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macjack
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 357
Location: Colorado
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ragnarhairybreeks
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2009
Posts: 1890
Location: Sidney B.C. Canada
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 Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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great stuff! gives me added courage to do same on no sunroof tin top.
thanks
alistair
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
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hippiepilot
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2008
Posts: 455
Location: Sarasota, FL
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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nicely done 
_________________
83 air-cooled Westy
91 Carat (daily driver)
http://www.changeisland.com |
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macjack
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 357
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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| dobryan wrote: |
Great work. Looks like you'll enjoy this for a long while.  |
Thanks!
The van has already travelled the distance to the moon plus a bit (236k), so I figure it will probably get all the way back now.
And with twice the sleeping quarters.
-macjack
_________________
87 TDI Syncro Westy
81 Westy (sold)
80 Rabbit Wolfsburg (rolled)
Bike as primary transportation |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7752
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:58 am Post subject: |
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Awesome, well though out conversion! Welcome to the world of Westy!
- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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macjack
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 357
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:13 am Post subject: |
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| dhaavers wrote: |
Awesome, well though out conversion! Welcome to the world of Westy!
- Dave |
Yes, we are very happy to be back. I have been popping it in my driveway just to stand inside!
When we had our 81 westy for several years we loved it in the relatively flat east coast. Then we moved to Colorado- with the steep mountain highways mixed with snow we decided to go syncro, engine conversion, and to work our way back to the Westy.
Five years later and we are back.
Just like the vans themselves: slow and steady.
-macjack
_________________
87 TDI Syncro Westy
81 Westy (sold)
80 Rabbit Wolfsburg (rolled)
Bike as primary transportation |
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ggggarret
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2005
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:19 am Post subject: |
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i've got a sunroof syncro also and am wondering if you can still use the sunroof with the poptop installed? i know there isn't a ton of reason for it but i figured road noise and insulation during cold camping might be a nice time to close it.
thanks in advance.
garret |
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CQ
Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2009
Posts: 546
Location: San Diego, CA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Awesome work, now you need one of those stickers I saw somehad had on their Westy conversion said Westfauxlia... pretty clever.
Cheers
_________________
82 Westy 'Betsy'
72 Bus 'Bertha' -Sold
Learning about 2.0L AFC Everyday. |
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macjack
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 357
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:17 am Post subject: sunroof functionality on poptop |
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Yes, the sunroof is still completely functional. I made sure to screw into the top outside the space where the sunroof slides, and made all attachment points quickly removable with those clips.
I like the light from the skylight, but when it gets cold, I will be closing the sunroof. I also figure that this whole thing is somewhat reversible, should we choose to take the poptop off later, we could have the sunroof back.
I am now doubting that we would ever take the poptop off, though!
-macjack
_________________
87 TDI Syncro Westy
81 Westy (sold)
80 Rabbit Wolfsburg (rolled)
Bike as primary transportation |
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macjack
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 357
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 2:30 pm Post subject: Re: Poptop install on Sunroof van completed! (now with pics) |
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I have recently come to know of the death of picassaweb, where the photos for this thread were uploaded in 2010. I have now uploaded the pics to the Samba instead. They are included in this post for anyone else sacrilegiously defacing their sunroof van with a pop-top.
The canvas is pretty straightforward, as is the luggage rack. The rear hinges need reinforcement from the underside to get a secure mount. Devising a sleeping platform using the original Westy pieces took a little figuring out, but is well worth it. I have been sleeping in this van now for 6 years, and so happy I added the pop-top.
Basically, I hard mounted the rear stock sleeping platform, removed the hinges, and built braces so that the front platform can be secured into place, and perfectly level when deployed.
Now for the pics. . .
bringing the top home, strapped to the tin top roof
2x2 prop attached to the rear underside of the platform to account for the curvature front to back of the roof
2x2 lengths screwed to the roof along either side to account for the curvature side to side of the roof
Note that it extends in front of the rear platform a bit, so that the front platform can rest on it
Metal flat bar, inserted as backing for rear hinges, pre-tapped to accept the bolts
Hinge mounted to flat bar. I pounded the roof in a little back here under where the hinges go, to allow the top to rest in a sealed position
Front 2x4 brace accross the front most part of the front platform piece. If you cut it right, it comes in just in between the two 2x2 braces on either side, when the platform is stowed
yet allows for the perfect brace on the roof when the platform is deployed.
I used eye hooks with cord to pull the platform into place securely. At the end of the cord I use a clip which allows the length to be fully adjustable for the two positions, stowed and deployed. I use a Nite Ize clip, but it could be anything that has a carabiner style on the other end, to clip into the existing holes in the sides of the sunroof track, or the rear of the track when stowed. The cord pulls the front platform backwards, bracing the 2x4 against the lower platform, and it stays put really well.
Pic of where the clip hooks to when the platform is stowed (the platform is not in its stowed place, just resting there out of the way for the photo)
Here the platform is stowed
Here it is deployed
The other modification is to add a handle to the latch in front of the top, since the opening of the sunroof is just a little bit aft of the stock westy opening, and this makes pulling all the way down to full latch very difficult. So I just got a beefy handle and screwed it into the backside of the latch housing
Here is the lower latch piece, with my first markings of where the latch would be mounted, fortunately, I didn't drill those holes. . .you can see how much roof material is "behind" the latch, leaving no place for your arms when pulling all the way straight down
took some trial and error to get the right mounting position for the H-bar brackets into the top of the van, but aside from the scratches while getting it in place while my helper wasn't there, the H-bar pops it up like a champ
All the stock aluminum trim pieces for the canvas were a bit bent here and there, but I got them back into shape and after many drilling and screwing motions, the canvas pulled tight as a drum with the top up.
Finished product!
_________________
87 TDI Syncro Westy
81 Westy (sold)
80 Rabbit Wolfsburg (rolled)
Bike as primary transportation |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32563
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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macjack
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 357
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 5:31 pm Post subject: Re: Poptop install on Sunroof van completed! (link to pics) |
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Thanks, Dave. One could certainly say the same for you and all you do here in the Vanagon forum! Thank you!
-macjack
_________________
87 TDI Syncro Westy
81 Westy (sold)
80 Rabbit Wolfsburg (rolled)
Bike as primary transportation |
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weswsimpson
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2015
Posts: 191
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: Poptop install on Sunroof van completed! (link to pics) |
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for an alternate method of attaching a pop top to a tin top, search this forum for:
"grafting a westfalia pop top to a riviera tin top"
(sorry I couldn't figure out how to copy the link) |
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Steve Arndt
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005
Posts: 1780
Location: Boise, Idaho
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:27 am Post subject: Re: Poptop install on Sunroof van completed! (link to pics) |
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| I am thinking of using the tapped metal hinge backing plate method for securing the hinges like you did. Can you give any pointers on how you inserted the plates into the rear inside? I'm hoping to retain my tin top headliner so I will have to slide those plates wayyyy back in there. |
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ianNJ
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2015
Posts: 149
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 5:53 am Post subject: Re: Poptop install on Sunroof van completed! (link to pics) |
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Is this van still on the road?
_________________
--Hardwork Pays Off--
90 GL Frankenstine w/Boxeer 2.0 TDI CR, Peloquin TBD
RIP - 2003 Eurovan
Instagram @ian.Surfside
*if you known someone that struggles with addiction let me know. |
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