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Walk Thru KO
Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2003
Posts: 161
Location: North Carolina
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///Mink
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2000
Posts: 5051
Location: Fair Oaks, CA
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 Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Westy Hitch??? |
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A lot. Ususally $1K plus. |
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BarryL 
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 15473
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| 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. |
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crofty
Judas of the North
Joined: August 09, 2000
Posts: 19915
Location: Land of Whine and Phonies
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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I plan on making my own- it's only flat stock with holes drilled in it.
_________________
Your Vanagon sucks, Stop waving at me.
| HamburgerBrad wrote: |
I slept on crofty's tent once. I passed out drunk from two bottles of Everett's brother's wine. |
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12570
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:38 am Post subject: |
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| 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! 
I usually consider myself to be able to do just about anything, but a man needs to know his limitations! 
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. 
But hey, if you are hell bent (pun intended) into doing it yourself, more power to you! 
_________________
Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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Mikee
Samba A.D.D. Boy
Joined: March 22, 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Puyallup WA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:01 am Post subject: |
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Ask Thom, he made a few, I bought one, he did very good work!!
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| localboymark wrote: |
| One man's "patina" is another man's cancer. |
| bugnut68 wrote: |
| I would have kicked the guy right in the dick, balls, ass and face and destroyed his weed. Hippies suck. |
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///Mink
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2000
Posts: 5051
Location: Fair Oaks, CA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:20 am Post subject: |
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| 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/ |
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12570
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:34 am Post subject: |
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Nothing better than being able to say "I made it myself!" 
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.
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.
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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crofty
Judas of the North
Joined: August 09, 2000
Posts: 19915
Location: Land of Whine and Phonies
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:47 am Post subject: |
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| 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!
I usually consider myself to be able to do just about anything, but a man needs to know his limitations!
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.
But hey, if you are hell bent (pun intended) into doing it yourself, more power to you! |
If I can't make this then shoot me in the head-I'm done.
_________________
Your Vanagon sucks, Stop waving at me.
| HamburgerBrad wrote: |
I slept on crofty's tent once. I passed out drunk from two bottles of Everett's brother's wine. |
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12570
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:15 am Post subject: |
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| crofty wrote: |
If I can't make this then shoot me in the head-I'm done.
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I thought you meant the whole thing not just the brackets! 
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12570
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:50 am Post subject: |
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This is the type I was talking about.
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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thom
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2000
Posts: 6309
Location: Sacramento
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:10 am Post subject: |
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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.
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-Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type |
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Major Woody
Samba Enigma
Joined: December 04, 2002
Posts: 9016
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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BarryL
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 15473
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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| I knew what you meant, Crofty. |
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Walk Thru KO
Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2003
Posts: 161
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:50 am Post subject: |
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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.
Last edited by Walk Thru KO on Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:03 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Levonbenelli
Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2004
Posts: 1171
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| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:00 am Post subject: |
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| 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
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Wanted: flipseat parts: rear jump seat, folding chair, cups |
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Mr. Electric Wizard
Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2003
Posts: 2846
Location: Smyrna, TN
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| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| 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?
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"Saying what we think gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know."
~ Cullen Hightower
(T)exas (C)oalition (B)uses
(H)eidenhammer (B)ully (B)oyz
--1966 De Luxe Camper |
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rebapuck
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 1023
Location: Chapel Hill NC
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| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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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.
_________________
Judy
1966 Camper "Hannah"
1967 SingleCab "Khady" |
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thom
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2000
Posts: 6309
Location: Sacramento
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:30 am Post subject: |
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| 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...
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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.
_________________
-Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type
Last edited by thom on Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Stoney Hawk
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2007
Posts: 1027
Location: The evergreen state
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: |
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whats up these?what kind are they?
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