Project Crunchie '87 Syncro Tin Top Overlander. (Pic Heavy)

[syncrodoka]

[Signalocity]

[Signalocity]

Time for the front bumper mock up. Like many of us, I was waiting for ages to see what was going to transpire with the Bostig bumper program. Sadly it dissolved into a bit of a mess, with no real clear picture if it was ever going to happen, or by whom. The fact that there was never a matching rear Bostig bumper to go with the front, helped with the resolution to go a different route. Deciding to move on, I sat down and revisited the options out there. Make my own, Rocky Mountain varieties, tube bumpers and so on. I wanted to go with a plate bumper vs. tube, as tube bumpers are starting to feel a bit dated to me. I originally wrote off the Gowesty bumpers, but decided to give them a second look. I liked their one piece and simple design in comparison to the other offerings. The one downside to the Gowesty front bumper though, is that it is not tied into the van structurally to allow for winching/towing. I had to figure out a way to accomplish this, but I also didn’t want to compromise the front crumple zone. The Bostig design ties into the front frame rails via an extended bracket. Honestly, I was never crazy about this either. If you were ever to hit something hard enough head on, you are transferring that energy directly to the frame rails and passenger compartment, bypassing the crumple zone all together. I am not usually the orange sash hall monitor type lol, but it was enough of a concern for me personally, that I wanted to explore other avenues. Not to mention the fact that crumpled noses are easier to fix then twisted frames. In my research, I came across this post by Samba member trailnewt …

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5684330

A simple solution that made a lot of sense to me. Now with a plan in hand, I ordered up my Gowesty bumpers. I e-mailed them ahead of time to see if I could get some unfinished ones, since I was going to be modifying them more than usual, and I wanted to paint them to match my wheels. I had to wait a few extra weeks while they were fabbed up, but they were super helpful in my request, and subtracted the $150 that the standard wrinkle finish would have cost, without me asking. Excellent customer service on their part. I ordered up my steel channel cut to size from …

http://www.speedymetals.com/default.aspx?

4 times - 3.500 5” {A} x 1.750” {B} x 0.190” {C}
Channel, 6.7lb/ft A-36 Hot Rolled Steel

At $35 shipped, it worked out perfectly. I notched out a spot on the rear side of each bracket with a 4” angle grinder, to clear the pinched seam on top of the impact bumper. This is a time consuming laborious pain in the ass, but worth the extra effort. I picked up a hitch plate from Harbor freight (I know, but this thing is seriously stout compared to others available and at an affordable price. It has a plate folded over the back and opposing side of the hitch tube, and fully welded on every seam. I would say the 5000lb capacity is conservative at that) …

http://www.harborfreight.com/5000-lb-step-bumper-receiver-69670.html

The tow eyes I sourced from amazon …

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GP0167A?psc=1&...ge_o06_s00

I had a hard time finding anything similar at a reasonable price, and these still seem high to me, considering what it is lol. At least they are super well made.

So with everything mocked up, I set to work. I will have to trim the lowest slat of bottom the grill, so that the hitch mount will sit far enough back, where it needs to be, but this seemed to be the most reasonable compromise. I tack welded the brackets into place, just to hold them still, while I drilled the holes through the bumper and brackets. I added an extra hole on the hitch plate towards the rear, so the mounting was a little less linear. I used 12mm 10.9 grade bolts, which is about as hefty as it gets. I welded the nuts to the bottom of the “C” channel, so the bumpers simply bolt on from the top, through the accessories. After a few test fits, I ended up shimming the bumper slightly up, by adding some large washers to the brackets and welding them in place. I used some epoxy to seal them, as I didn’t want a ton of weld on there. This addition dialed the height in perfectly. I can slide the bumper on, and it sits right where it needs to be. A few more test fittings, before final welding of the bracketry and I was good to go. I welded both front and rear edge of the brackets (opposite sides of the seam), and the inner edge of the bracket on the front additionally. There will eventually be some fog lights between the tow eyes and hitch mount.

A note on clearance and angles. The Gowesty front bumer literally sits on the bottom and front of the stock impact bumper. There really is little to no room for improvement there. Granted, they could look a little spiffier with some dimensions throw in, but the price point, fit and finish are well worth it. One day in the distant future, I might set about designing some of my own, if the need for a project moves me lol.

TIP: From this post, and trailnewt’s post, this might seem like a pretty straight forward and simple install, but fair warning, it is quite the undertaking. After all, you are making 3 sets of 12 holes in heavy gauge steel that all have to line up right at the end of the day (more like a weekend plus a few nights). You have to do everything in the correct order, keep the brackets numbered and grind, cut and weld your way to the finish line.

DISCLAIMER: Obviously there will be tremendous forces involved in winching, and you don’t want your weak link to be the welds. Consult a pro if it is your first time out.

[ecsnsmb]

Wow, Signalocity. Well done! Awesome idea and beautiful execution. I would love to do something similar with the tow points and front hitch. I actually really dig the GoWesty bumpers unfinished too. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Signalocity]

[Signalocity]

Right! Rear bumper time. Matching unfinished (to be painted) Gowesty rear bumper fitment. The Gowesty rear bumper mounts in a stockish fashion, but the frame inserts (sorry, not pictured) go much deeper in to the frame rails. Fully welded, it is pretty stout on its own, but when you add the hitch insert (also not pictured lol), it really beefs things up. I will post more on the install and detail side of things once everything starts going back together, this part was mainly to mock up the swing-outs prior to paint. Like the bumpers, I trolled the web for options on swing outs. I like the look of the body mounted ones available, but they can be a bit on the pricey side. Factor in that with the physical aspect of mounting them to the body (as well as latches), and I started to think twice about it. Gowesty had a significant design overhaul on their swing-outs, since starting this build. The new ones are quite simple, bumper mounted, reversible with shock assists to keep them open. I appreciate the modular design and options available for multipurpose uses. The latch is simple to use/adjust, and the compact design should keep the weight down. Only one swing-out pictured, but mocked up for two. Once again, not the most stylish of the options out there, but simple, durable and well made … which are the enduring themes of this build.

[Phishman068]

I can't say I trust those shackle mounts mounted on the top like that. Yes they're welded into a solid bracket, that's pretty well welded into the crumple section of the van, but with that said.... The angles are quite unfavorable and you'll be putting ALL that stress in any pulling situation against the welds in a tearing manner. It's not ideal.
Are they going to rip off? Probably not, but they day they do.... it will be once all your confidence is in them and you're relying upon them, not great.

With that said, you have definitely made the best of the gowesty bumper system! I've seen a few people modify them accordingly, and it's good to see them made functional, as in their stock shape they really don't impress me at all. Heck, they're attached with two M8 bolts! In what way is that "STURDY".

EPIC van, dude!
_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936

"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry."

[Signalocity]

[Abelabelabel]

Just want to put my two cents in. This thread has been really, really, really inspiring. I'm pretty new to being a Vanagon owner, and slowly but surely taking on more and more on my own once I get my vehicles to a "pretty sure they wont kill me" point with my mechanic(s). To watch someone break every component of a vehicle down and give it attention, and a facelift, is like watching someone make art.

It also made me google prices for small scale media/sand blasters.

Please continue.
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1991 Vanagon GL / Carat Interior / Auto - White "Daily"
1990 Vanagon Carat / manual / Cherry Red "Bella Rouge"

[SyncroBilly]

X2. Been totally inspired by this restoration. Wish I was able to copy this. My build is more like a preservation

[Signalocity]

[Signalocity]

[Abelabelabel]

[SyncroBilly]

Edit

[SyncroBilly]

Sweet hitch btw. A couple D-rings in front and back would look awesome!

[Signalocity]

[benandmj]

I check this thread almost weekly, craving an update. What's the latest??
_________________
85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy

[Signalocity]

[Signalocity]

Now that things are starting to progress again, I thought it would be a good time to get back to updating the build thread. These updates might be a bit sporadic, as I have a ton going on at the moment, but I’ll try to be somewhat consistent.

Now that the mechanicals of the project had been dealt with, I had to finalize my plans for the body and how I wanted to proceed. I originally looked at the high-top offerings that were available, as I have always been drawn to the simplistic functionality of a fixed top with lots of room. Urban stealth camping is just as important to me as off grid adventures, and high-tops lend themselves well to both. To be honest, I also like the goofy uniqueness of a high-top. The stateside offerings were slim though, and I wasn’t bowled over by what was readily available.

I considered going the Westy pop-top clone route, but it wasn’t really a good option for me. I knew there was some value in doing so, but I just couldn’t sell myself on the idea. I looked into the other camper pop-top variations such as Riviera, Country Homes, as well as the smaller Reimo style standing room pop-up, but nothing took hold there either.

For a long time I settled on the idea of just leaving it a tin top and getting a roof-top tent set up with a safari basket. I was really drawn to the Auto-home U.S.A. Maggiolina tents, …

http://www.autohomeus.com/roof-top-tent/maggiolina-tent.php

but they are quite the investment unto themselves, even used ones command a pretty penny. I really enjoyed the idea of an adult style tree house with a ladder on the side of the van to gain access though. It was a simple and functional solution that appealed to me on a few different levels.

In the end though, John Charlton changed my mind when he redesigned the North American High Top, or N.A.H.T. The portal bump out and tiny window of the past design was pretty dated looking and a deal killer for me. I’m all for some retro influences, but others are just better left in decades past lol. The new tops still followed the lines and general shape of the Vangon and retained that vintage feel, but the removal of the portal bump and updating to a larger window really simplified the overall design and offered a much sleeker feel. Being 6’-2”, I also appreciated being able to stand up inside with a little room to spare. The overall design, size, and use of space seemed right to me and the top was back in that acceptable range of goofy uniqueness.

http://canadianhightops.ca/

I had a lot of initial questions for John, as I wanted to be clear on everything before making a commitment. I’ll say this though, John is very good at communicating, while discussing needs and concerns with his customers. His replies were timely and full of information, not just quippy responses. You can tell he has an affinity not just the tops, but for his clientele. After a lengthy E-mail string, I pulled the trigger. I felt like this was the best fit for myself and the van, so I placed my deposit when the next production run fired up.

While I was waiting on the top to work its way through the production process, I took a break, knowing it wasn’t going to last. I got the heads up from John that the plans had been set to deliver a load of tops to Valley Westys, in Staunton VA. If I remember correctly, it was over Valentine’s Day weekend … John really loves these vans. I couldn’t make it up there that same weekend, so unfortunately I didn’t get to meet up in person. I had touched base with Paul at Valley Westys beforehand, to arrange getting the top. Luckily, we have some mutual acquaintances, and common ground always eases things along. The goal was to come up the following Saturday, making the trip with my friend and his trailer. As the week progressed, Mother Nature proved she had other plans. The forecast was calling for a huge snow storm to run through Saturday evening. Not the news I wanted to here. We decided to go ahead with the plan, and just leave super early. Paul said he was fine on his end, no problem. Well, as the weekend drew nearer, the outlook was looking grimmer. The storm timeline was being pushed farther and farther forward with every ticking hour, making Saturday look like a bad idea. This bummed me out greatly, as I wouldn’t be able to make the trip up for a couple of more weeks, losing a lot of potential progress in the meantime. My good friend happened to be off that Friday and showed up to work with his truck, offering to make the trip up on his own, assuming he would have help loading the top on the other end. I was more than a bit taken aback at his offer, as I would have never asked, but was grateful none the less! The only snag was that his trailer was no longer an option. I called the U-Haul around the corner from my work, and they had a 12 footer ready to go. Lucky again. I paid for everything over the phone (If you go this route, just say you are moving stuff across town. I ended up paying like $35 for 24 hours. They seemingly don’t track anything mileage wise concerning trailers, but someone else I know paid $100+ for a similar trip.) and my friend left to pick it up. In the meantime, I was trying to get in touch with Paul to make sure this was ok with him. Naturally, I couldn’t get a hold of anyone lol. Feeling a bit frantic, I got in touch with one of our mutual acquaintances, who set me up with an alternate phone number. It turns out that Paul had a pipe burst at his place, due to an overnight freeze … I had to laugh at this point. Paul gave me a ring back assuring me Keith and others would be at the shop to help out, and he would be along eventually. I felt like a heel, but glad that this was still happening. So my friend set out late in the morning, trailer in tow. He made it there and back without issue, with the guys at Valley Westys helping make for a smooth turnaround. A huge thanks to them for that. Needless to say, I also took my friend out for a good meal with drinks later on that night.

[insyncro]

A Vanagon, with Bostig conversion and a HiTop...I can relate