US VW's from 1962 to 1979, used a hose connected to the spare tire's valve
stem to pressurise the top of the windshield washer bottle.
This, instead of an electric pump to do the job. It conveyed the pressurized
washer fluid from the bottom of the fluid reservoir (mounted to the spare
tire rim), through the wiper switch (on the earlier dash or the later
steering column), then to the squirter nozzles.  IE; lots of hose and places
to leak!
But no switch, wiring or pump to fail!  Cheaper too!  The cap with the hose
had a pressure-sensing shutoff that wouldn't allow the spare to drop below
26 psi at he lowest, IIRC.  After that, your washer ran out of pressure to
operate, just to save your spare tire, in case you really needed it.
Earlier cars (optional) and busses (Original equipment) had dealer and
aftermarket washers that operated with a hand pumped bellows-type switch or
knob. Many vendors now sell the late model Mexican-made washer reservoir w/
electric pump as a retrofit to German-made 12V cars.  But, now you'll need a
switch, too!  An expensive, later column switch stalk assembly is what's
needed, but a cheaper, momentary toggle or pushbutton switch will also do
the job quite nicely.

HTH,

Mike B.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Grisanti" <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: Desperate for a High Top!

>I spotted an aircooled Vanagon hightop for sale in
> Burlington VT in September.  It may still be at Better
> Bus & Bug on S. Champlain Street.
>
> Stephen
>
> --- Jamie Auch <jamie@KOOKYMATHTEACHER.COM> wrote:
>
>> Hi Folks,
>> I have fallen in love with camping in my Vanagon and
>> would like a hightop.  Being in the USA, these tops
>> are non existent.  I'm
>> ready to import a hightop '82 from Europe.  Greg
>> Potts mentioned :
>>
>> > Hi Jamie,
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Have you asked the guy who bought the sportsmobile
>> vanagon high-top
>>
>> > moulds? I think I remember reading he was going to
>> be putting them
>>
>> > into a fresh run soon.
>>
>> Does anyone have any information on this?  Does
>> anyone have a source for the tops?
>>
>>
>>
>> Jamie Auch
>>
>> The Kooky Math Teacher
>>
>
>
>
>
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