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mcque Samba Member
Joined: April 02, 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Port St. Joe Florida
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2025 5:10 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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At wolfsburg west
LOWER CHANNEL SCREWS, secures lower channel to window frame, fits all Buses through 1967, does both sides N109800
$4.53 |
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mcque Samba Member
Joined: April 02, 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Port St. Joe Florida
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2025 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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Ah, thanks for the input guys. I went back with a magnifying glass and could now see what you described. 2 teeny screws, and 2 3 or 4 mm nuts.
I appreciate the help on this, its alot better than breaking off something that wasn't meant to be broken off. |
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EverettB  Administrator

Joined: April 11, 2000 Posts: 71792 Location: Phoenix 602
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 9:28 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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Yes, there are tiny slotted screws on the other side with nuts where you are pointing.
Are the nuts already removed or rounded off?
I can't see nuts in that photo.
They are so tiny and they get frozen that a bunch of times the screws just snapped when I tried to take them apart.
They are regular metric screws/nuts available from the hardware store though so easy to replace if they break. _________________ How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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BarryL  Samba Member

Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 15404 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| Aren't there Phillips flat head screws that come out on the other side of your finger? |
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mcque Samba Member
Joined: April 02, 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Port St. Joe Florida
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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Happy Easter All,
Redoing factory windows, and the lower horizontal bar that both glasses windows sit on I cannot remove (pointing at in picture).
I'm pointing at the nuts (?) and have no idea how to remove these without damage. I can't identify them. better to ask than to break lol
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BulliBill Samba Member

Joined: July 09, 2004 Posts: 4790 Location: St Charles, MO
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:17 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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Back when I did a discussion thread here on the restoration of my April of 1959 Double Cab I covered how I did my vent window assembly and the assembly of both my cab door window assemblies. Check that out, as it might assist you too. Lots of photos and descriptions...
Here is the first page of the entire DC restoration thread:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=545000
Here is a link to the pages (pages 35-36) that might help you out on the cab window assembly:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...;start=680
If I can do it, you can do it too! Take your time and be patient! Walk away from it if things get weird, take a beer break, and try it again a little later. And enjoy and use my "baby powder" solution.
Bill Bowman _________________ I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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pondoras box Samba Member

Joined: March 22, 2004 Posts: 1844 Location: Warren, PA
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 5:34 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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Get an old pair of vise grips and grind the griping teeth of the jaws. drill a divot into one side of the jaws to allow for a large ball bearing to sit in the divot.
Put the proper rivet in place and tighten the vise grips down with the ball bearing in the divot and against the side of the rivet that crushes. Now apply pressure to the vise grips to get the rivet to start crushing. Be very careful if you use too small of a ball bearing when the rivet crushes it goes quick and can cause the ball bearing to come out quickly.
Once the that happens you now completely flatten the rivet using only the modified vise grips and it will look and act like the factory did it.
Sounds complicated but its actually really easy once you try it. I never damaged a window frame or even ruin a rivet. 100% success rate with this method and I've done well over 15 window frames. This method works for the vent window also. _________________ Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.
1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda). https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=563183
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1960 hardtop
1964 hardtop
1965 hardtop (Arschloch)
1973 standard bug (Dirty Gertie)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=804912
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion |
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Stocknazi Samba Member

Joined: June 18, 2004 Posts: 5533
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2024 10:09 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| thom wrote: |
| Stocknazi wrote: |
Are the holes in the frame opened up?
If not source some original size rivets and buck them back into the frame. Or make some one-off rivets that are larger in size if needed. |
You know, I've never actually installed traditional rivets - I've always used pop rivets in everything, but I don't think that would look right in this application. |
To be upfront, I've never riveted any of these window tabs, but have bucked a number of rivets.
WW offers the rivets here:
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=N134251
Pretty simple really. Make sure your rivet is flush to the surface of the latch tab, back up the heads with a bucking bar, then smush the tail to expand in the hole.
Grind the backside flat if needed.
You can make a bucking bar by making a couple dimples in some bar stock. Should work well in a press or vice if you don't have one. You can also use a ball peen hammer like you would use on hubcap clips if you have clear access to the tail of the rivets. _________________ WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).
"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson |
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thom Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2000 Posts: 6266 Location: Sacramento
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:04 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| Stocknazi wrote: |
Are the holes in the frame opened up?
If not source some original size rivets and buck them back into the frame. Or make some one-off rivets that are larger in size if needed. |
You know, I've never actually installed traditional rivets - I've always used pop rivets in everything, but I don't think that would look right in this application. _________________ -Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type |
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Stocknazi Samba Member

Joined: June 18, 2004 Posts: 5533
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2024 7:34 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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Are the holes in the frame opened up?
If not source some original size rivets and buck them back into the frame. Or make some one-off rivets that are larger in size if needed. _________________ WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).
"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson |
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thom Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2000 Posts: 6266 Location: Sacramento
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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All hackage aside - what's the best way to proceed in re-attaching these guys? _________________ -Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type |
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BarryL  Samba Member

Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 15404 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| thom wrote: |
| BarryL wrote: |
| Could that have happened as someone was breaking into the wing? A common place for thieves to try their mischief. |
That wouldn't explain why the inside seal channel was all buggered up or why the latch plate had been previously drilled out. |
I see what you're saying now. Friday at 4:30 factory fitment? |
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ryans65 Samba Member

Joined: February 16, 2016 Posts: 1360 Location: Yulee FL
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 4:25 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| I used a pop rivet in each hole that I then struck to make flat so the seal fit, still working fine after several years. The wolfsburg west latches on the other hand have broken twice. |
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thom Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2000 Posts: 6266 Location: Sacramento
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 3:44 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| BarryL wrote: |
| Could that have happened as someone was breaking into the wing? A common place for thieves to try their mischief. |
That wouldn't explain why the inside seal channel was all buggered up or why the latch plate had been previously drilled out. _________________ -Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type |
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BarryL  Samba Member

Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 15404 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 6:16 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| thom wrote: |
And somehow someone had really mangled this one in the past, but I'm confused, because it didn't look like it had ever been apart before, and the seal looked original. Could it have been that someone screwed it up at the factory? Or maybe a really early dealer repair.
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Could that have happened as someone was breaking into the wing? A common place for thieves to try their mischief. |
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thom Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2000 Posts: 6266 Location: Sacramento
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Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 4:00 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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I'm in a similar boat right now: I took the frame apart and had them blasted, but I removed the wing latch strike things and had them chromed, and now I'm trying to figure out the best way to re-attach them. I actually thought about brazing them onto the frame.
And somehow someone had really mangled this one in the past, but I'm confused, because it didn't look like it had ever been apart before, and the seal looked original. Could it have been that someone screwed it up at the factory? Or maybe a really early dealer repair.
_________________ -Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type |
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rmcgoldrick Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2017 Posts: 2 Location: Perth, Australia
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:19 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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I had to drill right through the rivets to get mine off (from the outside). Use a drill bit a few sizes smaller than the diameter of the rivet. Eventually they'll collapse and you can hammer them out. Yes, you can definitely buy new rivets but I found the small bolt and nylock nut much easier. I bought mine from https://www.customandcommercial.com
Don't forget they get almost completely covered by the rubbers once it is all reassembled |
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Jerry Samba Member
Joined: October 28, 2007 Posts: 1367
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2023 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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| peecee69 wrote: |
I'm trying to remove the latch plates for the vent windows so I can decide if I'm going to replace them (probably) or strip and refinish them. For commercial vehicles, should they be black or chrome?
I cut the heads off the rivets, but they aren't moving. It's too tight to drill out (at least from the inside of the frame), so it seems my other option is to drill out from the outside.
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I would love to know if you found rivets to reinstall your latch plates… _________________ Looking for SO34 parts.
thevwcompound *instagram* |
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rmcgoldrick Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2017 Posts: 2 Location: Perth, Australia
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 11:04 am Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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I made this short video of my window frame restoration. I hope it’s helpful:
https://youtu.be/Bn74o67gn68 |
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Lind Samba Member

Joined: November 06, 2000 Posts: 10260 Location: idaho
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:45 pm Post subject: Re: Front Window Frame HELL Restoration |
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The Sigla bottom felt channels are still no longer available. I reached out EIS parts who had previously reproduced them, and they said they had no plans to make them again because of low demand.
I took a set of Sekurit felt channels, and cut the middle rib out with a razor blade, and trimmed it nice and smooth, and the Sigla frames slide back and forth just fine. There is really nowhere for the frame to go right and left anyway. The rear and upper felt channel pieces hold the glass in the right place. _________________ .
Wanted:
Idaho VW license plate frames or other dealership items.
VWoA literature and early dealership or distributor literature/pictures/information
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