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Thu Aug 19, 2010 5:26 am

Whilst installing my safaris I realised that the shape of the A pillars on my bus are quite different from later buses. The front part of the A pillar (attached to the windscreen surround) sits about 7mm proud of the rear part of the A pillar (attached to the metal above the door opening):

On later buses these 2 parts are almost in line with each other:

As you can see from the above pic that the correct position for the safari bracket is over lapping the vertical join between the 2 parts of the A pillar. This 7mm step on my bus meant I couldn't fit the outer brackets where I wanted to, resulting in the safari sliders pointing straight down when they're shut:

Anyone know when this detail changed? I know all the 54 buses with safaris don't have this step in the A pillar

Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:02 am

Cool observation!!

I just looked at my April 53 and it has that step in the pillar. I also have a friends 54 here, and it doesn't have that step, just like you mentioned. You learn something new every day.

BTW, my 53 safari sliders point straight down as well.

Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:20 pm

Hummmm!
How this effect the gerson A pillars I have waiting in the garage? Might have to dig them out and take a look tomorrow.

Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:56 pm

scotty.. your a pillars are just some very very VERY bad aftermarked ones! :wink:
you should have better kept that secred!

lets better discuss the roof question we talked about at vowoshow! :D

Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:40 am

oh dear! :shock:

looks like Gerson based his A pillars on a post 53 barndoor.

Sat Aug 21, 2010 9:22 am

The A pillars on my June 17, 1953 kombi do not have the step. Looks like the change occurred between April and June '53. Maybe we can figure out exactly when it occurred. Any other info from owners between April and June 17, 1953?

Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:21 am

Just a guess, but could it be when they changed from the piano hinge window frame to the other one.

http://www.barndoor.dk/detaljer8.htm

-Tonny

Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:29 am

Nope, the piano hinge change happened much earlier. I am familiar with bus 20-042295, which is early january 1953 and it has standard vent windows.

I am wondering if there are any factory safari buses with this A pillar step. The change could be a result of needing to mount safari tabs?? Whats the earliest known factory safari bus?

Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:30 am

Hi,

btw: The change towards later popout windows already came during January 1953; with the first 1953 popout windows still lacking the water stop angle on the outside.

I don´t quite understand the difference between the two A pillar types.
Is just the door seal channel fixed more to the outside on earlier models or is the sheet steel pressing of the main A pillar part different to later ones?

Regards,

Jurgen

Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:12 am

My December 52 bus also has this step on the A Pillar.

Matt

Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:44 am

this is the first I ever hear of this, I am sure the NOS A pillars that we used to make the dies were post 53....now where the fuck am I going to find a set of 50 to 53 NOS A pillars to make changes to my dies... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: .....these are not exactly growing on trees, specially down here in Colombia.....

Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:10 am

Is this an actual difference in the A pillar or just where the seal holding U section is welded to the pillar. I would have guessed the latter ?

Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:03 pm

Gerson, Is it possible to tell the differences without having a NOS pillar. Don't you have a bunch of early and late barndoors as in your signature? Some will be Columbianised but together should give a clear picture no?
I need to get this fixed, my current pillars are useless unless they can be modified. :cry:

Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:10 pm

I have a beat down 52 standard in the shop, I will take a look at it and see if the pillars have been messed with, and I will compare them with the NOS post 53 pillars that I used to make the dies with........give me a couple of days...

Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:32 pm

Cheers dude.
That's customer service :D

Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:50 am

52panelvan wrote: Is this an actual difference in the A pillar or just where the seal holding U section is welded to the pillar. I would have guessed the latter ?

I'd say the former. I bet the ooutside looks the same on each bus, I bet it's the pillar that is slightly bigger

Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:13 am

Hi,

don´t panic. Please investigate first!

Here a pic of a NOS late A pillar in the area where you never see it from above ...

The profile made of two pressed halves is clearly visible here. Please don´t mind the bent flange. And for the newcomers: The outer windscreen frame is another panel folded and spot welded to the outer flanges. It is not part of the A pillar spare part!

So: Is the pre 53 A pillar really different? Or is - as also 52panelvan (Mark) already questioned - just the U profile for the door seal in a different position?

Just a proposal:

Is it like that?

90° angle on early ones?
125° on later ones?
Or just another door seal U profile position?

We all need a definite statement here.

Regards,

Jurgen

Wed Aug 25, 2010 2:41 pm

Maybe these help. Crappy cell phone pics, but they show the lower portion.

Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:00 pm

i took some time to measure (with a micrometer) the upper "a" pillar on my 52 kombi and matched them up in same spots to my 56 singlecab and i did find that the 52 pillar is wider than the later ones...............i only concentrated on the upper section right where the kink starts because its hot outside

so is this on the early 53s that still have the early style front window frames?

Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:49 pm

Great!

Thank you very much!

So we got it finally:

Regards,

Jurgen