westfalia vanagon interior in my 70 bay?

[rumplestilskin]

u know it just sounds blastfamous. but u know it would be a dream come true. and i hate to say it but it is superior to our bays.

i was wondering if anyone has done this, or has any information on this.

or just any useful or positive comments
_________________
currently 71 super auto-stick, 73 ghia, 71 yellow ghia , a 68 square w71 fi, a 77 bus station wagon deluxe. and finaly finaly a 74 riveria with volvo pawer .ITS AN ADDICTION!!!

[BIGTSV]

Some things will pop in with no problems, the front vanagon seats will not work in your stock seat rails. Vanagons are bigger so some items may take up to much space in our bays. I say get out the tape meter and see how it will all fit
_________________
1989 VW White Star
English made DR Martens

[danfromsyr]

having both I can say the vanagon 'kitchenette' is smaller then the bay in depth side wall to middle.

I'll have to measure to assure it's same from seat back to middle cabinet.

that being so I do RECALL seeing once a Bay with a vanagon kitchenete installed and thought to myself.. that's a neater idea and more room and better finction..

also dont' entirely listen to all the Dometic naysayers.. there are many more people with a properly functioning cooling Dometic fridge that lights on propane then the frustrated few squeeky wheels that post.

it's your VW and your milage may vary.

If I can find that interior pic I'll post it up here.

Dan
_________________

[rumplestilskin]

thanks guys.
_________________
currently 71 super auto-stick, 73 ghia, 71 yellow ghia , a 68 square w71 fi, a 77 bus station wagon deluxe. and finaly finaly a 74 riveria with volvo pawer .ITS AN ADDICTION!!!

[Rothai]

I've been thinking of this too, i have a helsinki interior to install into my bus but i like the berlin look, or the vanagon kitchenette but i've only ever seen them in white. Do the come in a natural finish?

[rumplestilskin]

ok we got the interior in! but it requires allot of mods! the only thing that fin in no problem was the sink fridge stove . every thing else requires alllot of cutting. i don't recommend this mod . unless u have a 73 or newer bus.
_________________
currently 71 super auto-stick, 73 ghia, 71 yellow ghia , a 68 square w71 fi, a 77 bus station wagon deluxe. and finaly finaly a 74 riveria with volvo pawer .ITS AN ADDICTION!!!

[Rothai]

Mine's a 78 bus...could you post some photos so i can have a nosey and maybe get some ideas?
thanks rothai

[danfromsyr]

indeed I'd doubt the other vanagon cabinets wouldn't fit in well at all.

my $.02 was just on the kitchenette piece. use what ever you have already for the bay for the rest.


and YES. the early 80-81 vanagon westfalias have a woodgrained rear cabinetry. not as dark as the 76+ bays.
also the early 82-86~ westfalias had a tanish interior cabinets which shouldn't look bad in a bay.

[Andre4]

I did this with my 78 passenger van. I found a 76 Westfalia at the wrecker with no sink/stove cabinet and bought an early vanagon sink/stove cabinet from another wrecker. I removed the icebox from the icebox cabinet in the 70s stuff then had to shorten that whole cabinet 1 1/4" I re-laminated the vanagon unit and here's the (sort of) end result:

It was a lot of work and there's still a lot to do but I'm in love with my van now, I guess if you put that much time and energy into something it's bound to happen.

[oorwullie]

nice work andre4.

i can see some sense in using a vanagon kitchen unit in a bay( especially if it's done like andre4's) but the rest of the vanagon westie furniture just isn't going to fit without more work than would actually be involved in making completely new units.

[MrBreeze]

Nice job. I'm really glad you lost the formica look and went with the wood look.
_________________
-=Rob

WTB: Bay Shore or Queensboro VW Frames

HBB 1984-2009
RW 1943-2011
ER 1964-2023

[Andre4]

Thanks for the compliments. Originally the cabinet was a woodgrain formica, but the lighter coloured vanagon laminate, like so:

I was going to change the vanagon door latches to 70s style units but the vanagon ones do not stick out as far on the backside of the door. The later handles allow more room in the puny cutlery drawer but more importantly the fridge door wouldn't have closed with the 70 handles.... I guess someday I should convert the other ones to vangon units!