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Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:58 am

jbnova wrote: Has anybody tried using guides and headrests from another vehicle? I haven't found any Samba posts.

Surprisingly, it's not that easy to find a matching set of used Vanagon headrests, and those OEM brackets are expensive.

These tan Beetle headrests would be a good match for my van.

$47.99 OBO for the pair on Ebay.

$22.99 for set of four on Ebay.

Then I guess you would need to make up a set of metal tubes/brackets to bolt onto the back seat.

I'd be stoked if I could get another pair of the Beetle headrests to work on the front seats too, when I re-upholster.

I like how the beetle head rest's hole guides have a button to make it easier to remove/adjust instead of the pin from the classic Vanagon ones. @jbnova: Did you end up using those for your Van?

Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:58 pm

A question for those that have done the rear headrest install in a full Westy camper, does this mainly benefit passengers that are child size? With the relatively low seat back, can you get the headrest high enough to benefit adult passengers? I recently swapped out the front seats in my '90 Westy for the Chrysler T&C seats, and am considering keeping the headrests from the old seats for the back seat. Our kids are adults, and so are all of our passengers, so if it is only done to make it safer for your young kids, I'll skip the seat surgery required. I'll also get more money selling the old front seats with headrests, than without. I'm halfway done installing the Go Westy 3-point seat belts in the back (still have the cabinet cutting to get over), so this mod has my interest at the moment.

Coincidentally, I also have a pair of the new Beetle headrests shown above, in black leather. I used them in my 2012 TDI SportWagen, because the OEM headrests pushed your head too far forward for our liking. I sold the TDI back to VW, and no one in Seattle seems to want a cheap pair of New Beetle headrests. The stalks seem too short for use in the Vanagon to me, but if it was a child sitting there, they would probably work just fine too.

Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:39 pm

This is my 1991 Westy with rear headrests that were installed in 2015 by me. I used the kit offered by Gunzl parts in Germany.

I am 6' tall and am slouching a little bit, having just cooked these delicious quesadillas, but you can get an impression of how the headrests work.

In my experience they provide benefit to any adult up to 6' 2" tall.

kourt

Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:42 am

Thanks for the photo. It gives me a good visual idea of what I suspected. They look a little low for where I would like them to be on an adult. I'm 6'2" BTW. Those quesadillas do look good though:)

Fri Dec 06, 2024 12:12 pm

I see it was asked but I'm not sure about the answer.
Will other headrests work with the available kits? Say an early jetta or similar? I can find the insert kits but not vanagon headrests. If I'm installing the kit, I can obviously put them at the appropriate spots to line up with the arms but will they fit the insert?
Thanks

Fri Dec 06, 2024 1:22 pm

FoggyBeach wrote: I see it was asked but I'm not sure about the answer.
Will other headrests work with the available kits? Say an early jetta or similar? I can find the insert kits but not vanagon headrests. If I'm installing the kit, I can obviously put them at the appropriate spots to line up with the arms but will they fit the insert?
Thanks
Both the factory VW retrofit kit, and the headrests themselves are available. You have to order from across the pond though. I bought mine from UK stores that ship to the US. There's even a few on e bay right now. The Vanagon headrests were also used in the larger "LT" model not sold in the US.

Or just take your inserts to a junk yard and find whatever head rests you like, that fit inside. Then install the brackets and inserts at the correct spacing to match your chosen headrests.

Fri Dec 06, 2024 5:15 pm

FoggyBeach wrote: I see it was asked but I'm not sure about the answer.
Will other headrests work with the available kits? Say an early jetta or similar? I can find the insert kits but not vanagon headrests. If I'm installing the kit, I can obviously put them at the appropriate spots to line up with the arms but will they fit the insert?
Thanks

The Vanagon headrest posts are wider-set than the other VWs of the same era. That's what I recall from comparing my Cabriolet to my Vanagon, 'cuz, at the time, I wanted to install fully adjustable headrests into the van and it wouldn't have worked.

If the retrofit "sockets" can be installed in the rear seat to match the narrower headrests, then it could work.