My main motivation for installing this plate was to stop slush from freezing up on the shift linkage. It has happened to me a few times and makes shifting difficult. Some models, 16" syncros and 14" with the rough road package (European offering) had a tube protecting the linkage. My friend's 91 syncro has the tube so it was present on some NA models.
Anyway, that tube protects things, but I thought that it would be just as easy to close in the entire space.

Alistair

> On Nov 20, 2013, at 4:21 PM, Tom Buese <tantonbz@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> "Belly Pans" were standard VW Bus features on earlier buses w/ either
> skylight/walk thru & or double door options. The pans strengthened the body
> to compensate for the rigidity removed in the roof & bulkhead/optional side
> doors. They were welded in from the factory, & unlike Bell Industries
> updated version, non removable, IIRC.
> That I am sure increased the top speed considerably in a 36-53 hp bus!
> 
> YMMV,
> 
> Mr. BZ
> 
> 
>> On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 7:08 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Nice Nice Nice. I am confident as I am sure you are that it will keep
>> things clean under there. But what I want to know, and you will eventually
>> find out, is what does it do to your top speed and gas mileage? Seems to me
>> on a vanagon there is as much to gain cleaning up the airflow below as
>> there is above.
>> 
>> Jim, who has been messing with boat bracketry lately and not Vanagons.
>> 
>> President, Felder Enterprises. Quality for the gentry, priced for the
>> common man.
>> 
>> 
>>> On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 5:35 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Mr Miller, I need to thank you for the nice welding equipment bearing
>> your
>>> name that was used to make the "bell belly belt".
>>> 
>>> I couldn't have cinched in my underparts without it :)
>>> 
>>> Alistair
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Nov 20, 2013, at 3:27 PM, Mike Miller <mwmiller6@att.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> The Bell Belly Belt?
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> On Nov 20, 2013, at 3:14 PM, Alistair Bell wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> finally finished, mostly, the light underbody protection plate I
>>> started some weeks ago. It is meant to protect the coolant lines, heater
>>> lines, and the shift linkage from flying debris and build up of
>> slush/ice.
>>> It is not meant to protect against boulders :)
>> http://shufti.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/vanagon-syncro-more-underbody-protection-pretty-well-finished/
>>>>> 
>>>>> alistair
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Tom Buese