56-60? glove box inserts

[Loren]

After talking to a fellow early Ghia owner a few weeks ago I have decided to take my glove box insert project off the shelf and start working on it again. I have been collecting parts for my 58 Ghia project for many years and still can't find a good replacement glove box insert, only the crappy plastic ones, yuk! A year or so ago I looked at the remains of the glove box insert I had and decided that it wouldn't be too hard to reproduce it. Well, I finally found a good undamaged original glove box insert to use as a model and make a mold from.

My question is: if I am able to make a near perfect reproduction that fits as original would any one else be interested in one? I hate to go through all this work to make one glove box insert for myself. If there is interest I could also look into flocking the interior of the inserts as original, though I don't know what colors were available and I doubt there are any sample books. I would also be limited by the colors of flocking available. Does any one know how many colors were available? I looked through my early parts books and there is only one part number listed and no color options. When was the black paper pulp glove box insert superceded with the grey cardboard version? I know the interior of the glove box was colored to match the color sceme of the car/interior, but was this the case through out the use of the black glove box insert? or did VW change to a "one color fits all" glove box later in production?

So far I am working on a mold of the interior of the glove box and should have it completed in a few weeks. Once that is finished I can start making trial runs and see what I come out with. I plan on using archival, color fast black 100% rag board for the actual glove box instert. I will have to cut the rag board up and blend it with some water (maybe adding some acrylic binder too). Once the rag board is pulped I will spread it out over a screen to the correct thickness, cut it to fit over the mold (using a pattern made from my original box) lay it over the mold, "sew" the seams together while it is still wet, let dry, remove from mold and trim to fit.

If any one has any suggestions, has already tried this, or knows of a perfect reproduction already available please let me know.

[thom]

I'd buy one if it came out nice.
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-Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type

[lonotch]

Put me down for one if they fit.
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It's not about the window, it's about the people.

German Folks

[dmercer]

[Broadacus]

[quote="dmercer"]

[RockStock]

[westcoast-paul]

[RockStock]

[RockStock]

From an og 59 Aero Silver Coupe - does she look beige??!

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=297722
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-StockRocks-

[Gary]

[70 140]

Don't let a few bad apples spoil it for everyone else. I would guess there are 10x the number of people who read this forum then who post on it....people that enjoy looking at photos and reading information. I am in no position to advise anyone, but a few bad comments wouldn't stop me from posting. Fuck the people that complain, if it bothers them so much why are they here??

[dmercer]

[john morris]

Broadacus, I think DMercer's comment was a compliment of sorts. He like the rest of us are at times amazed at your knowledge of ghias. I for one read post that don't even pertain to my car so I can learn more.

Knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted. Pass it on!

[dmercer]

Hrrm... It didn't even occur to me that my comments could be taken as a complaint or criticism. Such was certainly not the intent.

Just to be clear, my opinion is that the kind of detail-oriented threads posted by Broadacus and RockStock (not to mention Retrowagen and others) are among the most valuable resources that someone restoring an early Karmann Ghia could ask for. It is exactly this kind of information that keeps me coming back thesamba, and I am grateful that these individuals choose to share their knowledge, images, and research with the rest of the community.

I have cited and referred others to threads by these authors numerous times and made use of them in my own project. I sincerely hope that this sort of quality content continues to be posted here.

[Loren]

Glad to hear the confusion has been resolved, now we can all kiss and make up and get back to the topic of glove box inserts.

Last night I lined my original 57 glove box with plastic and filled the interior with plaster. Unfortunately, I tore the original glove box while extracting the plaster mold I was hoping that no harm would come to it, but some times sacrafices need to be made. I still have to fill in the low areas where the original box was deformed due to the hold down strap and where the plastic overlapped during the mold process. I have added some plaster to fill the low spots but it will take a week or two for the plaster to fully cure before I can smooth out the mold and prep it for the paper pulp.

So far it sounds like there were only two interior colors available for the glove box insert for 58-59 Ghias, unless some one has information to the contrary? The 57 glove box I used for my mold had a green interior and the car was originally green so maybe pre 58 cars had glove box interiors to match the car color? Dave R. are you reading this? what was the interior color of the glove box on your red 57 Ghia?

[retrowagen]

[RockStock]

Glovebox on an og Toucan Black 56

Grey?

would be nice to see these made, loren
_________________
-StockRocks-

[thom]

Why are you using plaster to make the mold? Why not fiberglass?

My concern would be that the mold won't last very long.
_________________
-Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type

[Loren]

I am using plaster because it's cheap, easy to use, non toxic, and easily fills the interior of the glove box. I am not very familiar with fiber glass and didn't know how to get it to mold to the interior of the glove box, besides all the fumes get to me. The mold doesn't have to be really durable since I am just using it to place a layer of paper pulp over, my only concern is making sure that the paper does not stick to the plaster. If the mold does not hold up I can always repair it, make a mold of the plaster mold and recast it in any material I want, but I doubt I will be making enough glove boxes that this will be a concern.

So it looks like there are only two colors to worry about for the late 57-60 Ghias. I am curious about the color of the glove box interior in the late 55 through mid 57 Ghias. The one I used as a mold was from an early 57 with the vent knobs at each end of the dash and the interior was green with a light green flocking. Any one else out there have a pre 57 Ghia with an original glove box?

[Douglas Denlinger]

Loren,

Please count me in for one, maybe two in grey.....please pmail me when you have a finished product, my 4 year cab project is soon coming to an end!!!

Douglas
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Transporter Restorations
Upholstery Haus

Active 23 Window Samba Collector/Restorer,since 1986