In a message dated 06/06/2008 12:31:28 P.M. Central Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

There's  a guy on The Samba who has developed a kit  with all the needed
parts to  install lifting shocks on your poptop.  He seems to have done a good
amount of trial and error and research before settling on the kit(s) he offers
now.

There's a regular duty kit for tops with no racks/boxes/kayaks  etc., and a
heavy duty kit for tops that do have some stuff up  there.

People have reported being able to lift the top with as little  as two
fingers!  Closing the top is supposed to be a bit of a pull down,  but nothing
difficult.

I haven't purchased a kit yet, but have been  pondering it.
I believe he charges $85 for the kit, which doesn't seem  unreasonable to me
to get all the pieces that actually work!

_http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2847737#2847737_
(http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2847737#2847737)

These kits are the cats  meow !  I have just installed mine and with the 25
lb solar panel on top  the pop top goes up with the touch of my fingers.
Pulling it closed is a  bit more difficult but nothing compared to having to open
that top with the  solar panel on there before the struts were installed.   I
have bough  a whole pile of them for sale to my customers here.  Everyone who's
tried  them loves them !  One of the better new items for our Westys is some
time.

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
- Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15,  2008