Early vert parcel tray upholstery

[bluedot]

Hi everyone

I have a call for help here.

I just can't find a photo of a rear parcel shelf for my 62 vert. I was told there's a cardboard cover - and the Bentley calls for one - but the top is different than the one in the book. I hate to use a ton of contact cement in the car - and I'm wondering how is it actually supposed to look? Should it be stapled to the rear bow along the bottom?

I seem to have a lot of headliner material left over under the rear window, enough to take to the front of the parcel tray if I did it at an angle. Cover the whole darn thing up! But it seems like it could be useful while traveling if it was flat and had some fabric or carpet on it.

Any pictures would be greatly appreciated. I've googled, and looked thru my ghia books with no luck. Either the top is down and the boot is on, or there's never a photo into the back of the car!

I'm also interested how it's upholstered where the frame well panels meet at the parcel shelf. I figure my seat will down quite a bit so I would like it to look tidy.

Thank you!

[Fairview]

I've got a 1962 convertible Ghia that has an all original interior. The photos of this 1964 rear parcel area in this thread linked below look just like mine.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4226876

If you need more detail, let me know and I'll photograph what you need.

Good luck with it! Jeff

[bluedot]

[Fairview]

The vertical panel behind the parcel tray, under the rear window, is covered with the same color vinyl as the side panels. The parcel tray is covered with the same color vinyl, attached to a flat piece of cardboard. This vinyl piece is cut long enough to wrap around the leading edge of the parcel tray.

As I am just finishing top installation and putting these pieces back, I'll try to photograph and document for you. I am reinstalling the original pieces, so it will give you a decent idea of what is going on.

Jeff

[bluedot]

Here's what I am faced with. I can pull these wrinkles in the window and headliner by stapling the headliner to the rear bow?

Lots of material left:

By stapling under the rear bow, I can tighten this up. Is that correct?

[Aussie59Cab]

There are two holes, one on either side on top of the parcel tray shelf in the gully section as pictured. What are they for? Are the holes for screws that are screwed upwards from underneath with cup washers to hold the upholstery that tucks under the parcel tray shelf?

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59 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet
56 RHD Oval

[sputnick60]

[bluedot]

This whole back section is really confusing.

I got the headliner sides to lay right by tugging the fabric tab really tight against the rear shelf and popping a screw in it, Below the rear window then laid right when I didn't glue it to the bow, but instead to the shelf itself.

But I still don't understand how to upholster the tabs that attach the shelf to the vert frame panels. Even the Bentley is vague!

[sputnick60]

Hey Bluedot,

I think the headliner is glued to the metal below the tack bow and you trim it so it lays on the rear shelf and glue in place. But before that you should staple the back edge of the sides to these wooden pieces. See the photo, the ones below where the outer tack bow meets the centre section. The factory uses a strip if 4mm thick cardboard to take the staples.

So you do the sides first and then the back section which is glued. That is my observations from the original headliner... I've had to guess most of it because my original was torn out all through there.

The shelf itself gets a cardboard sheet wrapped in vinyl laid on top of that. The front part of the shelf is also wrapped in the same vinyl. The vinyl colour is a match for the seat and door panel. Blue in my case.

Nicholas


Nicholas
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'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[bluedot]

Nicholas - I should just wait for you to finish up your top so I can learn what I am missing! I didn't put in those wedge blocks, and that would have solved a lot of my issues.

It's hard to restore a car when most of it was missing. <pout>

Have you seen any pictures of the way the upholstery wraps around the parcel tray to vert frame panels?

[Aussie59Cab]

Hi Nicholas
I don't think those two holes are for press studs. The press studs for the top cover go on the front face of the parcel tray shelf. See pic.

The holes look clean on mine as do yours. I mean nothing was ever screwed in them. Could they be drainage holes incase of a water leak on the shelf area?
_________________
59 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet
56 RHD Oval

[bluedot]

Here's a great view of one that I found in Australia.

[Mscdman]