Our latest restoration "Ragnar" 1955 three fold rag top

[nlorntson]

There doesn't seem to be a tutorial for the reassembly of a completely empty ribbed door, so I've put this together. There is a method to assembling these doors to ensure the seals are all held in place and doing their job.

In this case, I'm using parts from three vendors, Wolfsburg West, West Coast metric, and VW!

First thing I did was to get all the pieces I was going to reuse cleaned, painted, and lubricated.

Here are most of the important parts together and laid out. It's no fun to get part way through the project and have to stop to find a part or fastener.

These doors have unique pieces that are similar but not identical to the later oval doors. I think this tutorial may cover the zwitter through mid 1955 years although I've not worked with the earlier ones to know for sure.

I used a stand with a big soft blanket and lay the door shell on the stand with the opening up. I like to sit on a pneumatic rolling stool ($20 at harbor freight) while assembling these doors so I can access them from any angle and not tire my back. Some of the process involves looking up inside the door so a small flashlight is handy too.

Other tools or supplies involved are a plastic upholstery trim tool, needle nose pliers, long skinny screw driver, exacto knife and blades, 2" painters masking tape marker, sharp punch, 10mm socket, flat and phillips screwdrivers, hammer, Side cutters, clear silicone, corn starch, window cleaner, 1/4" thick press board pieces (straight and one with the shape of the curved window glass.

Once I've gathered all the pieces I get the door prepped for this work by putting a wide strip of masking tape around the outer door window opening, This is to protect the fresh paint from getting scratched when the aluminum trim and outer seal is installed.

If freshly painted, run a tap or thread chaser through all the threaded holes.

Next, I press in the door channel to the vent window divider. I use the press board pieces and a hammer to firmly seat the channel and ensure it is wide enough for the window glass to slide up and down in. This is critical for the glass to slide up and down at all at first. If this piece is not fully seated, the glass will be tight and not able to be rolled up or down. No glue is needed. I guess you could also use the door glass and a rubber mallet to press it in.

Install the small seal for the trailing edge of the vent wing glass. The side with three edges faces !!!!!outside the car.!!!

Install the vent window latch and the top half of the vent window pivot in the door shell.

Use the exacto knife with a new blade to trim off all the flashing on the large vent window seal. Even a little bit of flashing makes this seal that much tougher to install.

Wash all rubber pieces (vent wing seal, inner scraper) in soap and water to remove the mold release.

The worst part of this job is the install of the vent window seal. There is no easy way to do it, but I recommend starting with this so your hands and fingers can recover for the rest of the job

Use some light grease or Vaseline on the center rubber channel and in the channel on the door to provide some lubrication. If the small slit for the upper pivot or the lower lock plate are not present, cut them in with the exacto knife. Make the slits small so the rubber squeezes around the metal.

If you had to use an up sized screw in either the vent window latch plate or the upper pivot, you may want to carve out a portion of the heavy seal channel that goes over those screws so the seal will fully seat in the channel.

Use the plastic upholstery tool to begin stuffing the thick center of the seal in to the channel. If you begin with the bottom side (door laying flat on the table) of the seal pressed into the channel, you are only pressing the top down and into the channel. Once you get a section started, move to the left and right of it. I usually start with the area just in front of the latch plate. It's also important to line up the pivot hole with the hole in the door so I used a punch through the rubber and through the door to line things up.

It's a tough and time consuming job, but the light lubrication and patience will help. DO NOT be tempted to use a screwdriver or other sharp or metal tool to push. You WILL scratch your paint and puncture the seal.

You'll know when the seal is fully seated because the outer edge on both inside and outside
will be flat and pressed down to the wing window opening. If this seal is not fully seated, closing your vent window will be nearly impossible. Keep working at it until it's done.

Next to install is the outer chrome/outer window scraper. This is why you need the protective masking tape. Mark on the tape where the small screw holes are on the top and side of the window opening. You'll eventually use the marks to punch a small hole through the aluminum strip for the screw.

Also mark where the holes for the clips on the lower edge of the door shell are.

The pieces I bought from Wolfsburg West were missing two of the clips. I think this is just how they come. I wanted to have all the clips in place so I happened to have some spares to add. If you don't have any spares, it turns out that the clips that hold the body molding on can be modified to look and function like the original clips. the two originals are on the right, a trim clip on the left and a modified trim clip is next to it.

#3 and #5 clips are missing.

The clips on the seal/trim piece determine where it fits in the door. Put the piece in place lining up the clips with the holes in the opening. Lightly tape the top aluminum end (nearest the divider bar) to the window opening to keep it from flopping around or bending.

This outer scraper/aluminum trim area is a critical area for water tightness so as an added layer of prevention, I opted to use some clear silicone sealant between the door where the clips insert, the aluminum trim, and the rubber scraper. The masking tape helps if some of the silicone should ooze out. if it does, just let it dry before cleaning it up. Don't be tempted to wipe it up as it will smear and cause a much bigger mess.

Look up inside the door to see where the clips need to pop in. Starting on one end, pop each in with your fingers or a plastic trim tool and small screwdriver. When those are all in, add a second piece of tape if needed to keep the rest of the aluminum piece in place.

I also wedged two plastic scrapers into the corner to help the silicone really seal tight in the corner. I let this dry over night.

Next is the inner scraper. Use the original wire if you want, although I found the wire that came with the inner scraper (from WW) had a perfectly good wire of the proper length.

The trick to installing this is to pull the wire clip in rather than push it. Use the long, narrow screwdriver or sharp punch and the flashlight to look inside the door. Start one of the wire loops in the hole and pull it through the door with the skinny screwdriver. I also had to trim off some flashing on the end of outer scraper rubber.

Next in is the inner door latch. Install the latch and install but do not fully tighten all the screws. Test the latch to be sure turning the handle fully operates the latch.

As an aside, I had purchased two of these latches thinking they were identical for all the ribbed door years. The ones I bought had the early part number L 211 0881 I discovered the flat rod between the latch and the actuator was 15mm too long. There must be some slight difference between years. I had to drill out the rivet and make a new hole 15mm closer to the latch and reattach.

Next, I installed some sound deadener. I opted to use FatMat. I'm hoping it will remove some of the hollow or tinny sound when the door is shut. I also like the fact that it is waterproof and not absorbent. I got it on Amazon for a really inexpensive amount.

Next in is the outer door handle. Stand the door up and install the seal on the handle. Put a little grease on the taper of the screw so the paint is not chewed off as it is tightened. Tighten the screws. Make sure it perfectly operates the latch.

Next in is the vent window divider. Stick this up from the bottom between the inner and outer scraper and slide it over in place. This will ensure the ends of the inner and the outer scraper, and the tab on the vent wing seal are captured between this divider and the sides of the window opening. Be sure the wire for the inner scraper is wedged between the divider and the opening. Install the screw closest to the divider at the top of the divider. Leave the two lower bolts out for now or wind one in loosely to keep it in the general location.

Install the lower channel piece on the trailing side of the door opening. Push it up through the bottom between the scrapers and slide it over so it too locks in the ends of the scrapers. It has a little tab that should hook into the door. The bottom should have a hole that aligns with a threaded boss towards the bottom. Leave this bolt out for now also.

Next is the long window channel. This is tricky to get shaped nicely so it doesn't kink as it curves around the corner of the glass. Do a little pre forming on the glass to get the shape right before poking it up from the bottom between the scrapers and squeezing it into place. This and the lower channel should secure the other ends of the scrapers.

With the bottoms ends of the two glass channels loose, slide the window glass up into the two channels far enough to get both sides fully in the channels. Once the glass is in the highest position, lower it enought to tighten the small screw at the top of the window divider.

If the rubber seems sticky, I use cornstarch or baby powder on the scraper rubber and edges of the glass to reduce the friction.

As long as the long glass channel is fully seated Put a screw through the channel and into the second hole in the top of the divider tab so the channel and divider are fully secured at the top.

Loosely install the two bolts and washers lower down on the divider bar. Double check that the scrapers, and vent window seal are still fully seated between the door and divider bar. If not get this corrected.

Push the window glass up and down in the channels by hand to check how easy it slides. If there is any binding or uneven or excessive tightness, work on pressing the seal in further with the 1/4" masonite until it is as good as you can get it. Tighten the two divider bar bolts and check the fit again.

At the corners of the channel check to see that the glass full seats in the curved channel when the glass is in the fully closed position.

Lower the window enough to install the window regulator.

Be sure to lightly grease the roller on the regulator and the channel it slides in. Clip in the bottom and between moving the glass up or down and winding the regulator up or down, get the four bolt holes lined up and four bolts loosely installed. Tighten them enough to use the winder to lift the glass all the way up into the upper door channel. I used a inner door handle on the window regulator to crank it up and down rather than a window winder.

Install the tapered M5 machine screw at the bottom of the long window channel through the channel and metal guide, and into the door.

Wind the window up and down a few times to check the function.

Install the armrest bracket and attach it to the bottom of the vent window divider. Run the screw through the forward glass channel and into the boss on the armrest.

Test the window again.

Tighten all the remaining screws and bolts.

Last is the vent wing window and its pivot.

Stand the door up on the floor. Lubricate the post and push the window into place. Line up the holes for the pivot and hold in place with a nail or punch. Test the function of the window. Use two hands to get it closed and latched. If it is too tight, this is a sign your vent window seal is not yet fully seated. Keep pushing down with your fingers and the plastic tool all the way around. Repeat the testing until you can get the window closed. It will get better over time, but not that much so keep pressing it in the groove on all three sides to make it better.

Press in the vent window upper pivot rivet and washer.

Install the perimeter rubber door seal and the aluminum garnishing trim on the outside, and the rain barrier and inner door card on the inside. Don't forget the springs and collars for the inner handles.

Done!

[nlorntson]

[Keith]

[OvalinAz]

[Keith]

This looks nothing like a normal semaphore opening. Wonder if they were welded shut and reopened or if this is a later American spec ‘55 that had the semaphores slots cut in and smooth fenders, heart tail lights and blade bumpers were put on it to make it look like an early ‘55 or the body was replaced at some point. Who knows what happened over the many decades since it left the factory.

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Formerly known in the forums as "OVALTEEN"

"I firmly believe that some villagers from Botswana could probably build a better road than PennDot."- Splitty

"If you do anything to your car someone will hate on you for it. People absolutely love to complain and find fault with others. Don't let it bother you. Just live and have fun."- Lind

[*Darren]

I actually think it's factory. Look at the trailing edge. I don't think it was welded up (need a pic of the other side). Now look at the top line and the leading edge especially near the top. That's buggered for sure, my guess someone tried to work on it or remove it and didn't know WTF they were doing. But it's a guess.

[Second Air Force]

For comparison's sake, here are the openings on our October 14, 1955 Standard.

Ragnar is looking beautiful, by the way, and THANK YOU for all the "how-to" photo-essays you've done. It'll really help when Ingrid gets to the reassembly stage!
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1956 Standard Sedan

[sled]

yes, the tab on the bottom has been ground off, and the top of the opening has definitely been chewed up.
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drive your split.

[nlorntson]

Final pictures of the restoration.

[joey1320]

Wow...
Incredible.
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**1971 Super Project
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[René R.]

Looks gorgeous. Great work and wonderful car. Congratulations.
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Gone but not forgotten: 1950 Hoffman split (restored in 1966) - another 1950 Hoffman split (restored in 1996)

[VW_Jimbo]

That's beautiful! Nice job. MAkes me want to find my old 1955! Sorry I sold that car.
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Second Air Force]

Absolutely beautiful!
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1956 Standard Sedan

[greek_tony]

Absolutely amazing!!!! Great work!!
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1963 Karmann Ghia - Sold
May 53 Ragtop - Resto started
October 65 Fastback - Almost there.

[Srecko]

Congratulations and a great job......beautiful car.

[Capriacci]

WOW!!! Thanks for sharing so many pics and infos. Great work!

[aa390392]

Beautifully done..every inch.
Mines on the way.
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[markendee]

Goodness me, what a great series. (and a beautiful car)

I am waiting for my quarter vent door posts to be rechromed and by the time they arrive back the doors will be the last thing for me to do.

I happened upon your ribbed door assembly tutorial at the exact right time.

Loved every bit of it and will study it minutely regularly before attacking my doors.

The tips and hints you have shared are worth their weight in gold. Thank you.

Just one question - I have noticed that you and Don build your doors off the car. Why is this? I was thinking the perfect stand/bench/workplace would be on the car.

Am I missing something?

Once again thank you so much for the magnificent tutorial and congratulations on a gorgeous car.

Regards,

Mark.

[nlorntson]

[markendee]

Being able to see up inside makes a lot of sense.