Club 80-90 Forums

maybe a sily question but here goes. i've got an 82 Aircooled panel conversion which im restoring as its previous owners bodged just about everything.its just had a respray and im almost finished but cant get the side vents to fit? the ones that were on there were broken and siliconed into the body. i purchaced some secondhand ones but they seem almost there but just wont go in the holes. the original ones had screws through the sides but the new ones have screw holes in the middle of the slats?? is there a different type for early vans or are they all the same? stupidly i binned the old ones

Part 6 481971915 grommet x4 89p each

part 7 251853684A expanding nut x4 34p each

Part 8 N 0439702 screw x4 24p each

all prices not inc VAT

I always thought Aircooled vans had metal intakes.

They might have been cut out and the plastic ones bodged in like you say.

think its by age and as yours is an early one i would say it should have the pressed type and as said above someone cut them out.

My '82 had plastic vents from factory, don't think they changed size or shape of vents. if you offer em up do they look remotely like they should fit?

look at you boys pictures and everything, im impressed! they do look similar shape and prob would fit with a bit of trimming. its just the holes, the originals were screwed through the sides and i cant see any relevant holes in the body for the holes in the new ones. bit weird. think i might have to resort to a bit bodgery myself!interesting about metal vents? not seen this before.
cheers guys

They weren't metal vents but actually pressed into the panel

Kev, I was under the impression that the '82 aircooleds had the plastic vents.

Mine's is a late Aircooled, registered '84 and has the metal pressed vents

Mines 81 and has plastic ones, seems like no hard & fast rules apply to this one.

When your van was registered doesn't necessarily correspond to when it was born! Sending your chassis number and 30euros to the VW Heritage museum will sort that.

Either way, vans are split between pre-June '86 and the rest; and the vents on early ones are different.

that explains it, had a closer look at the body last night and you can see where the slats have been cut out, quite gutted really would have prefered original. cheers for all your help in solving that one

You could get a set of these. Not quite original but close and they would cover the hole: