TheSamba.com :: View topic - fold-down back seat?

Thu May 27, 2010 3:05 pm

Did the 1960 bug's back seat fold down??? :?:

thx

Thu May 27, 2010 4:20 pm

The seat back of the back seat folded down.

Thu May 27, 2010 4:38 pm

Yes it folds down, But it wasn't until about 65(?) that it folded flat.

Geoff

Thu May 27, 2010 8:25 pm

I've tried putting the back seat (back) down and I can get it flat when I remove the back seat...but, it doesn't conform as the later models did...(big gap on the sides and in the middle).
I used to have an intact back 'storage' area with my other VW's...'66, '69 and '71 so that's why I wondered if the 1960 model was designed to be a fold-down. I thought that maybe the back seat that I have was the wrong year or something and that's why it didn't fit correctly as a uniform fold-down....

Thanks again :!:

Thu May 27, 2010 8:49 pm

The legs on the seat got longer in latter years and I think that is what allows them to fold down flat.

Mon May 31, 2010 11:33 am

I looked it up 1965 was the first year of the fold flat rear seat.

Geoff

Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:05 pm

On the subject of folding rear seat, I have a 1961 and I was wondering how the rear seat back attaches? When I got the car it did not have the rear seat and I do not see way of attahing it. It would be great if anyone could take some pictures.

Thanks

John

Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:09 pm

I dont have any pics but there should be bolt holes near the rear door panels that it bolts to

Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:27 pm

drscope wrote: The legs on the seat got longer in latter years and I think that is what allows them to fold down flat.

Does anyone have photos of pre 65 and post 65 seats? or a dimension so i can tell which is which? I have the same problem in my '66. the seat base won't fit right, I'm thinking the seat back may be stopping it.

Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:44 pm

branston wrote: drscope wrote: The legs on the seat got longer in latter years and I think that is what allows them to fold down flat.

Does anyone have photos of pre 65 and post 65 seats? or a dimension so i can tell which is which? I have the same problem in my '66. the seat base won't fit right, I'm thinking the seat back may be stopping it. early has the 90 degree angle

Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:53 pm

Downtown Brown wrote: branston wrote: drscope wrote: The legs on the seat got longer in latter years and I think that is what allows them to fold down flat.

Does anyone have photos of pre 65 and post 65 seats? or a dimension so i can tell which is which? I have the same problem in my '66. the seat base won't fit right, I'm thinking the seat back may be stopping it. early has the 90 degree angle

Man you are geekier than me. Thanks a million

Mon Aug 02, 2010 9:22 pm

branston wrote: Downtown Brown wrote: branston wrote: drscope wrote: The legs on the seat got longer in latter years and I think that is what allows them to fold down flat.

Does anyone have photos of pre 65 and post 65 seats? or a dimension so i can tell which is which? I have the same problem in my '66. the seat base won't fit right, I'm thinking the seat back may be stopping it. early has the 90 degree angle

Man you are geekier than me. Thanks a million In 1993 I got a '61 the rear seat didn't match the holes, took me awhile to figure out it had the wrong seat back in it..here is a picture of the right kind of seat bolt (from the gallery)

Tue Aug 03, 2010 4:37 am

Actually, I do believe that's a later model mounting bolt. The correct bolt for the early 60s had a smaller head on it like this. It's been in my glovebox in my 62 for years since I did what I'll talk about below:

Now, since I used to take my rear seats out a lot on my 61 and 62-body bugs, I went and changed out the mounting to be more like the later models - one side used a smooth stud - so to remove the seatback you only had to unbolt one side then slide it off the stud on the other side.

-Andy

Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:43 pm

So will the later model "straight" bracket seat back fit into a '61?

Tue Aug 03, 2010 4:11 pm

My 60 still has the original interior...and has this type of bolt

My 58 has the other style bolts with the larger heads.

Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:31 pm

Maybe that was right - and it could be my KAMAX shoulder bolt was part of an accessory my old 61 came with - a folding contraption for the rear seatback that let it flip over and sit behind the front seats resting on the tunnel. I took it off when I moved that seatback over to my 62.

Still, I'm not sure, that longer bolt looks, well really long. I have that in my Baja - where I have some custom heavily padded side panels. And I have one of those in my white bug now, but without that padding on the side panel, I had to put a large washer under the head of that bolt. (on both bugs I have that headless-stud on the driver side now for easier removal)

-Andy

Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:09 pm

Quote:
So will the later model "straight" bracket seat back fit into a '61?

No, the seat bottom won't fit.
Look at the seat back pics above, you need the one on the bottom.