Ghia door latch differences

[Loren]

I was going through a box of Ghia door latches last night and got confused trying to figure out what years they were for. According to the Karmann Ghia Parts & Restoration catalog there are 5 different latches:

56-63
64-66
67 (one year only)
68-70
71-74

I also checked my 1971 Ghia parts book and it made things even more complicated, especially since the part numbers in the book don't match up with the part numbers on the latches. The parts book has 6? different versions:

141.837.015A up to chassis number 5 677 118 July 63
(note: use 141.837.021A up to chassis number 1 522 940 July 57)
141.837.015B from chassis No. 5 677 119 up to 146 1021 300 Aug 63-65
141.837.015C from chassis No. 147 000 001 up to 147 999 000 Aug 66- Jul67
141.837.015E from chassis No. 148 001 001 up to 140 3100 000 Aug 67- Jul 70
141.837.015F from chassis No. 141 2000 001 up to 141 3200 000 Aug 70- Jul 71
141.837.015G from chassis No. 142 2000 001

The latches I have before 68 are all date stamped, which helps, but you have to remember that the model year started in the middle of the previous year. For example if you have a latch that is date coded 10.66 (October 66) it is actually a 67 model year latch.

Here are the 5 basic latch varities I have. Please let me know if I have made any mistakes and please post pictures of latch variances I don't have.

56-63 Ghia latches

This latch is date stamped 1.57

This spring was phased out at some point. The 4.63 latch below does not have it.

This latch is date stamped 4.63

Here is where the spring was on the 57 door latch

I don't see any part numbers on these early style latches, though they are stamped with L or R depending on which side it is for.

Here are the two early style latches side by side. Notice that the 57 latch on the right has a solid star rivet while the 63 latch has a hollow crush rivet.

64-66 Ghia latch

This latch is date stamped 1.64

Here is the part number. Funny that it doesn't match the number in the parts book. It appears that the prefix part number is the same on all the later latches (though the last digit is changed to a 3 or 4 to desiginate a left or right latch). The number after the period is what to look for when identifying a latch. This prefix number ends with 4, making it a right hand latch, then you have the .2R (R for right hand side).

67 Ghia latch (one year only)

This latch is missing the return spring.

Here is the date stamp. Notice that it is stamped 10.66, even though it is a 67 Ghia latch.


68-70 Ghia latch

Here is the part number for a left hand latch

Here is the part number for a right hand latch

These numbers are stamped where the date stamp would be, but they don't appear to read as a date

Here you can see a major difference between the 67 latch on the left and the 68-70 latch on the right


71-74 Ghia latch

It is also interesting to note that there are only 3 different door strikers. One for 56-63, 64-66 and 67-74 Ghias.

[sputnick60]

It's sticky time, John!
Great detail Loren,
Thanks
Nicholas
_________________
'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
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[John Moxon]

[Plantman]

Very helpful in identifying the latches. I have a '71 and am missing a spring on my right door latch. In the last photo there is a small spring in the upper right corner of the latch that I am missing. Do you happen to know of a source for it or where I could get a substitute? I am neare Asheville, NC.
Thank you for any assistance you can give.
David
_________________
Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day,
No matter where you go, there you are.
'69 bug & '71 Ghia

[Loren]

You might have to buy a used latch here on the Samba and either use that latch or use the spring from it to fix yours. Sometimes you can find NOS springs too, but they don't come up for sale often.

[Plantman]

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll keep checking the classifieds.
David
_________________
Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day,
No matter where you go, there you are.
'69 bug & '71 Ghia

[Filipke]

I have a question about the door mechanisme.

I have an ghia coupé 14 from 63 with 3 bolt striker in the body.

I have the door handles like on the picture the top ones 64-67

And I have the door like in the picture.

I have No door mechanisme only +67 so that doesn’t fit at all.
Wil this door handle (64-67) fit the door mechanisme for -63?
The door handles I have do have the same shape…
I have heard that the door handles from -63 are very hard to find…

I am trying to get this al togheter but its not that Easy apparently

Thx for all the help