Through the past couple of decades, Volkswagen restoration parts were hard to find, and good quality parts were just about impossible to get your hands on. Thanks to companies who now exist specifically to supply you with Volkswagen restoration parts, there are easy ways to get good parts for your beloved Bug, Thing, or other VW models.
For some interesting reason, one of the Volkswagen restoration parts that give people some of the worst trouble are the latches on the doors. Specifically, people are having trouble with the Volkswagen single cab and the double cab latches. Since both cabs are incredibly rare, finding a used true latch from another vehicle is pretty much hopeless. However, many people are trying to interchange the latches, like putting front ones in the back, and visa versa. However, these restoration parts are different from each other.
The latches for both the VW double cab and the single cab are different. The latches that are for the front doors are different from the latches for the rear doors. The rear door latches have screws that are sunk into the latch that screws to the gate of the door. The forward latches are secured through the cab with the bolt going from inside out, screwing into the handle, or latch, on the outside.
One trick you could try instead of hunting tirelessly for more Volkswagen restoration parts is to put the front door latches on opposite sides in the back. The latches might look a little off but it sure will work. However, the sides of the latches would stick out a bit, causing you to bump you arms or snag your clothes as you walk by if you are not careful. Take the leaver part of the latch off of the mount shaft and swap them so that they bend around the back, like they should. This may sound simple, when in fact it really may not be!
The best thing to do in that situation is to go ahead and for around $50, order a set of the right Volkswagen restoration parts. Not only are latches front to back and back to front not really interchangeable, the latches are different before 1967 than they were after 1967. Latches that were made before 1967 have a sharp curve to the handle. The latches made after 1967 have a rounded curve to them. However, if you find the wrong curve and are tired of searching, if you dont care that much about originality, both the sharp curved and the rounded curved fit the same.
The next time that you find you are in need of Volkswagen restoration parts, make sure to first look online for companies that sell good quality parts. Many of them will offer shipping discounts and sale prices, and offer guarantees for their restoration parts as well.
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