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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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 Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 2:21 pm Post subject: Hack job Westy conversion |
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I bought this tin top that some dude did the worst westy conversion ive ever seen.
sawsalled a spot out real rough, and then put about 200 more holes in the roof than needed.
I was looking in this forum, and it seems that everyone BUYS a donor top and welds it in.
Whats the thinking behind that? Why not just fab some new braces up in the top?
Has anyone done a custom westy-top (i.e. removing the convex surface up there) instead of a pre-factory purchase? |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 2:28 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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| charleslabri wrote: |
I was looking in this forum, and it seems that everyone BUYS a donor top and welds it in.
Whats the thinking behind that? Why not just fab some new braces up in the top?
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there are several methods...
the olde drill the spot welds and go insane method
the classic donor cut and weld method
and the least amount of effort cut a hole and bolt the top and roll down the road method.
the making of parts without something to copy given the angles would be difficult. then there is the skill and talent part of the competition, where the judges are rather harsh and the results could be frightening. i'm a turn some wrenches, drop a piece of unobtainum in the grass never to be found again sorta Vanagon owner, and like many here, i don't have machine shop or even a garage i can work on the Vanagon inside. but i can spread 6 tons of gravel around as part of a rebuild project, that's worth high marks from the Estonian judge...
break out and be the one that fabs up a new mounting assembly and share it with the gang, they are growing tired of my 91 Westy project.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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campism
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007
Posts: 4491
Location: Richmond VA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:01 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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We definitely need photos of the "worst Westy conversion," but someone is bound to be able to top that one.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10370
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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| dabaron wrote: |
there are several methods...
then there is the skill and talent part of the competition, where the judges are rather harsh and the results could be frightening. i'm a turn some wrenches, drop a piece of unobtainum in the grass never to be found again sorta Vanagon owner, |
You get to work on grass? 
Another possible method:
buy a Vanagon with sunroof, preferably one with a non op and-or leaking sunroof, install westy top.
I saw what appeared to be a very hacky westy top install on a double door Vanagon that was for sale. Kind of a shame to cut up something like that.
Neil.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
VE7TBN |
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crazyvwvanman
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9923
Location: Orbiting San Diego
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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The factory sunroof makes it harder, not easier to install a Westy top.
BTDT
Mark |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10370
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Ah, ok. Good to know Mark.
Not that I plan to do a westy top swap any time soon.
Neil.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
VE7TBN |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17114
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 6:18 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Have you considered a high top conversion? My feeling is VW got it right with the vanagon camper. There are current companies trying to mimic what VW was doing 40 years ago.
Not knowing your skill set, it’s hard to comment. It’s metal and fiberglass. The sky is the limit on what can be done. Would like to see the worst conversion ever.
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pbrown
Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2008
Posts: 443
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 8:24 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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I too want to see some photos of this van.
My opinion on the poptop conversion in this. Get a donor top from a camper that includes the sheet metal, fiberglass, and all of the hardware. The bed on a camper will sit about two inches lower than the arched roof of the tintop. Grafting it on takes some skills with a mig welder and a lot of patience. There are a lot of spot welds. When done right, nobody can tell.
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Patrick Brown
1986 Westy Syncro EJ25
Flickr --> https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQNUXEF |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7756
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 7:42 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Pics! Pics! Pics! 
- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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AZ Landshaper
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2009
Posts: 1698
Location: The Old Pueblo
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 7:55 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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x2 ^^^^^^
_________________
Support Small Business.
-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug. |
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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 8:26 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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| ill take some pics today |
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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:42 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Here’s the trash I have to clean up:
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 10:05 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Somebody was celebrating a few hearty Hacktoberfest beverages, and got carried away. If you have access to a welder, those holy holes can easily be filled and ground down to beautiful bondo divots. I was expecting much worse.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 10:53 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Yeah, I’m going to weld them shut.
What’s worse than no supports, and extra holes all over the body?
Getting back to my original question though...
Fab a new top? |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17114
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:06 am Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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| Quote: |
Getting back to my original question though...
Fab a new top? |
Which part? Are you asking about making a top you can raise like the Westy? Or something fixed like a hightop?
As I said before, it depends on what you want, skills, time, and budget. VW engineers did a lot of figuring out, so for most, it's easiest to transplant the pop top and luggage rack. As originally stated, there are at least 3 degrees of transplanting a westy pop top.
By all means, you can certainly come up with your own. I recall a thread a few years ago, where a member was making a hightop out of aluminum. Thanks for posting the pics. Doesn't look that bad, but it looks like a project where the owner lost steam. That is common for all types of auto restorations for the DIY person. Best of luck.
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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:41 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Sorry, maybe I wasn’t super clear (I get all in my own vanagon head).
I have a pop top already, wanted to mount it back on. But I hated camping in it and losing all that clearance up top.
I want to cut the C pillar brace, and fabricate a new one that’s straight and mounts to the old brace joints. Then I’d cut the top skin off and weld L brackets to hold the wood where the bed would be.
I’ll draw this up. Track it here for posterity |
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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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*edited* (mobile phone posted x2)
Last edited by charleslabri on Sat Jul 25, 2020 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17114
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:52 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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Sure. The only caveat, might be if you are in a bad wreck one day and insurance companies are involved. I could see where it could be argued that the original structure was altered from stock and integrity was lost. Those would be some really high odds.
Looking forward to what you come up with. We slept up top for many years, but found the downstairs more comfortable for a lot of reasons. When we stop, all gear etc gets set up in the upper berth. We may actually remove the upper bed at some point and add some bin storage.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
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crazyvwvanman
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9923
Location: Orbiting San Diego
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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My suggestion for the flat new cross brace:
Just use 2 runs of 1" square tubing, welded together flat.
Make them long enough for each end to insert into the cutoff end holes of the old arch.
Add 1" angle iron to the rear side of the rear square tube, almost all the way across.
The lip of the angle iron forms the support for the front edge of the main bed plywood and and the angle iron as a whole helps stiffen the brace.
The perimeter of the new hole in the roof skin forms the support for the other 3 sides of the main plywood.
Overlap the 3 roof skin edges 1.5" OVER the plywood and bolt the plywood to the skin, below the skin.
Having the plywood be below the roof skin edges helps the new flat ceiling over the lower bed/bench look more finished from below.
Mark
| charleslabri wrote: |
Sorry, maybe I wasn’t super clear (I get all in my own vanagon head).
I have a pop top already, wanted to mount it back on. But I hated camping in it and losing all that clearance up top.
I want to cut the C pillar brace, and fabricate a new one that’s straight and mounts to the old brace joints. Then I’d cut the top skin off and weld L brackets to hold the wood where the bed would be.
I’ll draw this up. Track it here for posterity |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: hack job westy conversion |
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| crazyvwvanman wrote: |
My suggestion for the flat new cross brace:
Just use 2 runs of 1" square tubing, welded together flat.
Make them long enough for each end to insert into the cutoff end holes of the old arch.
Add 1" angle iron to the rear side of the rear square tube, almost all the way across.
The lip of the angle iron forms the support for the front edge of the main bed plywood and and the angle iron as a whole helps stiffen the brace.
The perimeter of the new hole in the roof skin forms the support for the other 3 sides of the main plywood.
Overlap the 3 roof skin edges 1.5" OVER the plywood and bolt the plywood to the skin, below the skin.
Having the plywood be below the roof skin edges helps the new flat ceiling over the lower bed/bench look more finished from below.
Mark
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Mark, You'd want to weld the 1" tubing brace into the C pillar arch holes wouldn't you?
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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