FOD's Elevating Roof Update

[yakboy]

Well now I've made some progress on the split I thought I'd better post some pics...I did post some up last year but pictures of fibreglassing were not very exciting, so I'd thought I'd start again....

Anyway..van starts off like this..I now have 2 daughters so need more space


So win a Danbury roof on Ebay...try it on my scooby first but decide it looks better on the van!! ;D



The roof has no mechanism or bellows but that's exactly what I want as I've bought some gas struts and bits and bobs from the new danbury people to fit myself....so set about strengthning the roof and adding a false ceiling (as I don't like the look of raw fibreglass)



That was about a year ago and house extensions and new baby's slowed progress but last week I finally got the van up to my mate James's workshop (he's an archtectural metal worker), to weld in the roof frame to support the gas struts and bed deck...and also weld in some rear seatbelt mounts..had a great 3 days playing with 100 ton press's, plasma cutters and other dangerous stuff..(well not really..the most dangerous thing I was let loose with was an angle grinder )



The metal framework is incredibly strong and has eliminated alot of the bodyflex the bus suffered from when it had the paris beetles sunroof (as I had no belly pans on)




Rather over-engineered but excellent



These boys really know how to bend metal,,,the frame is millimetre perfect but we found out that vw's roof pressing is not that accurate



The final frame is a thing of beauty (shame it's going to be all covered up)




Rear seatbelt mounts...weldable locking nuts and all



Showing the roof up, gas struts to lift (these really go with a pop and bars on all four corners to make it bomb and stormproof ,the modern danbury's only use the gas struts and the tension of the bellows to keep the roof stable but I don't think that is enough)





So just got to order the canvas from concept poptops...spray the roof cap....rescue the headliner and cover lots of things in vinyl and make a bed deck I'll keep you posted

[bendee]

Now that's what I call a pop top! beautifully engineered, sweet

[Alexdundee]

Hey Yakboy, I also looking into getting rear seatbelts in our van, would like a 3 point belt and your idea with the bracket with 2 mouning bolts looks good ones its covered again, any chance they can weld something like that in my van.

Been looking on the SSVC forum and seen somebody else's handy welding work like this one. but yours looks much better and stronger I THINK.

[yakboy]

James's your man for metal work...I'm sure he could be persuaded to do another set of points...I'll post up some more piccies soon as I'm really pleased with my 3 point belts as they retract right out of the way so don't get in your way when sleeping

[Alexdundee]

Thanks Mr Yakboy, just what I'm after.

[yakboy]

Right a bit of an Update..Had my folks up over easter so had some free babysitting and a chance to crack on with some work

Firstly finished off the seat belts and I'm well chuffed, They retract right out of the way when not in use so don't get in the way when your sleeping.



Then did a bit of filling and spraying of the roof to blend in the old with the new...the new paint I've had mixed is not an exact match but you can only tell if you know.



Next was covering all the metal work in vinyl (very smelly and messy with contact adhesive)..my Mum came up trumps with sewing the vinyl. It looks OK and has saved me the expense of a new headliner. The old headliner could do with recolouring as it looks slightly shabby against the shiny white vinyl, I'll probably get some vinylcote from Wollies-trim..




Next I prep'd, primered, sprayed and fitted the skirt to the elevating roof...I have to say that spraying such a large expanse was tricky and I don't think my local body shop will be losing any sleep about my skills as a paint sprayer but I've made not too bad a job..still a bit orange peely in places but after cutting back with p1000 and a polish with G3 and a wax it's passable.

Fitting the skirt was a back breaking job being hunched up under the saw horses ..took 2hrs to complete but I'm very pleased with the result, and quality of the skirt (thanks leon at Concept PopTops..and a reasonable price too).




Next job was remaking the top cupboard to fit the new metal work..Again I don't think interior motive will be losing any sleep but it has that rustic feel of the other furniture...fitted all the catches and gas strut ends to the vinyl and topped it with some edging strip



Covered the plywood headlining board with vinyl..a pig of a job..had to do it twice as had a reaction between contact adhesives on the first go leading to huge air bubbles..second time was ok but still a little lumpy under the vinyl but is improving with time.
Sprayed all the legs and handles in white and refitted them as well as leather retaining straps back to the roof.



so just finishing off the furniture next. James has predrilled 30mm aluminium strips for me to secure the skirt to the roof and hoping for a bit of help fitting it .

[yakboy]

Bit of a while since the last update so here goes.......


Well got the roof on and the bellows screwed down with the aluminium strips and all seemed to be well...but then when putting the roof down their was too much antero-posterior movement in the gas struts and the bottom ball and socket joints would seperate...so put on some eyelet end pieces to replace the ball and sockets and this seems to have cured the problem.


Still a bit of finishing off to do (a bit of painting and replacing the steel legs with polished aluminium ones), but had a couple of weekends away and it all seems to work very well. It's a bit of a squeeze getting all the kit it for a baby and a 3 year old(will be glad when we don't have to cart a pram around) and just bought a porta potti ( a godsend in the middle of the night)....but we need more space so just bought this....


from Ebay. A 1960's snipe fibreglass trailer and have big plans for a complete restoration, adding a bike rack...colour coding and new wheels...what do you think to these (10 inch mini wheels which fit trailer hubs and should complement the BRM's)

[Twodogs]

The roofs looking good Simon, the trailer will look great colour code to the van and with the mini wheels. Are you going to lower the trailer? ;D


Cheers Mick

[yakboy]

It does seem to sit a little high Mick. We'll see how easy it is to do when I pick it up.