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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:54 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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What are your canvas replacement plans? Amish, or bus depot,or homebrew? |
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erinworley Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2016 Posts: 8 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 8:46 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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alman72 wrote: |
What are your canvas replacement plans? Amish, or bus depot,or homebrew? |
I bought some rubber backed canvas fabric from Wal-Mart for 4 bucks a yard. I had to go to 2 different stores to get the correct yardage. It's been a beast to sew and my poor little Singer machine is hating me. It is set up to Velcro in which will make it last longer and any repairs will be cake. It's looking great so far and I'll show pics when I'm done. Right now I have bought 2 Wal-Marts out of Velcro, so I am going to have to travel to get more. So far, I am at around 65 bucks, but it has been a lot of measuring, installing, removing, installing, measuring, installing removing etc!!
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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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^Nice! so you will have your penthouse at its maximum height? I always wondered why they seem to have a few inches left to travel up, a couple inches left in the guides on the ceiling. I just scored a new (to me) canvas that I am thinking about sewing a band around the top about 6 inches wide, to give more height. I was planning on stapleing to the wood slats on the bottom, and the top. Factory had the top stapled to the ceiling, and that made removal a pain. if stapled to slats only, screws to the bus, and screws to the ceiling will make removal easier if needed to remove.
If you leave your canvas on, don't forget to add some elastic cord to help pull it in when lowering the top. there is a good view somewhere in this thread. you should upgrade that singer and make a few canvases for the classifieds. Sportsmobile canvas is hard to come by. (Bus depot has canvas for penthouse tops, but could not confirm they would work on a sportsmobile) |
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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 2:28 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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TweedLinn wrote: |
jtauxe wrote: |
"It needs extensive restoration and is not for the novelist. I will take more pics for serious injuries."
English much? |
Ha you beat me to it! |
could be a Country Homes Camper conversion, or a Trinity. there were a couple of camper makers that bought the penthouse and did their own thing. NOT a Danbury.
check out the "Baron"
https://lexington.craigslist.org/cto/5455287360.html
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erinworley Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2016 Posts: 8 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:59 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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[quote="erinworley"]
alman72 wrote: |
What are your canvas replacement plans? Amish, or bus depot,or homebrew? |
So, here is the progression to my finished sportsmobile canvas. It was a real beast to accomplish. Looks much better than the old rotted one. It can be easily removed thanks to 65 feet of Velcro. I also added a fourth window and used the extra 2 inches of height (the added height may be from the shrinkage in the previous canvas). Cost was about 75 bucks, but the work was intense.
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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:03 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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only gained 2 inches? looks like a lot more! great work! |
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jtauxe Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2004 Posts: 5778 Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:26 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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Wow! Nice work. that looks better than the original, for sure. _________________ John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD
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TweedLinn Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2012 Posts: 287 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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Wow awesome job! Great looks and great height - it's like me in cnavas form! _________________ 76 Sportsmobile |
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erinworley Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2016 Posts: 8 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:44 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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If Sportsmobile did not open it's plant in Indiana until 1976 (according to Wikipedia) and my 1971 bay has a Sportsmobile Penthouse top that says it was made in Andrews (outside of Huntington) Indiana, should I assume that the top was added later? Just trying to figure out the history of my lovely bus. |
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Sage79 Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2008 Posts: 433 Location: Holland MI
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:33 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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It says on Sportsmobile's website (they are still in business) that they moved to Indiana in 1964. Wikipedia is not complete or always correct. My original '73 Penthouse also says "Andrews". _________________ Dirk
'79 Westy 2.0FI
'73 Sportsmobile 1.7dual Solex 003Auto - now my daughter's
'77 delux 2.0FI 090Auto - now my son's |
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erinworley Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2016 Posts: 8 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:44 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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Sage79 wrote: |
It says on Sportsmobile's website (they are still in business) that they moved to Indiana in 1964. Wikipedia is not complete or always correct. My original '73 Penthouse also says "Andrews". |
Thank you so much for the clarification!! |
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Bnzz Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2016 Posts: 29 Location: Jacksonville, FL
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:14 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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I am restoring one of these tops and am trying to figure out what this is for. when I got it it had the eyebolt but it did not have the chain. Everyhting else looks like mine
Thanks |
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TweedLinn Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2012 Posts: 287 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:39 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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That's a safety hold down for the roof. Mine, and many I've seen, are a seatbelt instead of a chain.. I can take a picture of mine when I'm home from work if someone else doesn't chime in with a picture.. There Should be a bolt through the roof under the bed for the other side _________________ 76 Sportsmobile |
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Sage79 Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2008 Posts: 433 Location: Holland MI
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 6:53 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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Has anyone tried to find a source for the plastic screw covers on the top and bottom of the jalousie windows (the 2-panel windows with the screws on the outside)? I've got 3 of the 4 but it would sure look nice with all and new ones would probably fit tighter since the old ones are pretty hard. _________________ Dirk
'79 Westy 2.0FI
'73 Sportsmobile 1.7dual Solex 003Auto - now my daughter's
'77 delux 2.0FI 090Auto - now my son's |
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jtauxe Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2004 Posts: 5778 Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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Sage79 wrote: |
Has anyone tried to find a source for the plastic screw covers on the top and bottom of the jalousie windows (the 2-panel windows with the screws on the outside)? I've got 3 of the 4 but it would sure look nice with all and new ones would probably fit tighter since the old ones are pretty hard. |
Me, too! Me, too! I have two of the four, and would like to get the other two. But I don't know where to even start looking. _________________ John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD
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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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madscout636 Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2016 Posts: 6 Location: WI
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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This is my new to me 1970 Sportsmobile. My in-laws had it and would have just as easily sent it to the scrap yard. Let's just say I picked it up for a song. It has the typical upper mid-west rot. Does not run, but engine is not seized. It does not have compression in two cylinders. From the research I have done, it is missing curtains and probably some other things regarding the conversion. Canvas is pretty much toast so I am on the lookout for a path to replace that. has Sportsmobile badges on both sides and a cool Westport VW badge on the back. IDK where that dealer was/is. Enough rambling here are some pics:
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TweedLinn Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2012 Posts: 287 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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Sage79 wrote: |
Has anyone tried to find a source for the plastic screw covers on the top and bottom of the jalousie windows (the 2-panel windows with the screws on the outside)? I've got 3 of the 4 but it would sure look nice with all and new ones would probably fit tighter since the old ones are pretty hard. |
http://www.parkin-acc.com/page53.html
does part 009-042 look the same as what you guys have?!
I'm assuming that's it, although I can't compare since I don't have any top or bottom covers, just the sides...
I haven't ordered yet, as I am wanting to order some of the flap seal, and am going to rebuild my other window (have done one already) and in case I need any parts for that one, will order it all at the same time. I went to these guys for my broken parts for my other windows, and they were insanely cheap, fast, knowledgeable, and helpful... _________________ 76 Sportsmobile |
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TweedLinn Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2012 Posts: 287 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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WHOA!! How cool is that ^^^
Very nice bus, can't wait to see it cleaned up _________________ 76 Sportsmobile |
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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 5:17 pm Post subject: Re: Sportsmobilers Unite! |
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edit dbl post.
Last edited by alman72 on Fri May 20, 2016 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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