Pop out window latch "plate"

[john ramuno]

Any one know if it is necessary to have the triangular base plate that the pop out latch screws to (on the body) . My Kombi dos'nt have them and i'm not sure if the windows will close properly if I don't have these base plates. Help!

[Friedpotatoes]

yeah basicly its a spacer that helps keep the window sealed just stack some washers or drill some holes in a plate
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56- Wolfsburg Single Cab
57- Oval Window Bug (Agave Green)

[Spitty1974]

Does anyone know if I can buy a reproduction of the small metal plate that is welded to the body that you screw the pop out hinges to?

The plate on the pillar behind the drivers seat is missing on my bus, so I want to get one to weld back onto the pillar. I also need one for a cargo door.

I can probably figure out a fix, but I want it to look original and not stand out like a sore thumb.

I checked a few places (WW, Autocraft) but couldn't seem to find one. I don't have my Bentley book with me right now, so I can't look up what the name of the actual part. Anyone know the part name or where I can buy one?

I did find one for sale in the classifieds, but want to pick up a few.

Thanks,

Spitty

[esde]

Wolfgang has them listed

[olliehank47]

[Stocknazi]

Is the latch plate behind the driver's seat not spot welded to the outter sheetmetal only; no spacer is used on that latch.

Can you post a link to the threads you mentioned?

I have a plate that is seperated from the sheetmetal completly and was thinking of drilling a few holes in the plate and plug welding it, instead of sectioning the sheetmetal around the plate.
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"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."

Thomas Jefferson

[Eric&Barb]

Good info here in the "Body" section:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/techbulletin_index.php
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[campingbox]

[Stocknazi]

You are correct, only the rear most windows have the adjustable plates inside the body; only those windows use the extra spacers.

The front window behind the driver's seat does have the same triangle as the cargo doors; but there is nothing inside the body; I know b/c mine is ripped out and still attached to the popout latch. The triangle is welded to the outside of the sheetmetal on the cargo doors as suggested above.


Has anyone repaired the foward window behind the front seat w/o cutting out a section of sheetmetal? I think if I drilled a few holes in the triangle spacer and plug welded it back to the sheetmetal it should be ok; thoughts?
_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).

"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."

Thomas Jefferson

[olliehank47]

Maybe it's different on a deluxe. All the pop outs on my 67 have the threaded plate behind the sheet metal, except on the cargo doors. The sheet metal is covered with vinyl headliner material and the spacer is between the vinyl and the latch base.

[Spitty1974]

Thanks everyone for the information about the plate and where to buy one too.

I'm out of town and won't be back until Thursday, so I can't go look at it and grab a picture to post here.

Going off of my memory, I believe that it looks like the plate was welded on the outside and it ripped the sheet metal away. My bus is a deluxe, so after I take a few pictures, I would be curious what the final consensus will be on the plate and how it was originally mounted.

I Will post up that picture Thursday evening.

Thanks!
Spitty

[olliehank47]

Looks like there were different methods of attaching the threaded plate, depending on the type of bus. It makes sense that a bus with a vinyl covering of the window frames, like a deluxe, would have all the plates welded behind the sheet metal so the vinyl would lay flat all the way around the window. On a kombi, it might have been easier to simply weld the plate to the outside of the metal frame. Apparently on some buses, only the rear window has the plate behind the sheet metal which may be because only the rear window was a pop-out.

Just speculation, however. All I know for certain is that on my 67 deluxe, with original headliner and window frame vinyl, the plate is behind the sheet metal and there are spacers between the vinyl and latch base.

[campingbox]

[olliehank47]

[BarryL]

[Spitty1974]

OK, so it took me a few weeks longer to post some pictures of my window mounting areas. I was in Kauai for a week and have been slammed at work since my return.

Below are some pictures of the various areas on my bus where the window latches mount. What is strange is that they are not all the same. I have a 1966 deluxe and I don't believe any of the mounting areas have been tampered with since it was built.

Here is the mounting area behind the driver's side. It almost looks like there might have been a plate welded on the outside to screw into. What do you all think?

Here is a picture of the driver's side last pop out window before the back fixed window. This window has the mounting plate on the inside.

Here is a picture of the latch area for the other pop out window on the driver's side. It has the mounting plate on the outside. It does not appear to have a mounting plate on the inside. As far as I can tell, it is welded, because it didn't pop off with a gingerly pry. What do you all think about this one?

Here is a picture of the passenger side pop out window that is closest to the side back fixed window. It also has the mounting plate on the inside.

The cargo doors are in storage, so I need to look at those and get some pictures.

My question is: What should I use to repair the latch area right behind the driver's door? Do I use a plate on the inside or do I fix the sheet metal and weld one on the outside?

Also, should all of the latch mounting areas match to make it look original? I'm going for a stock look and feel to my bus, but I am by no means a purist. That said, I do want it to be correct.

Thanks for the help.
Spitty

[Z]

Sorry I missed this thread earlier...I did this exact repair on my 67 standard. The original latch plate was definitely attached to the sheet metal, inside the bus, with the headliner stretched over the plate bump. You can see what i did in this thread, about 2/3 down the first page:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=122603&highlight=

Its a very common fail point, since the metal there is un-reinforced AND the one that's opened the most, I think. My reinforcement plate may have been overkill, but it can't hurt.

[Spitty1974]

[Stocknazi]

I repaired the driver's side foward pop-out on my bus and went a different route than the above poster; instead of cutting out a large section around the latch; I plug welded an extra reinforcment plate from behind.

I fished it up inside the inner structure and held it in place with some rare earth magnets and a self-tapping sheet metal screw.

I plug welded the plate, and welded the plate to the outter window surround metal where the og latch spot welds were broken out to lock it together. I drilled 3 large holes (as large as possible w/o getting into the outter edge or the screw holes) and plug welded the triangle to the reinforcment plate I added.

I found the easiest way to line everything up was to install the window/latch/and new inner seal and mark the position of the triange where it needs to be, then weld it in.

I measured another 59 that had the latch plate still intact and found the measurment from the right edge of the triangle to edge of b-pillar to be 31mm.

Hope this helps. Sorry for the blurry pics, but you get the idea.

_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).

"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."

Thomas Jefferson

[Stanagon]

Very helpful info. I need to do this repair to a '67 deluxe in my shop this winter. Thanks!
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www.stanagon.com


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