Club 80-90 Forums

Hi everyone.

My first post here. A little about me, Im an automotive design engineer for Bentley, been in to VW for year mainly Aircooled stuff, until my last trip around france 2500miles in a 1600Sp bay Westy got fed up with having to thrash the motor up hills, so sold the van when we got back, and decided that it was time to move over to a syncro, after about 5 years of thinking about getting one.

Just starting to gather info for a roof change on my factory high top to westy pop top.

There are a few thing I would like to try and find out before I start, and I'm hoping that the good people here may be adle to help me with advice/experience, so I dont make a huge "cock" up thats hard to fix.

1: Is there any thing I can use to dissolve the glue that holds the roof on without stripping the paint off all over the place, because Im bound to get it all over the place, or will I have to cut it off (not my preferred option would like to keep the high roof, make a boat or some thing ).
2: Is the front frame head over the window unique on a factory high roof?
3: Are there any differences in wheel base between a panel van and a camper, i.e. will I end up with a roof that either too long or short?
4: will there be any issues over the tail gate that I should be aware of.

Thanks all

The factory high top has the strengthening spars in the roof. If you cut it and the spars off then you will loose structural integrity. You'll need to do something to put the strength back in.

Was planning to use the roof spars from the doner vehicle, the B to B piller spar C to C piller spar and the front and rear header rails inner and outer.

So should be strong enough.

on the westy pop top model the roof is only cut from the b piller back so if your high top as been cut from infront of the b piller then you`ll need a doner roof panel.

I'm seriously considering replacing my pop top with a high top... maybe we can swap?! but you'd have to remove yours nicely no chopping

Hi Ambivert

I think that the roof I need will have to be cut off below the gutters to get all the panel I need.

If I do manage to get the hight top off without cuting it I will drop you a PM.

Thanks for the offer

Lee I had a look on vagcat.com at the parts database and it seem that there are a fair few panels in the roof that are unique to the westy. So think your spot on I will need a whole roof. The high top has no internal steel roof only a pair of steel roof braces/hoops.

The entire westy pop top is different to the factory high top.And these 2 are different to the tin top.
Russel