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72Ghia
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Joined: November 11, 2007
Posts: 1253
Location: Baltimore Maryland
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hpw
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Joined: July 17, 2006
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Location: memphis
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pkane
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Joined: June 24, 2005
Posts: 284
Location: Loganville, GA
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 Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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I use mine.
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Pat Kane
71 Ghia Vert |
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72Ghia
Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2007
Posts: 1253
Location: Baltimore Maryland
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Ghiaddict
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2002
Posts: 2632
Location: Now in Honea Path, SC
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 3:12 am Post subject: |
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I wouldn't remove the snaps from the body, even
if you have no plans to ever use a boot.
Yes, they were factory installed on new 'verts.
My new-to-me '74 didn't come with a boot,
but I plan to get one soon and use it.
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Karmann Ghia & Beetle parts available.
Convertible tops installed. |
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NOVA Airhead
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Joined: July 20, 2005
Posts: 5221
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:16 am Post subject: |
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I use a boot. Its almost essential if you have a white headliner. Not using a boot will make it look dirty fast. The boot also will help keep it from drying out and cracking.
I also like the way the boot looks on the car.
If you do get one, take your time with the install. Leave it in the sun for a while as it will be almost impossible to install otherwise. They are tight when new as they stretch over time.
Even after you install it for the first time, I found leaving it in the sun for five minutes before putting it on was needed for the first few months as its very tight. You risk pulling the snaps out of it otherwise.
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Ghia Owner Emeritus |
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72Ghia
Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2007
Posts: 1253
Location: Baltimore Maryland
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Ghiaddict
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2002
Posts: 2632
Location: Now in Honea Path, SC
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:01 am Post subject: |
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The boots come with their snaps in a bag.
You install them into the boot material, using
the other part of the snaps on the body
as a guide. A snap install tool and instruction sheet is
usually provided.
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Karmann Ghia & Beetle parts available.
Convertible tops installed. |
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72Ghia
Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2007
Posts: 1253
Location: Baltimore Maryland
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Ghiaddict
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2002
Posts: 2632
Location: Now in Honea Path, SC
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:43 am Post subject: |
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| 72Ghia wrote: |
| Ghiaddict wrote: |
I wouldn't remove the snaps from the body, even
if you have no plans to ever use a boot.
Yes, they were factory installed on new 'verts.
My new-to-me '74 didn't come with a boot,
but I plan to get one soon and use it. |
Some were missing snaps so I removed the rest just leaving the holes.
I guess you can purchase new snaps to install to the body? Thanks ! |
Yes, even a decent upholstery shop will have snaps.
Place a small rubber washer under the body snaps
when you install them, just flush with the edge of the snap.
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Karmann Ghia & Beetle parts available.
Convertible tops installed. |
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Lair
Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2009
Posts: 859
Location: The Monkey Ranch
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:10 am Post subject: |
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Be very careful when you install the snaps on the body. Some of the screws may screw into a double panel, and the outer sheetmetal will get pulled down and look like a dent.
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'65 Deluxe bus long term project |
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pkane
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2005
Posts: 284
Location: Loganville, GA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:21 am Post subject: |
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The cover I bought came with a snap kit that includes all pieces.
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Pat Kane
71 Ghia Vert |
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72Ghia
Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2007
Posts: 1253
Location: Baltimore Maryland
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72Ghia
Samba Member
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Posts: 1253
Location: Baltimore Maryland
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Lair
Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2009
Posts: 859
Location: The Monkey Ranch
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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| 72Ghia wrote: |
| Lair wrote: |
| Be very careful when you install the snaps on the body. Some of the screws may screw into a double panel, and the outer sheetmetal will get pulled down and look like a dent. |
Good tips thanks. I guess it's best to leave power tools alone for that job. |
It only happened to me once - when I was installing snaps on a friend's freshly-painted black car.
If he hadn't been standing there watching, I wouldn't have noticed it until it was too late. The snap in question is the one on the left rear corner. May or may not apply to your car, but keep an eye out for it.
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72Ghia
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Location: Baltimore Maryland
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Lair
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Joined: January 20, 2009
Posts: 859
Location: The Monkey Ranch
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:49 am Post subject: |
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The rearmost sides were like that on that car. It was a '69 model, so different years may be different.
There was bound to be some fluctuation in snap location on the assembly line also.
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Ghiaddict
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Joined: November 20, 2002
Posts: 2632
Location: Now in Honea Path, SC
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: |
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From about 1969 through 1974 all the original body
snap locations we've measured are virtually
the same. Maybe they used a template of some
sort to gain that kind of consistency.
But beware that some DPO may have made some
modifications, for whatever reason. 
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FiremarshalBill
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Joined: March 09, 2009
Posts: 232
Location: Pacific Northwest
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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I always use the boot when the top is down. I think it just looks more "finished". My car had the top down with the boot installed so much, the boot was actually faded to a charcoal gray from the sun when I got the car.
Since the boot was in otherwise excellent condition, I simply hung it over a saw horse outside and painted it with a can of flexible vinyl black spray paint and it looks like new again.
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Firemarshal Bill
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible
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72Ghia
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