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walkerb
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2017
Posts: 4
Location: Wyoming
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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:08 pm Post subject: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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About a year ago, I made the very questionable decision of buying a 1977 VW transporter. It was converted to a camping bus by a company called “adventurewagen” back in the 70’s. This company added a fiberglass high top to their busses. The previous owner considered the high top “ugly” and took it to the dump. With a massive hole in the roof of his bus, he opted to buy a sheet of plexiglass and use sheet metal screws to screw it into the roof of the bus. When I looked at the bus, the price was reasonable and with my rose-colored glasses on, I managed to overlook this enormous hurdle and buy the bus anyway. About a year into the restoration now, it is coming up on my to-do list. I have come across 3 or 4 of the original high tops installed by adventurewagen online, but they’re usually in terrible condition, and pricey. I’m thinking I have a few options.
1- Bite the bullet, find an adventurewagen high top, and learn to repair fiberglass.
2- I could possibly install a westfalia pop-top into the bus? The dimensions of the hole are 41.5x45 inches. I couldn’t find the dimensions of a stock VW pop-top anywhere online. Could someone help me with that? Hopefully the dimensions of a VW top are larger so I could just cut out the screw holes and attach a new one somehow
3- I could possibly get a new piece of sheet metal welded over the hole. I couldn’t imagine it would be very easy to make this look nice but it might be my only option.
If anyone has any questions, other ideas, or the dimensions of a westy pop-top please comment on this post! Thanks so much. |
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alman72
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014
Posts: 2573
Location: MICHIGAN
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| Riviera or sportsmobile penthouse? |
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walkerb
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2017
Posts: 4
Location: Wyoming
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:06 pm Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| alman72 wrote: |
| Riviera or sportsmobile penthouse? |
I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Are you recommending looking into putting a riviera pop top on the bus? That might be a good idea, I’d have to look into those types of busses some more. Thank you |
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alman72
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014
Posts: 2573
Location: MICHIGAN
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 5:10 pm Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| yes, it is a penthouse top. they were on rivs and sportsmobiles . |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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60vwnewengland
Twin #2
Joined: June 25, 2003
Posts: 1784
Location: District of Columbia & Cape Cod
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Zed999
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2018
Posts: 1247
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:07 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| You don't need to stick with the size of hole you have, or fill it right in. Decide what poptops you actually like and extend/fill in your hole to suit. I've done 3 conversions to Dormobile tops and one to a rear hinged Westy. All needed hole size adjustment but none were particularly difficult. |
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KentABQ 
Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2016
Posts: 2406
Location: Albuquerque NM
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:37 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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This isn't a recommendation, but just an if-nothing-else-works idea...
There was a posting somewhere here in the Samba of someone who permanently attached an aluminum boat upside down on the roof. It looked like crap, but I guess it did the trick. Lol
_________________
-Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"
"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea
Bus ownership via emoticons:
         ---williamM |
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alman72
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014
Posts: 2573
Location: MICHIGAN
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| KentPS wrote: |
This isn't a recommendation, but just an if-nothing-else-works idea...
There was a posting somewhere here in the Samba of someone who permanently attached an aluminum boat upside down on the roof. It looked like crap, but I guess it did the trick. Lol |
omg I have to see this. I searched but came up dry. Anyone have more info to increase my keywords? |
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calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3328
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:02 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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Graft in a beetle carcass . Like the salesman in "Harry and Tonto"
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"Albatross"! |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:56 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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_________________
| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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walkerb
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2017
Posts: 4
Location: Wyoming
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:57 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| Zed999 wrote: |
| You don't need to stick with the size of hole you have, or fill it right in. Decide what poptops you actually like and extend/fill in your hole to suit. I've done 3 conversions to Dormobile tops and one to a rear hinged Westy. All needed hole size adjustment but none were particularly difficult. |
When filling in the hole, did you just weld in a piece of 20 gauge steel? Did you have a metal shop bend the metal to the radius of the roof? Or did you just clamp it and count on the welds to hold the curvature? Thanks a lot. |
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calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3328
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:03 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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Now we're talkin, put a safari windshield and popouts in the bug for ventilation
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"Albatross"! |
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Zed999
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2018
Posts: 1247
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:57 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| walkerb wrote: |
| Zed999 wrote: |
| You don't need to stick with the size of hole you have, or fill it right in. Decide what poptops you actually like and extend/fill in your hole to suit. I've done 3 conversions to Dormobile tops and one to a rear hinged Westy. All needed hole size adjustment but none were particularly difficult. |
When filling in the hole, did you just weld in a piece of 20 gauge steel? Did you have a metal shop bend the metal to the radius of the roof? Or did you just clamp it and count on the welds to hold the curvature? Thanks a lot. |
For side pieces I used a metal shop with rollers, for any other parts I had cut-outs from converting a couple of tintops. I know I shouldn't cut up tintops but over here a poptop bay is £5-10k more expensive, it's what the people want. |
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orwell84
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 2537
Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 11:09 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| Erb? Is that you? |
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advCo
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2017
Posts: 373
Location: Houston, TX
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Hikelite
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2012
Posts: 557
Location: Colville, WA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:12 am Post subject: Re: Help! PO of bus got rid of high-top. Need advice. |
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| calvinater wrote: |
| Now we're talkin, put a safari windshield and popouts in the bug for ventilation |
Looks like you could just open the rag top 
That is pretty cool. A little heavier than the fiberglass pop tops, but nothing an EJ25 can't push around. 
_________________
~Kevin
My 1968 Campmobile |
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airkooledchris
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Joined: January 25, 2005
Posts: 2711
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richparker
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Joined: November 24, 2011
Posts: 6982
Location: Durango, CO
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