Dehler Profi roof transplant onto a Syncro

[syncropatrick]

It will look cracking when its done Patrick. Especially with matching paint. A toss up though whether its a bigger committment than building a 2.1 DJ which is my current obsession!

Ah, what could possibly go wrong? Other than completly ballsing up what is already a perfectly good looking Syncro 16. Mechanically the tolerances my project has to work within are fortunately way larger than yours Pete, but the eye can be unforgiving of a wonky line or ill-fitted accoutrement.

Nice nice nice I love 'em, even the bonkers side windows and mouldings (moldings? Always get that wrong but it goes well with the whiffy cat pee theme)

Not sure if the mouldings are coming across as well. DG has its benefits but I understand the frames are very brittle after 20 odd years sat in the sun and do not move well. If one of them breaks the whole lot goes in the bin AFAIC.

Brave man Patrick; thats quite a project! Lesser souls would have waited a long time for the right Dehler van to come along; sold the 16 and done the homebrew interior way round Your going to have this finished for Syncropendence right

If you need a pair of hands Im happy to give any assistance i can.

Thanks Mark. I may make a call on your offer. Ready for Syncropendence .... er yes, but not 9, more like 10 or 11 judging by the speed I do DIY around the house.

Hey Patrick.
I happen to have a spare sliding roof window:-)

S'sparky we need to talk! PM'd you. I have some roof bed and shower parts if you're interested in some horse trading.

[Cableguy]

Don't need anything for mine, I also need to take my roof off as the gutters are quite bad. Would be interested in seeing How it fits. Would also be happy to help out.

[Mudlark]

Make sure you do a belt and braces on the fixings Patrick; a few years back I drove past a vanless high top sitting in the middle of the A30; its van was a few hundred yards further on up on the hard shoulder and various possessions were fluttering about like feathers all over the dual carriageway.

[syncropatrick]

is in surprisingly good nick underneath and up the seams

Is explained why by the fact the M code list records
M 640 continuous underbody protection PVC

Of interest
it came off the production destined for Dehler
M 666 without preservation of lacquer (Dehler)
while paint is lacquered Pastel White
L90D

[Simon Baxter]

You're Bonker!

[Simon Baxter]

....s..

Doh!

[syncropatrick]

Roof investigation...
Taking off interior trim is painful - its thin and well stuck down. Pretty much disintegrates as you try to pull it away. You have to clear it so you can get to the roof interior.
The trim is the beige stuff on the walls

The van has no roof brace at the C pillar

Roof wedged in with wooden blocks. Guess to give it some extra rigidity.

and the B pillar brace has been replaced by this bar with 2 bolts at each end


Showing that Dehler cut out the space over the gearbox and turn it into the rear seat bucket

Makes you wonder what they did on their Syncro version.
Roof is made of interior and exterior fibreglass shells stuck together. The majority of the interior shell on this one from the B pillar back has been torn off leaving a right mess. The only bit in reasonable nick is the over cab locker which also holds the sunroof. Piccy shows the gap in-between inner and outer, looking forwards.

Held in place with glue up top and these little screws hidden under rubber trim on the underside

The gutter

is rusty

all around

run a screwdriver over it and this is revealed

It looks like the fiberglass roof has a metal insert which is bonded to the inside of the gutter. This is covered and infilled by a foam rubber strip. It looks like at some point mastic was put over the lot and painted.

Releasing the roof would take more work than I had time today before the rain came, so took off the Double glazing instead. Was surprised too find on the side windows it is a single plastic sheet over the factory inner glass. All outer glazing came off cleanly with its metal surround and all screws. Of course the outer is mounted on the Dehler exterior trim.

Little slip of sealant to make it water tight

Rear is other way around - the plastic glazing is mounted internally, held in place by small metal plates which fit just behind the factory rubber. Sealant used here as well. Awful pics soz.


German reg number anyone?

Now this is a mystery. This was mounted above the glove box under the dashboard.
Heavy and looks like it has a transformer inside it.

Two plugs - one 2 wires, other 2 wires.

Unfortunately the wires the other side of the plugs had been cut out already so I couldn't trace them to see what it is connected to. It has no identification marking at all on it and is riveted shut.
Answers on a postcard as to what it may be.

[axeman]

I want IT!!!!

I'm slightly taken aback by what I've put myself up for, having never done this kind of thing before, but when I look at photos like this I'm reminder why I'm doing it


your van will look the nuts with that roof on patrick. i have to say irish david's van (buttercup) is my personal favorite camper manly becouse of the roof and a get inside with a jet wash and clean it out set up he has.

keep up the posts

neil

[poshbuggers]

I love that you are trying this. I like the Dehler vans. They're a little eccentric and very retro. In my mind they are both plus points.

That transformer unit looks like the Westfalia black box. It connects to 240v to charge the batteries.

[Drytooler]

I want to transplant a Dehler roof to..


The donor is really rusty so I have to remove the compleet roof and move it.

But your pictures don't work man

[syncropatrick]

I want to transplant a Dehler roof to..


The donor is really rusty so I have to remove the compleet roof and move it.

But your pictures don't work man

Hi Dennis, my photos were hosted on Apple MobileMe service which has now ended. I'm slowly transferring them to another public hosting site, so they will re-appear. I'd like to see photos of what you are doing, as that would be helpful for me.

[Drytooler]

Hey Patrick,

Cool! I like to see your pic's
Because for the moment I'm trying to find out if I really want to transfer the roof from a rusty Dehler.
Or Transfer the Syncro system to a very good Dehler..

i will post pictures as soon as i start.

[syncropatrick]

Work has started again! Met a very nice chap called Arno at BF yesterday who has done exactly the same as me - taken a Dehler roof and plopped in onto his Syncro 16 Westfalia poptop! He allayed all my concerns re metal in the roof frame, just turns out mine has many layers of filler added and some trim parts with metal in them and a metal lip around, not through, the fibreglass where it meets the body. Inspired by this report I attacked it again this morning. Since then the roof is 50% detached from body, hope to have it fully separated today. Photos returning soon.

[silverbullet]

All power to your elbow!

[syncropatrick]

Roof detached front and both sides by last night. Tackling the rear today and then got to rally local troops to lift it off.