Installing door panels

[junichi]

Thanks, Clara! I will fix my door handles. I didn’t know how they were set so I appreciate that tip. I did spend some time getting them working right- especially getting the driver’s door to lock. So far so good!
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1964 Kombi- http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=640048
Sold: 1985 Transporter Doka,1978 Westfalia, 1975 bay x 2, 1986 syncro vanagon, 1965 beetle, 1980 vanagon, 1967 deluxe bus, 1988 golf

[Clara]

FWIW, I offer the cab door panels with the 12/63- 67 clip holes pre-drilled.

Vents for the foot heat means your bus was buildt 4/64 or later.

I now make 4/64-67 kick panels with the mounting holes pre-drilled. This version of the kick panel has standard hole placement, the earlier ones don't. The hole for by the foot vent for 64-65 is near the top of the vent, for 66-67 at the bottom corner of the vent. So I pre-drill that hole partway. Check your bus and drill the rest of the way through the one that matches your bus before installing the kick panels. The metal on the nose by the foot heat grill is a little different as well 65 compared to 66.

VW installed the cab door handles pointing forward and up at about a 45* angle. Pulling up should open the door. Spin the forward part around if it works the other way. I recommend you check that the door mechanisms work smoothly, and lube them, before installing the cab door panels. Lube the 64-67 door props too, that'll ease strain on the lower door hinges.
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[junichi]

I’ve gotten pretty good and making mistakes that others can learn from. Firstly, I bought the wrong kick panels for my 64. This is painfully obvious when ordering from Wolfsburg West, but the later have cutouts for some vents that the earlier kick panels lack. 64 is a crossover year, so you have to check a lot of parts before ordering.

I didn’t make a hole finder since I found it would be very hard to use on the kick panels due to lack of clearance. I just measured and ended up slightly missing most holes, but no big deal on the little screws. I just drilled a couple new holes.

For the doors, my 64 has standardized locations for the clips. The holes are pretty big, so a plastic sheet template worked. I’d do the hole finder for the small screws on earlier doors. The bonus of the plastic template is you can trim and use the same plastic sheet for vapour barrier if you want. Then I layed it all flat, template on top and just poked a little dent at each hole location. Once on the bus, I clamped the panels to the door and drilled a tiny hole to check location, then bigger, then full size. I went one hole at a time with the big drill bit, checking that nothing shifted. Or so I thought. When I got to the bottom, it had shifted! The panel was about 1/4” low, having slipped during my drilling and pushing in clips. Make sure to clamp well and check your door panel alignment often! I had to pull the clips, adjust the panel and then bore out several of the holes in their new locations. In some cases, the hole is not completely covered by the head of the clip. : ( When I did the next door, I actually started at the bottom as there is less margin for error on the alignment. That was successful. All in all, the method worked well on the second door, but a little more care in keeping the panel aligned would have been great for the first one!

I used Clara’s tutorial for the ceiling panels and had no issues. For the screws to hold it in at the back on the roof member, I just eyeballed it and was able to hit every existing hole.

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1964 Kombi- http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=640048
Sold: 1985 Transporter Doka,1978 Westfalia, 1975 bay x 2, 1986 syncro vanagon, 1965 beetle, 1980 vanagon, 1967 deluxe bus, 1988 golf

[campingbox]

I’ve always found the WW screw sets were fine for the cab door panels. It was the bulkhead panels I recommended some longer ones but for your bus they may want rivets instead. I’m not 100% sure when the change was but you can probably tell by the existing holes in the bulkhead.

Try metric specialties or Metric MCC. It’s a slotted oval pan head screw. They carry them. If you measure the size and length I expect they will have something longer for you with the same head size.

[missmybus]

[dirtyfrank]

I’m gearing up for the door panel install, and I made a hole finder tool using stuff I had laying around the house. I found some old metal blinds and cut a couple short sections to size. Drilled a hole, and attached both sides together with a small nut and bolt. Then drilled a hole to match the original holes in the door. Installed another small nut and bolt, and then filed the head and the threads of the bolt down. I used a vice grips to bend the tool to roughly match the curved ridge around the inner rim of the door. I hope this helps somebody else!

[hitest]

Great write up! I employed this exact technique a few years ago during camper panel replacement day. I only had one near hole miss- causing a slightly crooked screw install near the floor of a panel. It's a very rewarding job. and nice to know I drilled zero new holes in my camper.
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[bustermot]

Hello all, Thanks to everyone who posted in this area. After much procrastination and with quarantime on my hands.I just finished installing WW panels on my 61 SC using advice from some of the posters, clara, stock nazi and one other who i can't remember. I have some pointers.

I tried buying the expensive hole finding tool. It did not work well, except on the front roof panels. Elsewhere the bulge next to where the panels sit is in the way. Unless you get a hole finding tool that has real bendy metal, don't bother. I'll explain how I did it based on a modified method someone else put forth. To be fair; for maybe 10 holes out of maybe 70 it worked well.

I spray painted the backs of all of the panels with 123 primer. Be careful, it is easy to get paint on the nice side if you aren't a careful type. yeah.

I waxed the edges of the panels with a candle to help with any water that could drop on the edges from open windows. I used unscented white candle. For one part that I mashed a little I actually melted the wax and kinda stuffed it in the papery area.

I removed the inner door handles.

I removed any existing panel screws or gunk.

I pounded down existing holes even those not to be used to be flush so panels seat well.

I vacuumed out, then blew out the inside of the bases of the doors.

I affixed a shower curtain to the door using duct tape, making sure it is up where the screws will be so that they keep it in place. But not visible when panels are in place.

Now here is the part I hadn't fully read about before, just the first half of the method;

I put a 1.5 inch strip of masking tape at the edge of all locations of where I determined screws should be--the tape -running parallel to the edge line bulge of the door ( or the panel itself when it is there) and perpendicular to a line drawn from that tape line to the hole or the location of the hole to be made.

Some existing holes will work for the screw diameter in the WW kit, some are too big. Ones that are too big are not used, therefore a suitable location super close is determined and the tape method is employed; Here it is... I marked the location on the making tape using pen with a dot or line or arrow, whatever.

I then put another piece of masking tape perpendicular to the one already down (on all tape put down). The edge of this tape runs directly over that little hash mark andthe hole or the to-be hole. That spot is marked (Imagine there being a panel there, then make the mark. it'll be raised in the air like a few millimeters by the panel.) I also marked up where the tape sat in relation to the other tape in case it got knocked off I could replace it without bending the panel to hell to look under it.


It is necessary to bend the tape backwards or the introduction of the panel will hide all of the little tape tails swinging in the wind.


Then put the panel in place and clamp it with a giant clamp if you don't have friends with socks you don't mind smelling nearby, that is.

Put handle back on, with escutcheon helping hold the panel now.

Gently put tape in place being careful to pull with even force so the mark on the tape is right over where you will place your drill bit tip.

Starting on the upper right rear screw, using a 1/8" drill bit screw the first hole in the panel making sure the panel is in the correct position, because there isn't much movement after this, Put that screw and washer in place. Then do the one on the bottom right corner of the door.( see clara)

One thing to note is that of course most times you will hit the exact hole and you just go through, on the areas where you are making holes in the metal there will be resistance and you have to drill into the metal. This may not appeal to some people with more valuable super stock vehicles. Most of these vehicles have multiple holes from previous owners so it is an easy thing to not sweat.

Repeat many times. And it looks great I think, yay. I will post pictures later. I just had to write this up having just done it.

One note, WW was out of kick panels when I ordered so I got a set from Jbugs. They are waaaay lighter in color than WW, so light they should be painted grey to match. Or I might have my daughter paint a mural on them. They die eventually anyhow, why not.

[Stocknazi]

[Red Fau Veh]

Well I want to use the existing holes on my doors and Clara mentioned this tool, but I couldn't quite figure out what it looked like. But here is a drawing and all makes sense to me now, its ingenious!

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1971 Deluxe Sunroof Bay 1905 stroker, dual idf40's, 74mm Scat forged crank, engle 110 cam. CB 044 heads, AutoCraft rockers, chromoly push rods
1973 Orange transporter stock type 4 with dual 40 Dellortos and Empi single quiet pack
1969 Adventurewagen blue whale Gene Berg 1776 built by Dave Kawell dual 36 DRLA's, Vintage Speed exhaust, Bosch 019 screamer
1961 Swivel Seat camper, L345 grey

[Bret Young]

[EverettB]

Rubber pieces here

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[Bret Young]

[otis_bartleh]

[otis_bartleh]

[Clara]

[Clara]

[Bret Young]

Maybe part of my rattling noise is because the door handle isnt installed yet. I am assuming once you put that spring under the door panel and put the pin into the handle it will put some tension on the mechanism.

I have been driving my bus for a month without door panels (put the door handle on when I need to get out), but I get a decent amount of rattling around inside my door.

Anyone else noticed this?

[otis_bartleh]

[Bret Young]

Another question somewhat similar to this topic. Might as well ask it here instead of starting a new thread.

Any of you guys out there have issues with your door mechanisms in your front doors rattling?

Any processes/materials that you guys use to minimize rattles? Now is the time to address it. Dont want to have to pull the panel off to fix noises.