67-71 Beetle Rear Carpet binding

[harrymarlin]

All - I have a 67 convertible, and I'm looking to have the original rear PVC carpet rebound. I can't tell if the bottom part of the carpet originally had binding, or not. Mine has some partial binding (which looks original) on the bottom, but the pictures I have found on the site (such as below) look to have that section completely unbound.

Does anyone have an original in a convertible who can tell if this was originally bound all the way around (or have some thoughts on it)?

_________________
-Harry
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1967 Ruby Red Convertible Beetle ("Becky")
ISO Albuquerque "Imported Motors" dealership paraphernalia

[67conv]

Harry, my '67 convertible has the original cloth binding still intact, and it extends 5" inwards on the bottom on each side, but no further. The rest of the bottom edge is not covered with any cloth binding, only the first 5" on either end, then unbound. This might be because mine is an early (August '66) production and later versions might have done away with the extra 10" of unseen binding? How far does your binding extend down there?
_________________
1967 VW Convertible, owned /driven /pampered for 34 years.
1957 DKW 3=6, owned /driven /risen from the dead for 20 years.

Previously owned: 72 "Baja Champion SE" Spec. Edition Super Beetle bought NEW; 79 Convertible bought NEW; 67 type 1 savanna beige; 67 2.0 911S; 73 2.4 911T; 63 356 T6 B Cabriolet; 64 356 SC sunroof coupe; 72 Type-3 Squareback; 68 + 69 Type-3 Fastbacks; 87 Vanagon GL Wasserboxer

[harrymarlin]

[67conv]

Yes. 100% sure, Harry. No binding was between those two 5" areas. A lot of the little detail things the factory did or changed during any given model year (especially '67) might not make much "sense" to us enthusiasts over a half century later, but they had their reasons.

No trace of prior remnants of any binding or stitching along that bottom stretch of material on my '67, except for the abrupt ending of the binding at about 5" inward along the bottom on each side. It was in a well hidden area, normally completely out of sight anyway.. so go figure!
_________________
1967 VW Convertible, owned /driven /pampered for 34 years.
1957 DKW 3=6, owned /driven /risen from the dead for 20 years.

Previously owned: 72 "Baja Champion SE" Spec. Edition Super Beetle bought NEW; 79 Convertible bought NEW; 67 type 1 savanna beige; 67 2.0 911S; 73 2.4 911T; 63 356 T6 B Cabriolet; 64 356 SC sunroof coupe; 72 Type-3 Squareback; 68 + 69 Type-3 Fastbacks; 87 Vanagon GL Wasserboxer

[Big Bill]

I think 67conv is on the right track, that area is usually never seen. There are quite a few other what I would call cost saving omissions VW did, like not painting the rest of the interior sheet metal when they painted the dash and door edges and the sheet metal under the head liner area isn't painted. Really it is probably quite a $$ savings when you look at how many cars they produced.

[harrymarlin]

[67conv]

Harry, here is a picture from another early '67 convertible (not mine) which clearly shows the binding in question extending inwards along the bottom edge. To answer your questions, the binding extends 5 1/2" (not 5") inwards equally on both sides, and stops right at 5 1/2". I will post additional close up pictures of my car's binding in those corner areas, as it's not exactly easy to describe how the original was done (stitched, ends, etc) in that area without photos to aid in the description.

One can only make an assumption, based on seeing a limited number of original 1967 convertibles in that rear luggage area, that there was a change over mid year with all the other detail changes to eliminate those two 5 1/2" strips of binding - to no binding along the bottom at all - as in your first picture. There's not enough of a database to support that assumption, but it's in line with other "early" vs "mid" vs "late" '67 detail changes. Methinks the bean counters probably asked: "Why waste 11" of binding material and the time to stitch it down there, anyway?" It'd be interesting to see if anyone has an ORIGINAL '68 or '69 'vert that used the same material back there if it has those 5 1/2" binding strips or nothing like some of the later '67's.

_________________
1967 VW Convertible, owned /driven /pampered for 34 years.
1957 DKW 3=6, owned /driven /risen from the dead for 20 years.

Previously owned: 72 "Baja Champion SE" Spec. Edition Super Beetle bought NEW; 79 Convertible bought NEW; 67 type 1 savanna beige; 67 2.0 911S; 73 2.4 911T; 63 356 T6 B Cabriolet; 64 356 SC sunroof coupe; 72 Type-3 Squareback; 68 + 69 Type-3 Fastbacks; 87 Vanagon GL Wasserboxer

[67conv]

Here are some close up detail pictures. Consider this cloth binding has been down there for 54 1/2 years, so it's no beauty queen!! Hope this might be helpful to you and your your upholsterer..

Driver side:

Passenger side:

..underside

_________________
1967 VW Convertible, owned /driven /pampered for 34 years.
1957 DKW 3=6, owned /driven /risen from the dead for 20 years.

Previously owned: 72 "Baja Champion SE" Spec. Edition Super Beetle bought NEW; 79 Convertible bought NEW; 67 type 1 savanna beige; 67 2.0 911S; 73 2.4 911T; 63 356 T6 B Cabriolet; 64 356 SC sunroof coupe; 72 Type-3 Squareback; 68 + 69 Type-3 Fastbacks; 87 Vanagon GL Wasserboxer