Item Subject: Re: How common is the factory sunroof?
     Hi Chris,
     
       I think there must be something wrong with you connection back to 
     yourself.  I have received about 5 of these post in the past few days. 
     So, they are getting through to the general list.
     
     Regards,
     
     Vince.

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: How common is the factory sunroof?
Author:  Non-HP-vanagon (vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu) at HP-Corvallis,shargw1
Date:    12/12/96 6:49 PM

Ok folks. Compuserve is screwin' me over. I've tried to send this post like 5 
times. Let's see if it'll be 6. Can't seem to send any mail "to all".  (of 
course tomorrow they'll probably finally send this message five times in a 
row...I'll bet it happens...)
Here goes again......
     
Here's the story on the sunroof Vanagons:
     
Technically, you can still order a brand new '97 T4 Caravelle (eurovan) in 
Europe with a sliding sunroof, but not here in the states, and it's been that 
way since about '86 or '87.
     
Really, '85 was the last year for the sliding steel sunroof in the US, but I 
have seen a '86 syncro with one. It was probably one of the last few. And of 
course, it did not have A/C. 
     
It really has pretty much all to do with the redesigning of the cieling mount 
A/C system for '86.  All VW vans,and late buses up to and including '85 models, 
that had A/C, had the dealer installed kits from VWOA.   In other words, all '85
down vans that came over from Germany, had no A/C when they arrived. Often it 
was installed at the POE.  Then for '86 VW re-designed the overhead A/C system, 
moving the evaporator to the back of the van. Supposedly this was to give more 
head room, but you can still bonk your head into the center tube...  With this 
redesign, the A/c unit became a FACTORY option, so dealers didn't have to put it
in per request. Well, when they did this, there became that problem about the 
sunroof. There was no way to have sunroof, AND a a/c with that big long duct 
running front to back. Previously on the '80-'85 versions,the front mounted , 
dealer installed A/c unit (manufactured thru a VWOA subsidiary in Texas) you 
could have the sunroof, AND the A/c system. I've only ever seen this on one van 
- a '84 Wolfsburg Ed. vanagon ( I imagine it was a pretty pricey set of 
options??). The '85 down a/c system would actually overlap the sunroof opening 
at the front by just a inch or so, but did not himder use. Since the sunroof 
crank was offset (towards the drivers side) it was still possible to run the 
center tube between the blower and the front mounted evap. 
     
So, then in '86 VWOA was faced with a "dilemma".  It was either the sunroof, or 
the A/c. You couldn't have both.  VWOA decided for us that most of us would 
prefer an a/c over a suroof    ( gee -thanks, VWOA  :<(   and so then the a/c 
became pretty much standard on all US import vanagons '86-'91, and the beloved 
sunroof was dropped from the US market in about late '86. 
     
Bummer......   :<(
     
chris
'83.5 GL Sunroof 9 passenger waterboxer 
'84 GL Sunroof