Bug doors

[megzy]

Been offered a pair of doors from a 1974 bug, apart from a hole for the mirror is there any difference i should be aware of, my bugs 1965
beetle in question

[slammedkustom]

they are the same size but the door handle is different, yours will be a push button type and the 74 ones will be trigger style, the door latches will also be different and some of the bits in the door..ie quater lites will be different

they can be made to work but you might be better off trying to find 65 era doors

[dungbug]

I've got a feeling the swage line is also slightly different, I'm sure a mate of mine tried 70's doors on his 60's bug & although they 'fitted' they didn't look right.

[Dez]

swage is same.
drivers top hinge pin will be different (no mirror mount), and they're a sh1t to change.
youve already mentioned the mirror hole.
trim holes are obviously different size, and at a different height too.
if yours is a true '65 and not a '66 then the inner handles, (twist to release handle rather than trigger), the mounting points and entire mech will be different(and not easily interchangeable without bodging or a fair bit of cutting and welding) plus door latch will be different(they changed to bearclaws in '68) and mount differently(different bolts/hole),
plus if yours is a 65 you wont have holes/bulges for a door pin whereas a later door will (came in in '66).
outer handle scuttle is miles bigger on a post 67 door as proviously mentioned, handle is also different and not interchangeable without mods as 67 and earlier handles are held on with two bolts, 68-up are one bolt.

'65 doors are one year only- big window, square push button handle, twist to release inner. these are usually fitted on the crossover linkpin chassis but big window cars, but i have seen em on balljoint cars.

but then some later '65s had '66-'67 doors that are small window, square push button, with late tyle trigger release inner handles.

from those pics, yours could be ether type.

[Dez]

oh, and ive just remembered the window winding mechs and associated mounting points are totally different too- 65-67 are twin-lift, not the later single lift type.

[megzy]

cheers guys

i think mine is a 65 as i have twist to open internal door handles, but i also have ball joints.

dez would you of a spare door any where, my door is full of filler an rusted away where the chrome trim goes

[Dez]

i can find out for you next week. i know i have a couple left, but i honestly cant remember if they're 65 or 66, or exact condition.

[megzy]

that woul be great if you could

[tofufi]

Aug 4, 2011 20:09:05 GMT Dez said:

if yours is a true '65 and not a '66 then the inner handles, (twist to release handle rather than trigger), the mounting points and entire mech will be different...

plus if yours is a 65 you wont have holes/bulges for a door pin whereas a later door will (came in in '66)...

'65 doors are one year only- big window, square push button handle, twist to release inner. these are usually fitted on the crossover linkpin chassis but big window cars, but I have seen em on balljoint cars.

but then some later '65s had '66-'67 doors that are small window, square push button, with late tyle trigger release inner handles.

from those pics, yours could be ether type.

That's not quite right.

'65 and most of '66 have the same doors (square push button and twist inner handle). Only very late '66 model year cars (around April or May '66 onwards) gained the later style inner mechanisms and round exterior push buttons as seen on '67 bugs

Edit: Oh, and Megzy your car is a '66 model if it has balljoints. Built September '65 or later.

[Dez]

thats the thing, I'm not entirely sure when the change for (inner) door handles is supposed to happen versus the change of other parts (eg. chassis) versus the model year change.
it gets even more confusing when you factor in registration date/year too and people calling their cars '65s when really they're early registered '66s or '66s when they're really late registered '65s. so many changes went on in the '64-68 period I fully expect dealers had cars with different combos of parts sat on their forecourts back then, all being sold together.
on count ive had 5 '65s, 6 '66s and 6 '67s, and amongst those ive had pretty much every combo going, including a K+L car with trigger lever internal handles. not all were uk market cars, and some were originally irish CKD cars too. in the end id just go with what was 'right' to the car rather than right to the model year!

i was just trying to highlight the major differences to look for, and what i minefield it can be getting the right ones..

[slammedkustom]

quite simply


"IS NO!"
;D

might be able to point you in the directions of a correct door, where you based?

[megzy]

near hemel hepstead