Cloth interior, in a 55 Euro???

[Airsick]

Just got a 55 Euro (early) with original cloth interior. Its a deluxe but not US spec. I thought splits were the last to get cloth interior and maybe some standards? Anyone know what these are? It is a straight back 55. Not split curved and I have the complete set front and back.

[johan_l]

Eh, the headliner I thought were cloth up until 61? At least here in europe I think...

For ovals there are even new upholsery available - not the WCM type but EXACT like original. Don't know the quality, but have heard they are great. Bit more expensive though...

http://www.himmelservice.de/english/start.htm
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Johan, Sweden
1960 Karmann-Ghia coupé
1957 Oval window
Bastard Split window <-- Translate

[Airsick]

Yeah, headliners are cloth for longer but the seats and door panels are pin stripped cloth like a split's.

[spookymulder]

Vw did cloth interior on the Euro models through the 60's, I personally have a 60 Euro with blue and white striped cloth top surfaces and vinyl side pieces both front and back. Looks alot like matress ticking.

[johan_l]

I'm certanly not an early beetle expert, but I have seen quite a lot of ovals... Maybee european 'export' models interior differ from Your US 'export' interiors? What should seats and panels look like then? Vinyl? On cabrios maybe, but most european 'export' ovals I have seen (including my own 57) have all-cloth interior, except floor and tunnel which are rubber.

On the link above there are pictures of the cloth available on the export-models.

But then, I may not understand what you mean, yes, it is different cloth on the late ovals than on the splits. But it is still cloth of some kind and not vinyl.
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Johan, Sweden
1960 Karmann-Ghia coupé
1957 Oval window
Bastard Split window <-- Translate

[Airsick]

US bound (US Spec) ovals were all vinyl I believe. So a cloth oval seems rare.

[johan_l]

What´s rare over there is common here and the opposite. There are some standard models also, which kept even more old things, but these are hard to find here in sweden, most were exports. But we kept semaphores up to 1959, though with the bigger rear window and new dash amongst the other normal changes. Well, whatever ovals sure are beatiful! By the way, I belive that Sweden were the (in number) biggest export market for beetles during some years in the 50-ies. Sadly most barn-finds seems to have already been discovered. Splits starts to collect higher prices, while late ovals still are relatively cheap...
_________________
Johan, Sweden
1960 Karmann-Ghia coupé
1957 Oval window
Bastard Split window <-- Translate

[Airsick]

[spookymulder]

no idea

[PEPPE]

euro bugs had the cloth interior up to 65. 60 to 65 had seat in cloth and back/sides in vynil.

himmelservice sells only the cloth not complete seat covers.
it is pricy but the quality is like OG.
i will use on my 01/55 oval

cloth for 60-64 bugs with vertical lines can be bought in italy. i had it from cantonericambi.it

[johan_l]

Do they (cantonericambi.it) also have the cloth for the ghia 1960 (has cloth in center, vinyl in sides). Mine is fair, but the vinyl has become yellow in some spots, so I have thought of the possibulity to redo the front seats vinyl and then to replace also the cloth would be the best idea I think...
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Johan, Sweden
1960 Karmann-Ghia coupé
1957 Oval window
Bastard Split window <-- Translate

[PEPPE]

try to contact them providing a photo of the cloth/seat. maybe they have.

[coad]

[Airsick]

Do you know the story behind that Coad. Mine is definately a euro with a kph speedo.

[coad]

[veedo]

Is there a company in the U.S. that sells the cloth interior. I have a 55 euro oval that I got without an interior.
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air cooled first,water second-they both need more to go fast. Let them breathe and breed.
The more the better.

[Russ]

westcoast classics do real nice interiors
himmel services in germany i think reproduced early material (pretty sure that is where west coast gets the material)

http://www.classicvws.com/type1.htm
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Cruiser pedals for sale (see my ad's)
55 hardtop finally finished
65 beetle done:)

[sergivw]

I've read this discussion today and I think I can tell you about my own experience.

I live in Spain and some months ago I bought a swedish '56 oval. It was completely original and, of course, it had the cloth interior we're talking about.

I bought a complete new interior from Ingrid Oppermann's Himmelservice (cloth for seats and door panels, headliner and carpet set). The quality of all the materials is the best I've seen, and the price is obviously high: about 950 euros including shipping to Spain. Cloth for the seats is sold by meters, so you must add the cost of the upholstery workshop. It is expensive but the results worth it !! Much better than any TMI.

Himmelservice's materials are the closest to the original. Ingrid is friendly and they deliver very quickly.

Next week my oval will have all the interior work done. I can send pictures if anyone interested.

Sergi. Barcelona.

[put-put...whee!!]

I've got a '57 U.S. spec Beetle with what's left of a factory cloth interior hiding under some old JC Whitney vinyl seat covers. The car is a Diamond Green car with heater outlets more like a '56, more forward on the heater channel, so I'm guessing late-'56/early-'57. I don't see evidence of the bumper overriders being added later, and has MPH speedo suggesting a U.S. spec car. I haven't done the birth certificate thing, but the OG owner, a 88 year old man, bought the car new in Eastern Washington and lived most of his life in Pullman.
Had to laugh at the "mattress ticking" comment. That's a pretty close comparison.
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60 DC
61 Deluxe
64 SO-33
65 Riviera
66 Deluxe
67 SO-42