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Rjhdog Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2013 Posts: 369 Location: CA
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:42 pm Post subject: Rear seat headrest install z bed |
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So, I've searched thoroughly and just want to assure I am thinking correctly here:). I want to add rear seat headrests on my base 89 syncro stock transporter.
All the threads with pipe bracket mods seem to mostly talk about Westy rear seats. My syncro has the full width Z-bed seat and I can feel holes at the top of the rear bench under the foam and tweed where headrests would go. Could I be lucky enough to have a seat that was made to just install the plastic headrest guides? I am thinking the year 89 was headrests optional and not standard at VW at the time.
Furthermore , Is all the necessary hardware support to hold the headrests securely underneath the foam where all I need is to cut a small hole in the fabric and insert/ snap the plastic headrest retainer post in? No need to retrofit w/ welding on galvanized pipe and other hacks, right?
Lastly, anyone have a spare set of six plastic headrest guides laying around:) before I go on the hunt at the junkyards? Can I pull out the guides from the front seats if I find those at the yard?
Side note: I am sure I will figure it out, but where do you guys store these headrests in the van once removed to make the bed?
Cheers. |
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joetiger Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005 Posts: 5066 Location: denver
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 8:29 am Post subject: |
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If you can feel the holes in the top of the seat then you should be good to go. Test-fit a head rest to make sure that you've lined everything up. With the metal-framed z-bed, the plastic guides should click firmly into the seat after you make a small incision in the fabric.
As far as where to get the guides, you might try Bus Depot. They usually have stuff like that, or SleepyJoe here in the Samba classifieds, he might have some lying around. He has EVERYTHING (but he only takes money orders so it takes a little longer to get your parts.) Otherwise, all '85 and up front seats have the same plastic guides. I got mine from http://www.vwbusshop.de/en_GB as part of a bracket package for adding to my Wolfsburg (wooden seat back.)
I've found that the brand-new plastic guides and retaining pins are nice and tight, and make it nearly impossible to remove the damned headrests when laying down the seat to make the bed. I have to pull the retaining pins each time. The pins go in the ashtray next to the bed, and the headrests get thrown somewhere. It's a bit of a hassle, but it's safer for my kids when we're on the road. _________________ Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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Rjhdog Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2013 Posts: 369 Location: CA
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:58 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Joe!
I will def. measure up my headrests to make sure the holes line up perfect before i make the cuts into the fabric.
From the research I did, i think you can grind the bottom notch of each seat post to make it much easier to pull out the headrests w/o pulling the pin each time you want to make the bed. Could help your issue.
I agree a pain none-the-less, but the Kiddo's safety is the priority.
I will check Busdepot and SLeepyJoe if my local wrecking yard doesn't have them.
Many, Many thanks.
rj |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16473 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:03 am Post subject: |
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Rjhdog wrote: |
From the research I did, i think you can grind the bottom notch of each seat post to make it much easier to pull out the headrests w/o pulling the pin each time you want to make the bed. |
Yep, Take a look at the notches in the metal headrest post and you'll see that the bottom one is different than the others. It has one side at 90 degrees to the post, file that side to look like the others and the pin will slide over it without needing to be removed. It will make sense when you have a headrest in your hand. _________________ Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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joetiger Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005 Posts: 5066 Location: denver
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:06 am Post subject: |
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dobryan wrote: |
Rjhdog wrote: |
From the research I did, i think you can grind the bottom notch of each seat post to make it much easier to pull out the headrests w/o pulling the pin each time you want to make the bed. |
Yep, Take a look at the notches in the metal headrest post and you'll see that the bottom one is different than the others. It has one side at 90 degrees to the post, file that side to look like the others and the pin will slide over it without needing to be removed. It will make sense when you have a headrest in your hand. |
Excellent--thanks for the tip! _________________ Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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syncromike Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011 Posts: 660 Location: Boise, ID
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:29 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for posting this thread. This is on my 'to-do' list as well this winter on my '91 base Syncro. My kids have grown this year so their heads are starting to go above the top of the bench seat, but they're too big for a car seat, but the only place I found the inserts is on the German sites. Keep us posted if you find them stateside. _________________ _____________________
'91 Syncro w/ Country Homes PopTop |
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syncromike Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011 Posts: 660 Location: Boise, ID
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Rjhdog Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2013 Posts: 369 Location: CA
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:57 am Post subject: |
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Yeah 20 bones seems a bit mucho to me.
8 bucks is a bit more reasonable but how much is shipping from EU?
Has anyone attempted to pull these out of old, used seats? Is it worth the time? I imagine they will be a bit delicate to remove w/o breaking the plastic but is it fairly doable? |
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syncromike Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011 Posts: 660 Location: Boise, ID
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:04 am Post subject: |
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Rjhdog wrote: |
8 bucks is a bit more reasonable but how much is shipping from EU?
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6 Headrest ... 47.40 €
Worldwide delivery 28.90 €
Total amount 76.30 €
$104.05 - still cheaper than BD. A couple of online dealer inventories have them for $16 or so each. I'm going to see what my local dealer can get them for. _________________ _____________________
'91 Syncro w/ Country Homes PopTop |
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syncromike Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011 Posts: 660 Location: Boise, ID
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:07 am Post subject: |
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syncromike wrote: |
I'm going to see what my local dealer can get them for. |
$27 each from my local dealer. OUCH! Guess I'll be hitting the boneyards. _________________ _____________________
'91 Syncro w/ Country Homes PopTop |
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crazyvwvanman Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008 Posts: 9895 Location: Orbiting San Diego
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:22 am Post subject: |
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I have pulled dozens of them from seats I was trashing. Many times they come out fine and can be reused. Other times they come out damaged. Sometimes it is obvious that they went in wrong when they were last installed and got damaged from that. They can still work fine if only 1 point is broken. To remove them I lever them out with a large flat blade screwdriver or small pry bar. Use the lever rapidly and forcefully.
AFAIK any Vanagon seat that has a metal frame inside the back cushion also has the holes in the frame to add the guides. I have put them in many times.
The little wire clips that keep the head rests from coming out all the wall come in a type with a plastic thumb release to let you more easily take the headrests off to make the bench into a bed. These were used in Carats and hardtop Wolfsburgs 87/88 that came with rear seat headrests.
Mark
Rjhdog wrote: |
......
Has anyone attempted to pull these out of old, used seats? Is it worth the time? I imagine they will be a bit delicate to remove w/o breaking the plastic but is it fairly doable? |
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Mulcheese Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004 Posts: 548 Location: Maple Grove, Mn
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 5:20 am Post subject: |
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I have been looking into this for some time. I was trying to design an idea different from the euro order. I came across some seats that were removed from an 82, $20. I figured if the seats already have headrests why not take out compnents already designed for this. Here is what I did.
I ripped into the seats and cut this out of the frame.
The original seats curve to fit so I had to cut down a bit more and here is what I ended up with.
Drill some holes and some carriage bolts and here is what I have.
Foam and fabric back on and stapled and this is what it look like.
I might not reccomend this for someone that is, how do I say, of much girth. When you lay down to sleep you may feel the parts but my wife and I do not compress the foam much and we also have an extra layer of foam that we use to sleepon. This design does extend out from the plywood seat more than the euro parts but I do like how I did not cut in to the seat back.
I feel that with all of the seat replacements out there, seats should be easy to come by and some may even be given away for free.
Not bad for $20 though! _________________ 82 Westy: Air is cool! |
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blemon Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2014 Posts: 106 Location: WV
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:02 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for this thread.
I have been stressing about what to do when the kid grows out of the high-back booster. |
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