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Sun Dec 29, 2002 2:57 pm

I think the design changed in 1965 to allow the rear seatback to be folded flat.

Can I retrofit this change to earlier Beetles?

Thanks in advance.

Zipactonal

Sun Dec 29, 2002 11:02 pm

It doesn't exactly go totally flat.
In my '69 you release the seat with a clear plastic loop on the side, this pulls a bar running inside the top of the seat which has bent ends spring-loaded into catches mounted to the side walls. Pulling the loop rotates the bent bar away from the catches. This releases the seat.
Then there is a canvas belt with clips to pull the seat down by clipping the belt to the bottom bar running along the front of the seat bottom. You tighten this as much as possible, but my experience is that it still slopes up a bit (like 10 degrees angle).

As far as a retrofit, I would guess that if you got a seat back from a 68 or later standard beetle, along with all the catch hardware, that it might fit. I guess you could go to a junkyard and measure carefully to check the fit.

I have been looking for the rubber coated carpeting which covers this rear luggage area, and have found nobody who reproduces it. Anyone ever see this stuff for sale?

Mon Dec 30, 2002 6:51 am

The seat doesn't attatch to the body in the same place and the later seat will not bolt it without modifying either the body or the seat frame. Good luck.

Mon Dec 30, 2002 6:56 pm

With the carpet that covers the rear luggage area do you mean that rectangualr piece of carpet backed with masonite that's about 18"x30" and sits on the metal rail on the back of the seat and the carpet where it changes to the headliner? If this is what you're talking about I've never seen one aftermarket, but I pulled one out of a '72 and put it in my '66, really cleans up the look of the interior.

Mon Dec 30, 2002 9:48 pm

hoxviii:

Yeah, that's the stuff. It looks like "German Square Weave" carpet that has been coated with a rubber material, rendering it somewhat waterproof, and making it more durable for the storage area behind the seat. If anyone knows a supplier for this stuff, I would really appreciate it.