Late pop on early bay

[shiplee123]

Hi guys , I’ve seen it done , can anyone tell me what it’s like fitting a late westy pop top on an early westy or a tin top westy.
Love all the og features of the early bays and the look of early pop but the forward late pop suits my needs better for my children

 

[ozziedog]

Not done that but I’ve fitted a late Devon pop top onto a 72 roof panel onto a 1970 van, fortunately everything was more or less the same size. I’m thinking this should be the case with the Westy as well because they were all built around the sunroof model and that stayed the same as far as I’m aware. I’m also wondering if it’s possible to just take yours off and fit it backwards to give you the same effect. I’m trying to think who might know for sure and I’m guessing that Davidoft would be the chap most likely to know for sure and probably the main source of any parts required to do this. I also get confused with which one is which, I think the obvious way for sensible wind closing rather than opening is hinged at the front and rack at the back and the later ones were visa versa but I wouldn’t swear to it. The roofing profile curvature is different from memory but could an adapter type piece be made up to form a curve in the straight rear section and again visa versa.

Ozziedog,,,,,, could be a very interesting conversion

 

[Clem]

I know a chap from France who swapped his early pop top from early to late. He just swapped it, it’s not a problem once you are doing the job.
He may not be on here these days but he’s on Instagram as @tikiwesty

 

[Graham L]

Late bay westies had a different roof structure at the rear that was flat rather than curved to allow them to fit the continental roof bed up top and give more space, they were not built of the standard sunroof shell as the earlies were it was a specific shell for that model.
There’s a company down south (Oakhampton I think) that a few people have used and they convert your early shell roof as part of fitting the new late bay Westy style roof, only thing I don’t like is they use gas struts which don’t tension the canvas properly

VW Type 2 Baywindow pop top roof (Westfalia style)

Westfalia style T2 pop top. Transform your VW Type 2 Baywindow with an elevating roof. With a double bed upstairs, and choice of canopy colours.

www.spaceroofs.co.uk

 

[NickP]

Many thanks for the spaceroofs link. It's something I've been thinking of doing on my LHD 70 bay.
It's currently fitted with a sliding roof that works, but according to my resto shop the outer skin is beyond repair and will need replacing, thus prompting me to think about a pop top conversion.
I've heard though that such a conversion could seriously devalue the bus. It's this true?

 

[davidoft]

Many thanks for the spaceroofs link. It's something I've been thinking of doing on my LHD 70 bay.
It's currently fitted with a sliding roof that works, but according to my resto shop the outer skin is beyond repair and will need replacing, thus prompting me to think about a pop top conversion.
I've heard though that such a conversion could seriously devalue the bus. It's this true?

I’ve got an entire roof and a Devon poptop for sale, much easier to fit than a Westy one

 

[NickP]

I’ve got an entire roof and a Devon poptop for sale, much easier to fit than a Westy one

Thanks, I'll certainly think about it.