TheSamba.com :: View topic - Anyone ever fabricate rear side windows that open?

Mon Apr 07, 2014 2:21 pm

otiswesty, That would be VERY helpful. I found someone in New Jersey at a scrap yard with some but he wants $$$$

Tue Apr 08, 2014 2:59 pm

Sorry, just a couple of side pieces and elbow inserts.
These used to be readily available on the bay classifieds.
Surprised they have become this hard to find.

Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:48 pm

I know this thread about rear slider windows. But has anyone ever considered rear pop outs like "happich" kits for the MK2 GTI? There is a gentleman on facebook who makes them for the MK1 rabbit and the MK2 Golf/GTI. I bet he could make these for the vanagon as well. Only if the demand is there.

Our vans could benefit from the parachuting effect that we encounter when the sliders are fully open. Any thoughts?

Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:16 pm

Thank you anyway otiswesty. I appreciate your having looked for me.

Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:51 pm

hans j wrote: syncrodoka wrote: It is glass all the way to the plastic vent.

Love this. Looks like it's a standard frame just shortened and angled? I'll have an extra drivers side middle window to play with when I swap it out for the Jalousie window. Also have a a few on parts vans around I could try out. I definitely want to keep the vents in the window (have them in my possession but not installed yet)!

Anyone have some details on this modification? Or just start cutting stuff like I normally do :P

I have an extra drivers side sliding window sitting in the garage and would love to do this to it. Thinking the frame could be cut where it butts up to the vent??? Have new glass cut that butts up to the vent??? That piece is the fixed glass. It could be sealed to the vent??? Except I don't know how the front of the vent is configured. Never seen one in person out of the van. Does it have a groove the window sets in? If I find a late model vented window in the salvage I'm going to buy the whole thing just to satisfy my curiosity. The ones i've found are all earlier models with glass only.

Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:04 pm

I made these. Not super hard. I had some glass made that was tempered and had the locking latch located back so the westy screens work.
Back passengers like them

Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:13 am

That is exactly what I want. Rear windows that slide open and have screens. What do they look like closed? Any details that you have would be appreciated.
I have some window frames sitting around for this project.

Wed Apr 09, 2014 6:15 am

They look just like the westy slliders when closed. I could get a picture, but you probably have seen them a million times.
It was a little trick to make the beveled cuts and re-bend the leading upper radius. I first attempted making them without the rear air vent from the late model vanagons, but it was much easer use the plastic air vent.
I had to make some new patterns for the glass which was very expensive. I think I paid over 100 for the two pieces. I build 3 sets, one for each side of my adventurewagon and one for a friend.
With anodizing, tint, and glass I probably was in it over $500.
Good luck,

Wed Apr 09, 2014 6:18 am

they look very nice, quite like factory would..

but that's a fair amount of $$..
the DIY ones I did were nearly free.. a piece of aluminum flashing from the hardware store..

my van isn't nice enough for $500 windows. :oops:

Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:08 am

shadetreetim,

you had stated above:

" If I find a late model vented window in the salvage I'm going to buy the whole thing just to satisfy my curiosity. The ones i've found are all earlier models with glass only."

This guy, as of now, has some of the rear windows that include the vent.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1512068

Also, you had stated:

"I have an extra drivers side sliding window sitting in the garage and would love to do this to it. Thinking the frame could be cut where it butts up to the vent??? Have new glass cut that butts up to the vent??? That piece is the fixed glass. It could be sealed to the vent??? Except I don't know how the front of the vent is configured. Never seen one in person out of the van. Does it have a groove the window sets in?"

I uploaded some photos for you, and whom ever might find them helpful, that illustrate the relationship between the glass, rubber seal, and the plastic rear vent.

Besides the ones I have placed into this forum, there are more in my photo feed at this link:

Hope it helps.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?...ts=summary

Wed Apr 09, 2014 6:40 pm

I still have the glass templates and a connection to get the glass pieces made. If enough people were interested, I could try to get more glass made. Probably be about $120 or so for the safety glass not including shipping.
The other expense I forgot to mention is the extra frame you need to cannibalize to make this work. I also had them anodized.
This is a picture of the difference in the leading upper corner from the rear window to the middle door window. I had to bend the frame a little to get the proper shape.
If you use the middle window operable glass, the glass will not seat completely in the weatherstripping channel. It might make some wind noise.
You will also not be able to use a westy screen.
Here is a photo of it closed.
It opens about 8". This was the max I could go and still use the stock screen.
I think this is the most you could get regardless of where the lock latch is located.
David Marquis's photo of the rear vent receiving he glass is how the stock solid window is placed. I found that the fixed piece of the slider was not in plane with the vent channel. I used an extra piece of another window frame to make the rear vertical portion of the frame.
Over all, I am very happy with them. The time to make these is significant, and I dont think vanagon owners would be willing to pay to have someone make them. They aren't too hard to do though.

Wed Apr 09, 2014 7:29 pm

I'd be down to have someone else make em, I have too many projects as it is.

Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:19 pm

David Marquis wrote:
I uploaded some photos for you, and whom ever might find them helpful, that illustrate the relationship between the glass, rubber seal, and the plastic rear vent.

David,
Thanks, those pictures help a lot. They confirm what I thought about how the glass terminates into them.

And Fhak915 added some very helpful info regarding the corner radius. I wasn't aware they were different.

Now I'll just go back to dreaming of modifying my window. Carry on...

Mon Apr 14, 2014 2:06 pm

I am interested in glass if you do another run.

Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:17 am

syncrodoka wrote: I am interested in glass if you do another run.

Me too and can probably supply some extra frames off our parts vans at work.

Also just spotted this on Faceyspace:

Looks like the Dometic window in the slider door.

Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:56 am

Me Three. What they said.

Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:46 pm

Sounds like 4 people are interested.
Ill look into lead times and get back to those interested.
The list so far includes David Marquis, Syncrodoka, Hans J, and Tarandus.
Please PM me to verify you are serious.
A couple things to consider:
1. You are up for the fab and not expecting me to make these for you.
2. Are you going to tint these windows. It is best to since some Vanagons came with different color glass. Some are clear and others are more blue. I think the glass I got had the similar blue/green color of the solex glass.
3. You have an extra sliders to cannibalize. I used one for the window and another messed up slider to make the rear vertical piece. If some one has some bad sliders you can get a few from one.
4. You have the rear vents from a later model vanagon.
5. Do you want one set or two. Westies only need the passenger side, but passenger vans might want to. The glass can be used on either side, its up to you to make the frame for the right or left.
Let me know if your interested and Ill do my best to help.
Last time I got the glass it was not readily available. Not sure if it is NLA.
Thanks,
Frank

Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:31 am

I would love to do this, but it sounds a little over my head at this moment. Let me know how these work out!

Fhak915 wrote: Sounds like 4 people are interested.
Ill look into lead times and get back to those interested.
The list so far includes David Marquis, Syncrodoka, Hans J, and Tarandus.
Please PM me to verify you are serious.
A couple things to consider:
1. You are up for the fab and not expecting me to make these for you.
2. Are you going to tint these windows. It is best to since some Vanagons came with different color glass. Some are clear and others are more blue. I think the glass I got had the similar blue/green color of the solex glass.
3. You have an extra sliders to cannibalize. I used one for the window and another messed up slider to make the rear vertical piece. If some one has some bad sliders you can get a few from one.
4. You have the rear vents from a later model vanagon.
5. Do you want one set or two. Westies only need the passenger side, but passenger vans might want to. The glass can be used on either side, its up to you to make the frame for the right or left.
Let me know if your interested and Ill do my best to help.
Last time I got the glass it was not readily available. Not sure if it is NLA.
Thanks,
Frank

Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:06 am

Hi Frank.

I am interested in one set, also.

Thank you for this ...

John

Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:15 am

Here's some shots of the sliding rear windows I made. Very easy to do as long as you have the rear vent. To make the back portion of the frame you'll need a piece of a second frame (you can get 4 of the back sections out of each spare frame)

I figured out the possible latch placements and set mine up for the biggest screened opening (9.5 inches) I cut a set of GoWesty screens down to fit. With a stock screen the maximum opening is 8 inches. With no screen it could open to 14 inches.

The only dicey part is getting the glass right. For anyone interested in a set of glass I'm happy to help, send me a pm.

This is how you get the back window in without wanting to kill all humans.
Set the rear vent and seal in place and tie it back. Then put the frame into the seal, then rope it in.