TheSamba.com :: View topic - Safari installation query! standard / deluxe with headliner

Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:23 am

Hi all.

As the title says, although I've figured out the safari installation, I'm not quite sure how they fit in relation to the headliner. Any tips or photos would be greatly appreciated. Ok, so I'm using an aftermarket creative kit, but are the washer & bolt head really both visible on top of the headliner? Were these originally colour coded? I assume these were originally flat headed bolts?

For information these are going in my latest project ....... a '54 deluxe.

Many thanks indeed for any help that anyone can give, and apologies if I'm being a fool and not spotting a previous thread or photos :oops:

Ben :D

Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:55 am

Short answer (best guess) imo is both washer and screw exposed, on top of the headlining, in their natural finish. I very much doubt the inner fixings would have been painted, as this would have looked gaudy. And VW didn't do gaudy.

The fixings overlaying the headlining would also make sense in that the headliner was originally stuck flat against the upper windscreen inner panel. On aged original buses, it appears the glue dries/fails and this area of headlining billows out.

It is difficult to find evidence. Maybe surprisingly, very few surviving deluxes were original safari buses. And of those that were, none (that I can recall) are still in fully original shape. It's also rare to see a picture of the upper windscreen inner panel area. The main bus that I am going by for my conclusion is an original factory safari bus which has had its headlining replaced a long time ago.

Most deluxes sporting safaris now have had them retrofitted. Rikki has his fixings hidden under the headlining (which is billowing out). Mark Rafferty's old 54 dlx has the fixings exposed on top of the headlining...and who would go against what Mark Rafferty does?

It looks to be a similar story with Standards. I'm thinking Buzz's Standard may have been a factory safari bus.

Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:56 am

Thanks Chris. Helpful post if only in that you've confirmed what I was thinking.... and from what you say so does Mr Rafferty. I'm gonna go with you and Mark. I wouldn't go against what either of you guys do when it comes to the details to be honest :wink:

Kasten68 supplied this photo which doesn't help with the headliner detail but backs up the "natural finish" thinking. I'll add it here for future reference(Thanks Yann!)

Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:09 am

Factory safaris (redone headlining) in a '54 deluxe
Most reliable example I have
Note the washers are relatively small diameter (some owners have used washers that are far too big)

Retrofitted safaris (repro?) in Mr Rafferty's restored 1954 barndoor deluxe

Retrofitted safaris (repro?) in Mr James' 1954 deluxe
Fixings hidden under the loose original headlining

Mon Apr 23, 2018 12:28 pm

Nice photos. Thanks :wink:

Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:16 am

Nope... self tappers made to look like OG bolts ;-)

Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:32 am

busben wrote: Kasten68 supplied this photo which doesn't help with the headliner detail but backs up the "natural finish" thinking. I'll add it here for future reference(Thanks Yann!)
Cheers Ben! :D

Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:34 pm

Don’t have access to my pictures now but you wanna take a look at the Maltese bus that was at BenPon2.

Tue Nov 09, 2021 1:15 am

Older replacement headlining. Highly likely to be original Fixings. 1954.

The first picture in this thread is also of this Maltese bus.

Sun Nov 14, 2021 8:58 am

RockStock wrote:

Older replacement headlining. Highly likely to be original Fixings. 1954.

The first picture in this thread is also of this Maltese bus.

Let me know if you need any more details pics of the screws, washers etc from off our Maltese samba, I would be more then happy to help.
As stated, the headliner is not the original but the safaris and all hardware are all original.