody in the aftermarket has made (or currently making) any of these...

I've seen several one-off variants of a receiver hitch, but never one which mounted in the same way as an original westy hitch. I thought about making a receiver hitch, but there's a couple of issues. First and foremost, a lot of people will say they want a hitch, but won't actually buy one. Second, using the standard 2-1/2" receiver tubing with the westy design would make for a very awkward-looking hitch - you need (IIRC) about 20" of the 2-1/2" tubing, and the longitudinal tubes of the hitch are only 1 1/2" I mocked one up, and it looked weird, and it weighed a ton. You could use the 1-1/4" receiver form factor, but there's not as many accessories for that, and the receiver tubing is hard to get in the lengths you need.

Another design idea I had was for a hitch with 2 parallel bars straight back to the torsion tube, with a crossbar at the trans support and another at the bumper mount - similar to the westy design, but instead of coming to a point at the hitch ball, it would terminate in a cross member with the receiver hitch coming out of the middle of that, similar to the receiver hitch setup you can get at any auto parts store. It would be strong, but it would be heavy as hell, and expensive.

Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:34 am

whats up these?what kind are they?