TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:37 pm

What is the thing right above the latch? My 66 doesn't have this and my doors don't line up good. Could this missing part be the cause?

Fri Jan 01, 2010 9:01 pm

That's an alignment wedge.

Even without it, doors still should line up. If you solely rely on the wedge to fix your problem, the metal work & paint will be damaged

Fri Jan 01, 2010 9:04 pm

It's called a locking plate, and was new for the 1966 model year. Either your car is a very early 66 and they may have been using up the 65 model year doors or yours is an earlier door that replaced the native door. Are they missing on both sides? Are the bolt holes present but the plate is missing?

They were supposed to prevent the doors from flying open in a collision if the frame became distorted. I would guess that they also improve door alignment as the door is pushed home.

Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:47 pm

The first pic I posted is one I found on the net, this is one of my door.

How do I know if it my car is early or late '66? I tried looking it up by the chassis number(116987990) but it only told me the year.

It also has the sqaure button handles.

Fri Jan 01, 2010 11:38 pm

Kafer66 wrote: How do I know if it my car is early or late '66? I tried looking it up by the chassis number(116987990) but it only told me the year.

Go to http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/bugchassisdating.php and find the first number LARGER than your VIN. That will indicated the month of production, which in this case is June 1966 - so it's at the end of the production year and the car should have the locking plate.

Somebody else is going to have to answer if yours is a 66 door with a missing plate or an earlier one that never had one. The 65s didn't have them, but they did have the large screw above the latch, (which I'm pretty sure did double duty on a 66 for holding the plate on the outside of the door and the key mech. on the inside.)

Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:28 am

So I need the plates.

What about the door handles, does a mid year car have the roung button or the square button?

Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:18 am

damn, mine is a late model RHD Euro 66, i dont think i have those plates...my car has round handles

Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:36 am

Kafer66 wrote: So I need the plates.

What about the door handles, does a mid year car have the roung button or the square button?

Re your plates: Take out your upper philips head screw and see how long it is. If it's much longer (say 1/4"+) than needed to secure the inner lock mechanism, there's a good chance that the door was originally fitted with the plate, and it was removed for some reason. (Lost? Door closes "better" without it?). If that's the case just start shopping the classified.

Re the round/square button. I have a 66 with Vin 116 877 xxx, and I have round buttons that are original to the car. The whole subject of production dates and interchangeability round for square came up in this thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=282855&highlight=square+round

You gotta swim down about half way, and nothing got resolved but it's a start.

Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:49 am

I have a very early 66 8/65 build. It has the locking plates!
I also have square button with slider and wrap around handles!

Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:25 pm

The only thing that might need replacement that I can see so far is the strikers(on the body), so im just going to try to adjust everything and leave it as is for now.

Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:35 pm

jus so u know those are the original doors on it ..i replaced the hinge pins but had a bit trouble getting the door up even then . if i was to do it over again i would have bought new hinges. I may have even shimmed the hinge to the a pillar ...cant remember..goodluck

Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:04 am

guys, i have already posted a wanted add for a pair of these locking plates, sorry if i had hijacked this thread. mine are missing and i want those plates back.

take a look at this ad

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=895281

this is the first time i see different thickness of striker plates.

what is the thicker one for?