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Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:40 pm

Anyone who can tell me the difference between the early, and the later style sliding door? How can you recognise them? :?:

Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:57 pm

I'm not aware of differences in the door itself. The mechanism is slightly different, for example on the rail on the outside of the rear panel, mid-height, earlier models have a plastic roller and later models have a metal roller.

Power lock was available on later models as well.

Mon Jan 07, 2019 3:10 pm

On the outer skin, the early door has a much larger recessed area for the handle to move. This is because the handle was longer in early doors, 80-84 model year.

Inside, big differences. The early door had active latching mechanisms at both the front and rear edges.

The later door only has an active latch at the rear.

The latching differences are why the early door had a longer handle, it had more work to do operating 2 latches.

The window opening is slightly smaller front to back in the later door, so different windows are needed on the slider. (the window sizes on the other side of the van didn't change)

Mark

Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:43 pm

I thought the physical size was different also?

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:22 pm

This thread should help you......

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=650176

Dave

Thu Jan 10, 2019 5:28 pm

Thanks everyone!