1968 Type 1 - My First Resto

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Interior Clean up and preparing for carpet.

In preparation for the carpet install, I also needed to clip the main wiring harness to the heater channel. Here are a few pictures that show where the harness is, the clips used, and the clip locations. Not a big project and is very straight forward but if you are a newbie like me, pictures help. Also this is a necessary step before I start laying down sound deadener and carpet.

The main wiring harness tucks into a small indent channel along the heater channel on the driver's side of the cabin. It is attached using 3 clips and there are existing holes for the clips. Here is a shot of the three clip holes and the channel that runs directly below, wide view and close up:

You can see them starting on the left, center and right (small holes)

Left (toward rear of car)

Middle

Right (toward front of car)

Here are the clips

Simply push the wiring harness into the small channel then make it secure using the clip. Repeat and it should fit snug without flopping around. The clips have two little nubs on them that allow the clip to fit snug in the hole. If you need new ones, they do sell them at Wolfsburg West. One of mine was missing one of the little nubs, so I ordered one in case the clip gets loose.

Here is a shot of the entire harness placed into the small channel:

Here is a close up of a clip securing the harness.

As a said, not much too it. What I also did before starting this process was clean up my pans...they were filthy and they should be clean before installing the sound deadener. Here is a before and after:

I used a vacuum to get the big stuff then wiped the pans down with mineral spirits to get any grease or other residue off. I then wiped the pans a few times with a damp cloth.

I started cleaning up the inside of the doors and took pictures along the way, which I need to process and post shortly. Thanks.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Inside door and rear quarter panel clean up.

In final preparation for carpet and sound deadener, I took off the remaining existing factory sound deadener from the doors and the rear quarter panels. For some reason, and I do not recall, I never did anything with the driver door. So here is a shot of the factory tar board stuff glued to the driver door:

At some point I started taking off the tar board from the passenger door and the rear quarter panels, but there was still a large amount of tar and glue left. Here is a before shot of the passenger door and panels:

I was a little concerned about pressing too hard or putting any dimples in the door...especially after my finished paint job. I decided to use a paint scraper (plastic) and that did not do much. I then used a metal paint scraper and that helped a little but it was taking forever to get through the tar. So, I decided to try a floor scraper that I purchased last year when I was doing my house floor tear up and install. That gave me plenty of leverage, and it uses a razor blade which slid right through that tar board easily. Also the longer handle and slant in the blade face really provided an extra amount of scraping power with very little effort. I highly recommend using this tool to strip off that tar board. It worked well and quickly!! One caveat, this works fantastic on the doors but probably will not work on the floor pans given all of the indentations. Here is a picture of the scraper used. (I purchased the floor scraper at my local Lowe's.)

So, I took one pass at the door and on the panels using the floor scraper. I I put a trash bag in the bottom of the door or panel to keep the chucks from going in there, made clean up easy. Here are the initial results:

I then used a smaller razor blade scraper that I used around the house to remove stray paint from the windows. See below:

That helped clean up most of the remaining glue. I just rubbed my hand across the door and panels and used this until I could not feel any glue or rough sticky spots.

One thing I thought was cool was finding a "68" in the passenger door panel once the tar board and most of the glue was removed. You can just make it out in yellow.

Once I get the rough and sticky glue off the door and panels, I decided to use mineral sprits and rub the pieces reel good. It took off most of the remaining glue and also any small particles left on the pieces from the scraping. I used a fresh rag and turned the rag to a new spot as I cleaned each piece.

Here is the final door and panels cleaned up and ready for sound deadener:

There look sto be some glue residue here and there but it feels really smooth with no raised edges or anything that would appear to cause problems with the sound deadener.

I decided to leave the driver side tar board on for now, since it is complete and to test how it compares to the passenger door once I install the deadener. I do not intend to leave the driver door that way, just curios what difference there is in the "thud" noise of the door once the passenger side is finished.

I decided to purchase a butyl based sound deadener and I will update with the details once I start later this week.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Sound deadener install.

I ordered RAAMmat BXT II, 37.5 sq feet. from RAAMaudio. They shipped quickly and the material comes in 11" x 23" pre cut sheets and is 60 mils thick.

The sheets have one edge where the sticky layer is exposed

and the other edge has a small foil overlap.

I assume that was designed so the pieces would overlap when installed.

I know there are plenty discussions on materials and the various ways to attack covering our bugs with sound deadening materials. After looking at what is out there and the differences, I decided to go with a butyl based material over an asphalt material. I also decided to follow the old German assemblers who built our bugs, regarding how much material to apply and what the real objective is with sound deadening material.

This concept is new to me so I did a decent amount of reading and of course found many differing and sometimes conflicting statements regarding materials used, and how much to put on.

For me, in essence, any material like this is not going to "sound proof" the car, it is only going to dampen vibrations in the sheet metal through shearing and the foil top of the material blocks some of the vibrations as well. True sound deadening would take much more than this little layer of butyl material.

I could be completely wrong here, but with that in mind, I decided to take a less is more approach. Instead of completely covering every square inch of the interior, I decided to hit large center portions (similar to what the factory did - especially in the doors and quarter panels) which seemed to work great. In my opinion, complete coverage is not going to add a substantial benefit to the reduction in vibrations. There was a big difference in using the old school "tap" test and also when closing the doors before and after install. A very noticable difference in the "thud" sound closing the door with versus without the material.

I decided to start in the back and work my way forward, that way I am not stepping and stomping on material installed on the pans while trying to work on the luggage and rear fender sections.

This stuff is really, really sticky. The first sheet I took all the paper off and tried to install the entire sheet. I had a hard time, so with the second sheet, I decided to leave as much of the paper on and peel it off as I lay the material down.

When there was something that needed a little more precision (for example, the seat belt bolt holes in the rear, I found it better to cut the material into smaller pieces and work the material that way. Cutting is pretty easy, using a razor knife, box cutter or similar device. I just used my measuring tape and level to use as a guide when using the razor.

Here is a shot of the luggage area covered with the first few pieces of material.

To cut the seat bolt holes, I used the smaller piece I cut away, and made sure it would cover the area. I then placed the material (with the paper on still) over the holes and punctured the material with a pencil. After that, I could take the smaller piece back to my bench to cut out the holes. To make a perfect circle, I used a 30mm socket and just placed it over the holes that I made with the pencil. That ensured that everything lined up nice.

For the rear fenders and quarter panels, I just covered about 80% of the sheet metal.
Driver side

Passenger side

Shot of the rear pretty much completed.

I then moved on to the front part of the pans. As you know, our cars are full of curves and bumpy panels with plenty of grooves and other twists and turns. I found that it worked best to start on one end and, little by little, lay and roll the material on. I used my fingers a lot and a roller I picked up. I also used the handle of the roller to really push down into the grooves. I did both sides this way.

To fill in a little more on the front pans, I used a piece of cardboard to cut and make a template for any curved or tapered pieces. Using that template, made it really easy to cut the material.

Here the front pans are done. Not the prettiest, but meets the objective.

I decided not to cover the center tunnel since the original material is present and it is in great shape with no loose pieces or signs of water.

So, that only left the rest of the pans, the heater channels and the doors. Again, I just covered 70% to 80% of each area which I think will work great. Here are a few more shots.

I still have about 4 more sheets of material that I could use. So, I will keep them on hand and see how it goes. I have new carpet and padding which will further reduce noise. I may use the remaining sheets for the front walls of the cabin, but still debating on that and I want to see how the carpet installs on the front of the cabin walls first.

That is it for now. I think it met my objective and saved some money by not trying to cover every square inch. However, I must say that I would have needed much more if I were to do the roof, but I cannot do that since the new headliner is already installed.

I hope to work on the carpet this weekend and then test how solid the car sounds at that time.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Carpet Install, Rear Carpet - Luggage compartment

I ordered a TMI Premium carpet kit for the rear luggage area behind the seat and the rest of the cabin. The premium set has the pre-cut holes for the heater, stick shift, emergency brake and seat belts. I did have to make some modifications, especially to the rear luggage area and a few minor cuts for the rest of the install.

As others have posted, the rear area with the rear wheel wells is a major PITA. Again, if I ordered a different set, I may have had a better experience. Frankly, the wheel wells are a mess and will require relief cuts to get the carpet to sit flat. Too bad, should not have to do this, but oh well - I think we are all used to parts not fitting quite right.

I started with the wheel wells first. I used painters tape to keep the carpet in place which allowed me to really use my hands to mold the carpet as best I could prior to gluing things down.

I ended up using 3M 77 (spray can) which worked like a charm. Not sure about longevity, but the carpet has held for the past 2 weeks and has not fallen down. I first used a brush on product from DAP (green label - low smell) avoid it. I heard the red lable DAP stuff works better but it was not at my local HD or Lowes. I could not get it to stick very well at all and the carpet kept moving with the DAP stuff. With the 3M 77, the glue was tacky right away and the carpet stuck really well once I installed the carpet piece. Althought I had to spray, the glue was easy to control and if I had any overspray, which was only a few times due to my error, I used mineral spirits right away and the glue came right off.

Once I felt I had the carpet in place and taped down somewhat, I began to glue. I started from the back and worked toward the front of the car. The bottom portion has not been glued yet and had to have relief cuts to get the carpet to sit flat.

Final all glued on.

I took the same approach for the other wheel well carpet. I started in the rear and glued forward. I then made a cut where the carpet really bulged up.

Once cut, I glued the carpet to the left side of the cut to make sure that was flat. I would then place the carpet from the right side flat to see how much overlap I had. I would trim a little at a time until I had a nice seem that I knew I could glue together and have the carpet sit flat.

Here is a shot of the finished wheel well with all cuts made and glued down:

Again the fit right out of the box is horrible, I could not think of any other way to do it.

I ordered some padding from Wolfsburg West but ths stuff was too thick for the wheel wells for what I wanted to do. I think with WW carpet, it would have been fine. The padding is at least 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick with a center layer designed to reduce noise.

I did decide to use it for the bottom portion of the center carpet piece. It did not fit exactly (was too wide) so I did have to cut it a little. I used a razor knife and a level as a cutting guide. The padding is designed to start from the bottom of the window and continue through the whole luggage compartment. Since I already had padding below the rear window, I just trimmed the WW padding to fit the bottom.

I used tape to hold the carpet in place once I got it centered and even on both sides. I then folded down the top portion where the carpet meets the window and only glued the top 5 inches. Again, the 3M 77 holds really well. So once that was glued I taped it up to hold it in place while the glue set. I took this approach just in case I accidently moved the carpet off center and with just a little glue I thought I could re-adjust and make any necessary changes.

Once the the top portion of the carpet was set, I just lifted up the carpet from the bottom and glued the rest of the carpet. I decided NOT to glue the bottom of the carpet in the luggage compartment. I want to be able to look for any water and have the ability to check things later on. So, I did glue the back vertical part of the carpet all the way down to the bottom. Here is a shot of the bottom with the padding installed.

Here is the finished product with all pieces glued down and the tape removed. Came out OK considering all of the cuts for the wheel wells. It is not perfect by any means, but it works.

I finished the carpet install for the front and will post in a few days once I get all of the photos organized.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Beetlebaum]

Good work! Your post was just what I needed to see to get excited about doing similar things to my Bug...several months from now.
_________________
1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
Beetle Bums VW Club Member

[ddedman]

Very nice work. Kudos to you
_________________
http://s534.photobucket.com/user/ddedman1/library/BUGN%20OUT

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Carpet Install - Front of cabin and along heater channel.

Thanks Beetlebaum and ddedman!!!

As I mentioned before, I purchased a premium carpet kit made by TMI. The front pieces fit a lot better, although the pieces still needed some modification.

As a side note, I installed the pieces in the following order: Left side, right side, front piece above the pedals, left side heater channel and finally the right side heater channel. I picked that order based on the edges of the carpet pieces. Some were bound where other edges were just cut. I figured that any bound sides would overlap a edge that is just cut to cover it up. With that in mind, the order I went in made the most sense.

I started with the front side carpet pieces where the heater vent cut outs are. I trimmed up any loose fabric ends and tied a knot when I could. I was worried about fabric runs (like a shirt when you pull a thread) so I used a lighter anytime I needed to make a cut or when I needed to trim extra thread. I figured that since the carpet is acrylic it would slightly melt the edge onto itself and fuse the carpet threads together. I just ran the flame real quick over the cut edges which seemed to get rid of the loose threads without making more of a mess or causing more carpet to come undone.

Here is a shot of the two front side carpet pieces before trimming loose threads and cutting out the heater grommets.

I used an exacto knife to cut out the heater grommets. I just went nice and slow cutting the straight ends of each side then finished with the curved sides.

Once I had everything trimmed, I first used tape to hold the side carpet piece until I got the carpet positioned in the right spot. As others have mentioned, the oreintation of the heater vent cut out compared to the actual heater vent is not the best. It looks a little crooked, but it was the only way to get the carpet piece to have a straight edge along the door jam side of the front panels. Once the carpet was in place, I used the 3M 77 and sprayed it in place.

After both of the front side carpet pieces were installed, I moved on to the piece on the front firewall, above the pedals. Here is a shot of the piece right out of the box. It is pre-cut and also as a pre-cut slit near the bottom where the carpet meets the pedals.

I did have to trim this piece in a few areas. The first part was near the gas pedal where the pre-cut slit is (pictured above). I was worried that it was too close to the accelerator cable, so I trimmed the slit to make it a tad thinner. I also made the slit a little longer to make sure it cleared the pedal assembly near the gas pedal and did not get hung up during use. The last thing I want is the gas pedal to get stuck.

The next big cut needed was a notch on the top of the front carpet piece so it would sit nice and flat at the top. My 68 has a small tunnel that is in the middle. See picture.

The carpet would wrinkle up and buldge if I tried to wrap the carpet piece around that tunnel. It also, would pull shorter on the top left and right sides so I had to cut it. I taped the piece up as I measured the new notch cut to make sure it did not ruin the fit of the rest of the carpet or create a spot that would not be covered by the carpet. Here is a before and after shot of the cut. Note - the carpet did come with a pre-cut notch for the steering column.

Next, I just glued it down, working left to right. Once I had the steering column lined up in the notch the rest fit great. Again, I just ran the lighter flame over the area I cut to try to prevent any carpet thread runs. Here is a shot again of the center tunnel and the carpet cut to fit that tunnel.

Here are a few shots of the front carpet and front carpet sides installed.

Here is the carpet for the passenger heater channel. Out of the box then loose threads trimmed up.

I used a few plastic putty knives, rubber mallet and a small block of wood.
One of the putty knives had a flat edge all the way across and the other I created a small protruding notch it in for a different project on the bug. That smaller protruding notch helped in certain areas.

I placed the carpet about where I thought it should go and started to bend and work the carpet so it started to curve around the contours of the channel. After that, I used the putty knife to lightly pull up on the retaining edge where the carpet will be inserted to increase the gap. I was afraid that if I pulled up too much I could chip the paint or create some other problem...so I just pulled up a little and worked from one edge to the other a couple times.

I started on the side closest to the front, since that is the most visible, and worked my way back. I just put the carpet near the gap, put the putty knife at a 45 degree angle than lighlty tapped the back of the knife with the palm of my hand pushing the carpet in. Here is a shot as I worked my way back:

I did not worry about putting the carpet down against the channel, I just worked the top edge to make sure it slid into the channel. Here is a shot of the passenger side completely in the channel.

I then used a small block of wood and a rubber mallet to push down the metal piece that the carpet edge slid into. Once I felt it was in place and would not slide around, I pulled up the opposite edge, then sprayed the 3M 77 glue all along the carpet and the heater channel. I then worked the carpet into its proper place and rubbed everything by hand to make sure there were no ripples.

Here are a few shots of the final glued down pieces:

I do have the step plate on the passenger side which I had to prep bfore I install the front carpet piece over the center tunnel where the gear shift is. I will update soon. Thanks.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Beetlebaum]

_________________
1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
Beetle Bums VW Club Member

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Carpet Install Continued - Footrest, carpet pads and front floor carpet.


The footrest is in good shape, just needed some surface rust taken off and a fresh coat of paint applied. Here are a few before shots.

I removed the surface rust with the bench grinder and a wire brush where needed. I then cleaned the footrest up with simple green and rinsed everything real good. I then put a fresh coast of semi-gloss black on both sides.

The footrest has a little lip in the middle that fits into a slot in the front firewall. It just sits in place and is not premanently attached.

I purchased some floor padding for the carpet. It needed a lot of cutting to fit. Here is the original piece straight out of the box.

I just kept trimming inch by inch until it fit the way I wanted it to. Had to do the same for both driver and passenger sides.

Once the carpet pad was cut to fit, I installed the footrest. I placed the top part of the footrest underneath the carpet that is attached to the front fire wall...just seemed the best way to make sure the carpet remained flush and flat with firewall.

I did not glue down the carpet pad or the front carpet piece. Like the luggage compartment, I want to be able to pull things up and vacuum and also check for water when necessary. I know these pads can retain water so I want to be able to dry them out in caswe something happens. Here are a few shots of the finished install.

I decided to work my way back to front so I do not ruin the carpet that would go under and behind the seats, so I installed the rear seat and other related items. I will have an update very soon. Thanks.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[bobnorman]

Fantastic work, and a great tutorial, well done yourself! Looks like so much fun to be putting stuff in that looks great and gets you that much closer to being on the road.

I'm surprised that the company would be sending pieces that needed that much trimming, its a wastage cost for them, and added shipping weight and size too. A relatively small amount I know, but I'm sure it adds up over hundreds of kits.
_________________
Air does not freeze. Air does not boil.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=289807

[NewTechnicIan]

It'll be a different kit for my 73 but I'm still coming back to this when I install mine! Bravo and keep up the great work
_________________
My 73 Standard build - It's painted! It drives under its own power! Time to get it wired and upholstered!

My 1679 Engine build.

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Rear Quarter Panel Install.

Thanks bobnorman and NewTechnicIan.

Before I put the rear footwell carpet in, I decided to install the rear quarter panels and the rear seat. I will update with the rear seat install next time.

I purchased TMI door and quarter panels and I was satisfied with the quality of the panels. They feel sturdy and have all the necessary cut outs for the install - ashtray and the rear seat latches are cut out as well.


I decided to start with the rear seat latches that attach through the top of the rear panel and screw into the body of the car. Here is a shot once I unwrapped them from my parts box. I kept them marked left and right.

I cleaned up the screws with the wire wheel on the bench grinder and then scrubbed the latch with a wire brush. Cleaned up everything with simple green and water. I then painted the latches semi gloss black. Here are a few shots.

Left one cleaned up and painted to compare to the original condition of the right one.

Both cleaned up and painted.

During the cleaning process, I noticed that each latch was marked with an L for left and a R for right. Amazing what you see when things get cleaned up.

I purchased all new panel clips and rubber seals.

To prepare for the panel installation, I installed the rubber seals. Most of the holes were covered up by the headliner side pieces so I used the pre-cut holes on the TMI panel as a guide to find them. I pressed with my finger until a found the depression. I used an exacto knife to open up the hole. I had a hard time getting the seal in, so I slid the knife in and out in a circle pattern until most of the hole was opened up - almost in a star pattern.

I rubbed silicone lubricant on each rubber seal to help it slide in better.

I could not fit my fingers on the other side of the seal to pull it all the way in. I did not want to open up the holes any larger either. So, I ended up using a dowel that I had and shaved the end of the dowel until it fit the hole. I used that to push the seal in all the way - without tearing the seal since I kept a blunt edge on the dowel.

Here is a shot of the passenger side with all the seals installed.

Here are a few shots of the TMI panels:

Part number:

Pre cut holes for the rear seat latch:

I started with the rear latch holes. The pre-cut hole is attached at only 4 points on the panel. I used the exacto knife to gently cut the 4 attachment points without piercing the vinyl.

Next I had to install the metal clips that hold the panel in place. After a little trial and error, the best way for me to install the clips was to install the rear end of the clip first:

then slide the clip part of the piece between the panel board and vinyl.

I installed each clip so that the clip faced the closest edge of the panel.
Here is a shot of all the clips installed.

I then lined up the panel piece against the rear quarter panel of the car and started in the top left corner and pushed the first piece in. I checked the alignment, then proceeded to push in one clip at a time, starting below top corner then to the left of the top corner, etc. I just went slow and made sure nothing was crooked or misaligned. Here are the final shots of the passenger and driver side.

There were a few indentations where the clip had to be pushed in, but those settled down flat after I wiped the panels down and cleaned up any residue from the silicone.

I already installed the rear seat and other items, so I will post that shortly.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Rear Seat install

Time for the rear seat. With all the work we do on your beloved cars, it is definitely a learning process...especially for us first timers. So, knowing what I know now, I would have taken off all the upholstery and cleaned and painted things up BEFORE having things re-upholstered. But, I did not, so I am having to work around the new seat material while cleaning and painting the existing seat pieces.

Here are a few shots of the handle and driver side rear seat release.

Where the plastic strap attaches, one of the little pieces was bent pretty good. I reformed that using pliers until it was straight again. I scrubbed the pieces with a wire brush and I also used the wire wheel on the angle grinder to try to clean things up. As always, cleaned everything up with simple green and water to rinse off any residue. Once cleaned up, I used a trash bag and just created a hole for the latch bar and hinges where the seat attaches to the body. That way, I had total protection for the upholstery. I also used pieces of cardboard while spray painting to ensure nothing floats around too much.

The metal strip on the top that holds the rear seat panel to the seat needed paint and had different types of screws.

Once the screws are removed the metal strip slides out a little then off. I used a wire brush and cleaned it all up. I then painted it with semi gloss black. I ended up using stainless steel screws because I thought the zinc screws just did not look right or have the right sheen to them. The stainless screws looked a lot better. Here is the metal strip painted and installed.

So, while trying to think ahead and to install things in proper order, I decided to install the rear seat belts before I installed the rear seat. Just made sense and it would be easier to attach the seat belts without the seat in the way.

I was going back and forth on what to do with the seat belts. I have the originals, but they were pretty beat and will need a lot of work to get them back in working order. See a few pictures below.

I decided to purchase new seat belts (front and rear) from Wolfsburg West. I may still try to work with the old ones, but for now, I will use the new ones and see how they are. I was impressed with the quality and the finish on the latch buckels was very nice as well...what you would expect from WW.

I looked at a lot of pictures and other things regarding how to install the seat belts...buckle on left side or buckle on right. I saw them installed either way, so I decided to install the fixed portion of the belt, that does not adjust, in the middle of the rear seat. That way, the buckle part that also adjusts to tighten the belt lays toward the quarter panels. I also liked that if I installed them that way, my kids would not be banging the buckles together taking the seat belts on and off. Also, the original seat belts had the buckle part in the middle but the buckle part did not adjust...only the other part adjusted and those were on the outside near the quarter panels.

The seat belts came with all the necessary hardware for my 68. Here are the middle pieces installed.

I am working by myself on all of this stuff. So it was a little tricky trying to hold up the rear seat, get the bolts started and not scratch anything up in the process. I wrapped the ends of the rear seat with towels while carrying the seat into the car. With the rear seat sitting on the rear floor, it was a little too low to get the bolts started. I found that if I used 2 2x4 pieces of wood, it was just about the right hight to start the bolt.

I used the boards on the passenger side then on the drivers side and everything installed with no hassles. Here is a shot of the seat installed.

That is it for now. In a few days I will update with other pictures and explain why I had to pull the rear seat out again and start over. Stay tuned...
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Rear Seat Install Part 2.

Well, as I mentioned before, I had to pull out the rear seat, make some changes then re-install it again. While trying to push the seat back against the latches on the quarter panels, it was just not going smooth. I had to really push and after getting it latched, I could not un latch the rear seat to fold down. After much pulling and pushing on the rear seat and quarter panel, I noticed things did not look right (which I confirmed on this site).

I noticed that the two ends of the seat rod that goes through the seat and out the sides were not facing the same direction. One was down and the other was up. That just did not seem right and did not fit the function of the rear latches that are on the quarter panels.

So I pulled the seat out again to try to fix the rod. After some research, my upholstery guys may have re-installed the rod incorrectly...at least that is what I suspect. I do not recall having problems with the rear seat latch prior to upholstery...but who knows.

Anyway, I had to unscrew the metal piece that holds the rear seat back on, then open up the rear seat to look at the oreintation of the bar. That metal piece just slides off once unscrewed.

I have never seen the inside of the rear seat, so I just studied how it worked and how everything was attached. The rod is actually 2 pieces and the pieces are attached together at one end with a nail. The nail also has a spring on it, which looks like a return spring. When you pull the strap on the driver side of the rear seat, it raises the rod ends and when you let go, the spring returns the rod to its original position. That is what I think after just playing with mechaism and seeing how it works. Here are a few pictures.

I used needle nose pliers and removed the little nail that holds the rod pieces together.

The rod then slid right out and I turned it so that both ends faced the same direction...with the end of each hook facing toward the front of the car when the seat is in the upright position.

Once in position, I re-installed the nail and attempted to put the spring back around the nail. I could not get it to work and was afraid of breaking the spring. So, I decided to spin the spring to create tension, then held it over the hole where the nail would go with needle nose pliers, then dropped the nail in. That was the easiest way to go and it installed real quick instead of trying to move the spring around the nail to lock it in place.

As you can see, the paint scratched up while trying to install the rear seat into the latches. I will have to touch that up later. I tested the latch by pulling on the strap and watching to make sure it went back into place via the spring tension. It works, so I put the rear seat cover back on, used the metal strip and screws to put it back together and re-installed it back into the car.

Next I decided to do what I can under the seat before I install the rear kick panels and cross bar. I purchased padding for the rear luggage compartment from Wolfsburg West but did not use it (the padding that would go over the rear wheel wells). So, since it seemed like good insulation and had a center barrier, I decided to re-purpose the piece and use it to wrap around the heater channels under the rear seat.
Here is a shot of the padding and the center layer:

Here is the heater channel:

I cut the padding until I had a piece that would wrap all the way around the heater channel and then decided to zip tie it all together. It is not the best looking, but it does the job.

I have one final small piece to install, which is the rear seat heater cable piece that attaches to the flap inside the rear heater channel. I went through all of my boxes and could only find 1 piece (the left piece). I will have to look more. See picture below, does anyone know if they still make these?

Anyway, I did not want to stop moving, so I continued on to install the rear seat cross member, rear kick panels, the rest of the rear carpet and the rest of the seat belts. That will be the next update. Thanks.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Rear Seat Install - Final

I purchased new TMI rear seat kick panels and I am happy with the quality. Hard board wrapped in black vinyl on both front and back. They are also very close to the original panels. Here is a side by side and an overlap picture:

I used an exacto knife to cut out the pre-sealed hole in each panel (driver side and passenger side). I did not trim right against the edge of the circle because I was worried about cutting over the heat selaed edge. I figured if I cut through that, overtime, the vinyl may separate. Here are a few shots.

My existing heater vent covers are in good shape. So, I just cleaned then up real good and painted them a semi gloss black. They are in two pieces and just snap together withe the rear panel in the middle

Here are both sides with the heater vent covers installed:

Now that those are ready, I prepped the rear seat cross member that holds the rear seat in place. I had to re-paint it a little for touch up since the bar was banged around since I painted it awhile back. It is painted the same color as the stick shift and e-brake which all are a close match to the body color.

The cross bar had 3 padded cushins that fit into the cross member slot. It looks like they are there for the rear seat to rest on. Here is a shot of the three pieces:

I put one on the left side, the middle and the right side of the cross bar. They just slide into the cross member like this:

I then put the rear kick panels in place and inserted the vent cover over the heater vent. Pictures below:

Once those were in place, I laid the cross member in place. The rear kick panels rest between the floor and the cross member...the rear heater vent keeps the panels in place. I secured each end of the cross member as shown (sorry for the blurry photo) - same location on passenger and driver side:

The cross member has little tabs which hold the wire that goes from the voltage regulator to the positive side of the battery. I slipped that wire in place by bending the tabs.

Finally, I laid some felt padding over the battery terminals so they will not hit the springs under the rear seat. I will likely need something better so I will keep an eye on it. Here is a final shot of the rear seat area completed:

If anyone has an idea where I can obtain the cable hooks that hook to the rear heater vent flaps (photo in previous post), please let me know. Thanks!
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Carpet Install.

With the rear seat in, time to finish up the carpet install over the tunnel and where the rear foot wells are.

I installed the final carpet padding that covers the rear foot wells and goes under the front seats. The pieces were pre-cut and I did not have to make any modification. I am not gluing anything down so I can have access later in case of water or for general cleaning.

Here is are a few shots of the premium carpet from TMI that has pre-cut holes.

I bought a new rubber cover for the heater cable levers and e-brake. German made and I very happy with the quality.

The bottom has foam pads and the rubber feels thicker than the non German boots that I saw at a local VW show/swap meet.

It did have a few rubber wing looking things sticking out, which did not appear to have any use, so I trimmed those off.

I wiped the e-brake with silicone and a few places on the rubber boot where it would have the e-brake a heater levers pulled through it. The silicone really helped it slide on with little difficulty.

So far so good. Now I thought the carpet would fit without modification but I was wrong. Once the carpet was installed, the seat belt holes did not line up and I had to trim the opening where the e-brake goes through.

The opening has multiple pressed edges which I assume would allow for trimming. So, I removed the first inner ring to allow the carpet to slide further back to line up the seat belt holes.

This allowed the carpet to slide back a little but the holes were still off. I had to cut the seat belt holes to make them bigger. Here are a few shots.

Now things started to line up good, but the carpet was way too long and would bunch up at the top of the tunnel. It seemed like this was not cut correctly but I did not want to cut the edge of the carpet where it had bound edging. Here is a shot of the fit:

I guess it was wishfull thinking that the carpet would just lay down. However, I thought that maybe the carpet should go all the way back as far as it could, under the rear seat cross bar and the heater kick panels. I decided to try that. I loosened up the rear seat cross bar bolts and removed the two rear seat kick panels. I then allowed the carpet to extend fully. Again, I do not recall my old carpet fitting that way, but it was cheap after market stuff I bought in the 90's so who knows.

Here is the shot of the carpet fuilly extended towards the rear then the final shot with all of the rear seat parts back installed.

I like the finished look, but frankly I am not sure that is how it should fit. It kind of defeats my purpose of being able to lift the carpet up easily to inspect for water or to clean, but the water issues will be minimal now that I am ultra cautious of rust. Overall, it came out looking clean.

I have the front seat belts installed and did some work on the front seats which I will post shortly. Thanks.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Cage44]

UPDATE: Front Seat Belts and Seats.

With the rear bug interior completed, I moved on to the front seat belts and seats. As mentioned previously, I purchased the seat belts from Wolfsburg West. Here are a few shots of the seat belts:

The hardware included has bolts that are way too long to complete the install. There is not enough room in the pillars for the bolt and seat belt to attach...at least for my 68. Here are a few shots of the bolts provided and the shorter one is the original:

I was able to find bolts that were the same size and length as the original, but I could not locate the step bolts that was included originally. I believe the "step" allows the seat belt to swivel as needed when in use. I also could not find new washers that were identical to the original ones used, but if I used 2 washers it would equal the same thickness as the original ones. Here are a few pictures of the new bolts and washers I purchased from Lowes:

Now that I had a set of hardware that would fit, I had to locate the seat belt bolt holes in the side pillars. The headliner was installed and the installer covered the holes. I was able to use the photos I took prior to the headliner install as a guide. I had a hard time finding the top bolt hole on the pillar and found it easier to sit on the rear seat and find the correct angle to find the hole. I just pressed and pressed with my fingers until I found it. The last thing I wanted to do was make a cut and be off and then have to deal with a cut in exposed headliner material. I used an exacto knife to cut the hole and then attached the bolts as a dry run to make sure everything would install OK.

For the seat belt portion that attaches to the center tunnel, I used the bolts provided with the seat belts and used the new washers I purchased. I installed the seat belts with the lock washer on the bolt head side and the two washers against the center tunnel.

Now for the top part of the seat belt that installs right under the assist strap. I decided to use my original bolts since they had the step which allows the seat belt to swivel. I installed 2 new washers between the seat belt and the pillar and just the bolt through the seat belt. The bolt installed all the way and the seat belt swivels with no restrictions. Here are a few shots:

Here is a shot of the seat belt portion that attaches to the bottom of the pillar. I used the new bolt provided with the seat belts, a lock washer at the bolt head side and two washers between the seat belt and the pillar. As a side note, I installed the washers in the same places as the originals. Not sure if they are factory correct, but it seemed the correct thing to do.

With the seat belts in, it was time to install the front seats. Here is where I wish I did things different. My front seats were re-upholstered a few years before I started the work on my bug. I did not want to tear the new seats apart, so I decided to touch up the paint for the seat rails and drive it a year or two. Once they get a little worn, I will completely redo the front seats down to the metal and have them re-upholstered. That is really what should have been done, becuase it was a pain in the arse trying to paint the seat rails and not spray the vinyl. Also, the front seat upholstery work could have been better, but I decided to save some bread and use what I have since they look good, but could be better.

So, I masked the seats and shot the seat rails with a semi gloss black. It was a slow process with the vinyl on since I had to shoot from one angle then wait for it to dry then rotate the seat, etc. It really took way longer than I expected.

I also decided to paint the seat release knobs to match the color of the car, which will also match the emergency handbrake and the cross bar that is under the rear seat. I also, cleaned up the return spring that attaches under both front seats which allows you to slide them forward a little easier. I used a bench grinder to remove any surface rust and applied a little silicone grease over each spring. Here are a few shots:

Spring before

Comprison with one original and one cleaned up

Springs all cleaned up

Picture of seats installed:

I started working on the doors last weekend, but got slammed at work and was working late. I hope to get things moving this weekend and have an update. All my door parts have been chromed and I am happy with the results. I will post pictures soon. Thanks.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[Beetlebaum]

Dang. The interior of this car is beautiful.
_________________
1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
Beetle Bums VW Club Member

[Cage44]

Thanks Beetlebaum, getting clost to wrapping up the interior.

UPDATE: Vent Wing Window Assembly - Part 1

With all the other large pieces done for the interior, it is time to tackle the doors. I had the vent wing window frames chromed along with the other pieces that make up the assembly: the division bar, deflector and the metal piece that is used for the wing window latch. Here is a before and after shot of the chromed parts.

I also purchased new latches and other misc parts from WW:

The latch slides into the frame and is rivited. I used 1/8" x 1/8" pop riviets to attach the latch to the frames. The latches are rivited to the frame from the bottom. I put the frame in a vice to help keep the latch holes lined up for attachment. When installed the latch knob should face away from the rivot point that is toward the top of the frame (where the actual wing window will attach).

Now for the fun part. I read all of the posts regarding the vent window glass and install and what a pain it could be. I decided to try the rubber seal approach and lots of silicone spray. First, I used the vice again (and a rag so I did not scratch the chrome) to help hold the frame. I used tape to hold the defelector to the frame prior to installing the glass. Otherwise, I could not keep it in place while trying to push the glass in at the same time.

I sprayed silicone over the rubber, wrapped the rubber around the glass and pushed the wing window in the frame by hand - one hand on the back of the frame, the other on the glass edge. It went in pretty easy. I then used a rubber mallet to tap the glass in the last 1/4 inch to make sure it was flush with the frame ends...that way the glass does not hit the divider bar when closed.

I did have some issues with the rubber bunching up. See photos below:

I pulled the glass out, and re-installed it a few times and had the same results. Also, I was worried since the glass went into BOTH frames really easy...and I could pull the glass out with a moderate to strong pull. That seemed contrary to the other posts which stated it was tough to get in, and also other folks were creating jigs with presses to get the glass in.

Since I have owned the car (25+ years) only one wing glass was replaced. I think the new rubber was just not thick enough...could be issues with the frames. It just should not have been that easy even with brute force pressing my hands together to get the glass in.

So, thanks to Samba member Slagathor, I was reminded of another approach that I watched many months ago using caulk sealant and parts of the rubber seal. I decided to go that route.

I cut small strips about an inch in width and wrapped it around certain areas of the glass. I then taped each strip to keep them in place.

Here is a shot of the points where the rubber will meet the frame:

I then used black silicone caulk/adhesive that I bought from Lowes. For this part, my best advice is to use a thin small bead in the middle of the frame, install the glass and let it sit for an hour or so. Then, fill in the window and frame gap with additional caulk using your finger. I put too much caulk in the first frame and it was a cluster f*&@ of a mess and the caulk was all over the place. When I did the second frame, using less at first was the way to go.

Here is a shot of the glass installed.

Now for the clean up. Again, for the frame I used less caulk on, things were much easier to clean up which also saved time. I used an exacto knife and a glass scraper which worked really well.

I used the exacto knife first to lightly trim any caulk that was beyond the frame and on the glass and to trim the rubber pieces. I used it with small pressure so that the glass would not be scratched - I went over the rubber pieces a few times until it could be removed - and just ran the knife along the frame edge. After that, I used the glass scraper and ran it along the frame edge using the edge as a guide. That really cleaned up the caulk and picked up the pieces that were cut with the exacto knife. Here are a few shots:

Cutting rubber around the latch:

It took awhile, but I would trim, clean the glass, trim again, scrape, repeat until the glass was clean and the caulk looked even. Here is a finished shot of the frames:

I finished assembly on the frames, but decided to split the post up since there are a large number of pictures. Hope it helps. Overall this process worked well and the glass is in there very tight and would not budge when pulled.
_________________
'68 Bug
Build thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...p;start=20

[slagathor]

glad to be of help Cage44 and glad it worked out for you.

i just wish that i had my frames re-chromed before it i had rebuild the vents. your vents frames turned beautifully.