perhaps this is closer to what you are looking at doing.  this person who
is on the list i believe modified a Type 2 hightop (from the pictures i
believe it to be a safare top) to fit a vanagon.

http://www.soyouz.ca/syncro/index.htm

here is where they start with the hightop part of the project.
http://www.soyouz.ca/syncro/pictures5.htm

jonathan

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005, jimt wrote:

> After looking around at the availability of trying to get a solid
> sportcamper or adventurewagon top,  I am very seriously looking at modifying
> an existing top.  Note the top itself not molds for a top.  The problems is
> at that scale I need to know what the integrity would be.
> For example if I was to take a fiberglass canoe and decide to shorten it by
> 1 foot and make it a foot narrower, would I be able to refasten the parts
> together and have a good canoe?
> jimt
>
> On 2/7/05 8:55 AM, "Max Wellhouse" <maxjoyce@ipa.net> wrote:
>
> > I'm not an expert, but have dealt in Kayak molds and plugs, and you might
> > be better off  making a heavy part(chopper gun or lots of matt, as you are
> > effectively making a plug here to modify later) from the existing mold, PVA
> > the hell out of the mold surface after waxing til your arms fall off(to
> > prevent the new plug from sticking to the old mold), then go through the
> > gelcoat and laminating process.  It would be helpful to find out what the
> > layup was for the original parts and then multiply that several times so
> > you have a very stiff plug to keep it's original integrity.  Since you're
> > going to be doing many changes to it, I wouldn't worry about having a
> > pretty surface as it's much more important to have the new plug release
> > from the old mold.  I'd also be careful when laminating a thick plug as
> > that much thickness with normal catalyst concentrations could make a VERY
> > warm environment(exothermic heat buildup, I think).  I have a friend in
> > Pittsburg Kansas that is an expert in the field, having laminated a
> > mahogany wood plug for a commercial 48" city water valve mold that needed
> > to spec out within .06"   I could get you in touch with him if you were
> > really serious about the project.At 03:15 PM 2/6/2005, jimt wrote:
> >> On 2/6/05 8:00 AM, "Joe Federici" <joefederici@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> >>
> >> On a hightop for my van I have been looking at some of the ones in the
> >> salvage yards that are on chevy and dodge etc.
> >>
> >> For those that work in the fiberglassing,  how hard would it be to maybe
> >> modify one of those tops.  One I was looking at I figure I could do the base
> >> trimming with very little difficulty.  The hard part would be a split down
> >> the center to remove about 1 inch and then somewhere across from one side to
> >> the other to remove about 6 or 7 inches.
> >>
> >> I was thinking 20 gauge aluminum plate (or similar) along the seams from the
> >> inside with rivets through to plate on the outside at points and then reseal
> >> everything with fiberglassing kit.  I have done similar on smaller projects
> >> but never on anything of that size.  Is this doable on that scale?
> >>
>
> ����������������������������������������
> jimt
> Planned insanity is best.
> Remember that sanity is optional.
> http://www.tactical-bus.info (tech info)
> http://www.westydriver.com
>
>
>