Club 80-90 Forums

I've just ordered a seal thing to go behind the runner cover, I was told that I would need 2, one for either side.

Well I've checked, and the cover on one side is incorporated into the rear panel. My bus is LHD, I've looked at photo's other LHD's and they seem to be the same.

The RHD's do appear to have a cover on each side. Have I worked this out correctly? If so it's something I've never noticed before.

Yep, one each side as you can see from these pictures of my respray with them removed. You can just see the cover in the first one in the bottom RH corner of the shot.

I think its an early van versus late van issue. Early vans had 2 covers, late vans had one cover and the other side is incorporated into the tall wheel arch panel.

WHS - My late (89) has only one.

but my van's 1990

You've gotta luv those crazy guys in VW.

Cheers peeps.
Oh dear, it seems I've made more confusion than answers. My theory is LHD vans had one cover, but RHD vans needed the door on the opposite side, so that had to put a cover on both sides, leaving the original cover in place saving them having to make a replacment panel for the OS of RHD.

I need to find a picture of an early LHD to back up or dismiss the theory. Mine is 1986.

I'm pleased other people also only have one cover, I was beginning to worry what old bodge I would find under my paintwork. I do like things done right.

Cazz wrote:My theory is LHD vans had one cover, but RHD vans needed the door on the opposite side, so that had to put a cover on both sides, leaving the original cover in place saving them having to make a replacment panel for the OS of RHD.

Hmmm - so didn't they have LHD twin slider vans then??

It's probably illegal to have doors that open into the road.

1664 wrote:

Cazz wrote:My theory is LHD vans had one cover, but RHD vans needed the door on the opposite side, so that had to put a cover on both sides, leaving the original cover in place saving them having to make a replacment panel for the OS of RHD.

Hmmm - so didn't they have LHD twin slider vans then??

Hmmm, oh sod. What year did they start making twin sliders, LHD or otherwise?

So why do some have 2 covers and others only have 1?, my poor brain.

Titus A Duxass wrote:It's probably illegal to have doors that open into the road.

Can't be illegal else they'd never have made twin sliders in the first place......

1664 wrote:

Titus A Duxass wrote:It's probably illegal to have doors that open into the road.

Can't be illegal else they'd never have made twin sliders in the first place......

Sorry meant to say might be illegal here in Germany.
They may have been made for export only.

There are strange rules over here, e.g. sliding windows in the rear right side slot are Verboten - you might chop your arm off with the sliding door.

LHD vans single sliders have only one door track , the other side is a smooth panel

this is the same as RHD south african vans , they had a smooth panel opposite the sliding door!


basically its down to vw actually converting a twin slider LHD van into a RHD van , rather than tool up for a RHD single slider. prob due to costs

a bit like the wiper spindle mounts - LHD lumps are still there , for RHD they drilled new holes with plastic spacers!

only south africa actually designed a RHD shell as it were.

alot less metal is used in the later smooth panel as well as faster/ simpler construction

Thanks billy739, that's perfect, it's put my mind at rest knowing that I'm not going to discover a major bodge under there. Also I'm pleased my theories are not completely stupid, there is some logic there somewhere.