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Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:53 am

I'm sure you can get photos of whatever you need, just ask. if you have a bunch of questions, maybe start a thread rather than filling up this thread with them.

For example, here is a photo of the westy front roof interior. A tintop vanagon has a strip that the headliner was tucked into vs. the westy has a channel the roof cardboard fits into. You can use the slotted tintop strip if you have to or come up with your own channel and pop rivet it in, or some other diy solution.

Fri Aug 28, 2015 2:02 pm

Post may be a little late, but I am just now finishing my tenth westy pop top conversion. I'm using a very similar method that Howesight describes. I don't weld, I use 3M automotive body panel adhesive. Its a two part system using an applicator and is user friendly.
Its been posted here that, "this is the only correct way to do this" not true.
The method you chose is your personal choice. Hard to do wrong, but easy to make a mistake no matter which method you choose. Just be patient and take your time. I have never welded the rear hinge brackets in. My first top has been in place for about 12 years now and so far no failure.

Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:51 pm

Here's what I'm planning....a small pop-top

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613769&highlight=

Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:26 pm

DLJ wrote: Post may be a little late, but I am just now finishing my tenth westy pop top conversion. I'm using a very similar method that Howesight describes. I don't weld, I use 3M automotive body panel adhesive. Its a two part system using an applicator and is user friendly.
Its been posted here that, "this is the only correct way to do this" not true.
The method you chose is your personal choice. Hard to do wrong, but easy to make a mistake no matter which method you choose. Just be patient and take your time. I have never welded the rear hinge brackets in. My first top has been in place for about 12 years now and so far no failure.

I used the 3M adhesive on the outer part, where to top was overplayed, but I re-welded all the spot welds on the inner section of the roof. I figured that was the best way as I couldn't see anyway to not get the ahesive all over everything if I tried to glue the inner and the outer sections.

Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:31 pm

So what is the cost of all that 3M adhesive ? In know that stuff is not cheap. How much do you use VS spooge out and waste?

Stacy

Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:19 am

16CV's wrote: So what is the cost of all that 3M adhesive ? In know that stuff is not cheap. How much do you use VS spooge out and waste?

Stacy

Hi Stacy,

DLJ's #10 above was actually my van. The 3M adhesive was about $40 or $45 + we had to buy a $50 applicator gun which the guy said if we kept it really clean we could return it which we did. We also bought a 2nd tube which we didn't need & returned. That stuff is strong as can be. It's designed for joining automotive panels. A small bead was on the interior metal of my van the next morning which I attempted to remove. It mine-as-well be a weld bead!

Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:43 pm

Here is my project, full roof transfer aft of the B-pillar. Not finished at the time of this post though.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=712964&highlight=

Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:31 am

quick question. is there any difference in the sheet metal from 80-84 and later westies (stapled and screwed) or it is just the fiberglass that is different?

Thanks, I'm figuring if I need correct year sheet metal for the pop-top conversion. Will a roof cut from 80 westy work on 87 using late fiberglass top? Or do I need a roof from the same year?

Please advise thanks.

Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:13 pm

I cannot speak for the roof skin specfically, but I can confirm that a 1980 poptop fits a 1991 tin-top, hole-only conversion, perfectly. I believe there are no significant differences in that part of the van's body across the model years.

Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:27 pm

mikemtnbike wrote: I cannot speak for the roof skin specfically, but I can confirm that a 1980 poptop fits a 1991 tin-top, hole-only conversion, perfectly. I believe there are no significant differences in that part of the van's body across the model years.

agreed but it states that earlier top is a staple style, and later is screw style. So how is it different metal wise or its something you can swap between

Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:58 pm

Oh, okay. The staples/screws are for the canvas to the top. The metal frame that attaches the tent to the body is screw-in across model years. The 80 metal frame meshed perfectly with my 91 top.

Thu Aug 13, 2020 1:09 pm

mikemtnbike wrote: Oh, okay. The staples/screws are for the canvas to the top. The metal frame that attaches the tent to the body is screw-in across model years. The 80 metal frame meshed perfectly with my 91 top.

That is the clarification I needed. Appreciate it thanks!