Rear seat latch - how does it work

[Miyoji]

Please forgive me if this is in the wrong place. Newbie here. I did look around a bit and search for the topic, but couldn't find it.

I just bought a 1975 Super Beetle and I can not figure out how to get the rear seat to fold forward. It feels like it is latched, but I can't find a release.

I have made many searches of the internet and can't find the answer.

Is there supposed to be a lever which is likely broken off in my car?

Please help a newbie out.

[VW Man 53]

there is a little rubber strap on the side of the seat between the seat and wall of the car just like the ones on the window posts, pull it and the seat will fold down.
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[glutamodo]

The middle picture here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/75bug_canada.php

[Miyoji]

Thank you for providing the answer and in such a timely manner. I really appreciate your help.

This may seem like a small thing to you, but I have spent hours looking for the answer to this problem.

You're my hero today.

Thanks

[kevander]

It's easy to miss if you don't know to look there!
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[JerryMCarter1]

you don't need the puller-- just grab the back of the seat more towards one side or the other and pull it !
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[FLUX]

I just noticed this after having my 72 standard for months lol but mine wont fold down. I pulled the strap to hard and snapped it...

[Tim Donahoe]

Those straps snapped back in the "70's".

Really!

[VW Man 53]

My grandfather had my beetle for probably 6 or 7 years before he gave the poor wreck to me and he never even knew the compartment existed until i got the car and showed it to him dont feel bad!
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[Joel]

[djkeev]

Really, there is no "latch", by that I man a physical locking system.
It's simply a friction system. The steel rod though the set back rotates tightly, the angled ends engage in the receptacles mounted on the body.

The strap you pull? That is simply a steel plate fastened to the rod giving you leverage to easily rotate the shaft thus giving you an "unlatching" motion.

Yanking the seat back forward really does no harm. The lack of a latch is probably why VW warns against storing heavy item behind the seat. Their forward motion in a panic stop will push the seat back down by their inertia.

Dave
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Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[JerryMCarter1]

Thanks Dave,, I am too old and too smart to argue with Joel.
Joel -- each and every one of us have our imitations.
You keep hanging around and you will find yours!
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Experience always triumphs over hearsay and You get to select which theory to believe

[djkeev]

Hey Jerry, not trying to argue, just trying to present accurate information when I can.

Here is a photo of my 74 with the original strap still affixed. You can see where the lever is welded to the shaft.

No latch, nothing fancy, simple friction.

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[JerryMCarter1]

that one looks just like mine!
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Experience always triumphs over hearsay and You get to select which theory to believe

[SevenThreeSuper]

I will have to disagree with you guys. The back seat in my 73 super does lock in the upright position. (Just like the owners manual says)
When I pull on the strap it rotates the bar on the seat (see picture djkeev posted above) up out of the catch that is mounted below the window on each side.

If I just pulled hard on the seat I would break something.

Maybe you guys are missing the catches on each side.
You can see it in this picture from the gallery.
it is the chrome piece on the side panel just below the window.
(I borrowed the picture so ignore what is circled.)

[JerryMCarter1]

I have my seat at the upholstery shop - send us a pic of the bottom of your seat- I think the seat just fits into that slot - after pulling forward -I just had to lift up the seat and it lifted out.
Jerry
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Experience always triumphs over hearsay and You get to select which theory to believe

[jyates-72]

Wow, I was working on my rear seat earlier today, and stumbled on this thread right off!

I've got a 1972 Std Beetle, been restoring it for years. Today I finally got "proper" pivot bolts for the rear seat, hoping they'd tighten up the seat back. I still have the "release strap" on the driver side, and like some others haven't had to use it before -- just tug real hard.

Well, WITH the new, correct bolts, the seat will NOT come down. Taking the slack out of the pivots meant the latches were too low in the catches, if that makes sense.

I had to remove the pivot bolts to lift the seatback off the wall-mounted catches. I removed the catches on the wall, and put the seat back in ... so my seat will probably flop forward under a hard stop. With the catches on the wall, if I bolt the seatback on in a lowered postition, I can't push it to an upright position - it hits the front of the wall mounted catches.

Anyway, long story to get to my question -- might I have the wrong year seat back? Or might the wall mounted catches be for the wrong year somehow? THere's only one place on the car to screw in the pivot bolts, and only one place on the car to screw in the wall-mounted catches. But the distance between the two is too far compared to the seat back, by maybe half an inch.

[SevenThreeSuper]

I don't know about different years, but for the 73 super the catches do adjust up and down a little. The 72 standard may be the same and if so
yours may be too high.
I went out and measured mine and I have about 13" from the pivot to the bottom of the catch (the part that sticks out) when it is all the way up.
when I loosen it and move it down as far as I can, it is about 13-1/2".

The other thing is do you have them mounted correctly?
this picture shows correct.

This picture shows it mounted upside down.
(the catch shown goes on the other side of car.)

[Joel]

Bugs have had that same locking mechanism since 68, probably 67 in some markets.

I suspect PO meddling may be the problem with some because they very securely lock into place and wont budge without breaking if everything is in order.


jyates-72, the catches on the door cards are adjustable, if you loosen the screws off the plate underneath slides around so you can raise or lower them.

if they are too high like yours the seat wont clear them, if they are too low they dont lock properly and are easily pulled forward without releasing like DJKeevs bug is obviously doing.

[JeRmAn]

Well thanks for the great explanations and pictures. I have a '74 Standard I am restoring, and I have come to find that I don't have the rear seat catches, or the bolts that hold the rear seat back to the body. The seats that were in the car when I purchased it are in good shape, however I think they are from a '72 model, or somewhere near. My rear seat back does have the plastic strap, but I'm going to go out and look in the morning to see if it has the mechanism attached.

Anyone know an easy source to get the correct bolts to hold the seat back to the body?
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1974 V lkswagen Beetle - Project Restoration

'74 Project Thread