Under (new) canvas
Last month we showed you how to breathe new life into a tired original Westfalia pop-top; repairing damage and applying fresh paint to make it last another 40 years. This month, it’s time to refit it to the Bus with a new canvas and rubber seals, literally putting the icing on a Bus-shaped cake.
Our project ’73 Westy was similar to many import buses, in that the original fabric pop-top canvas had pretty much disintegrated.
Fortunately, we still had the original fixings to hold it to the roof. Here we show you what’s involved to fit a new German quality canvas.
01 PREPARE / REMOVE POP-TOP
Assuming you didn’t read last month’s how-to, or that your pop-top shell doesn’t need any repairs, we’ll start by removing the roof. Preparation here is key, especially if you’re doing the job outside, so read through this feature, plan ahead for every eventuality and get together all the parts, tools and materials before you begin. Oh, and a makeshift shelter or tarpaulin could prove useful in case there’s a sudden shower. So, time to remove the pop-top from your Bus. With so many different types and brands of top, it would be impossible to show
