How to fit towel rail bumpers onto a 69

Azamagnum Learner Dubber

10 posts · joined Jun 2010 · 6 Sep 2011, 5:58 am

#860495

G'day all,
this has probably been asked a million times but i couldnt find the answer in a search.
Does anyone know whats involved in fitting towel rail bumpers onto a 69 beetle ?
Is the shape of the body area around the bumpers radically different in the earlier cars too a 69. I know the bonnet and boot lids look a bit different in the 69.
I can knock up some adaptor brackets if thats all thats needed. I prefer not to put other holes in the guards or body tho (i think the towel rails had upper and lower supports ?)
Thanks in advance gurus,
Aaron

Birdman Wolfsburg Wizard

428 posts · joined May 2010 · 6 Sep 2011, 3:50 pm

#860585

Im sure you have to drill holes in the guards for towel rails.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Sep 2011, 5:13 pm

#860599

Azamagnum wrote:G'day all,
this has probably been asked a million times but i couldnt find the answer in a search.
Does anyone know whats involved in fitting towel rail bumpers onto a 69 beetle ?
Is the shape of the body area around the bumpers radically different in the earlier cars too a 69. I know the bonnet and boot lids look a bit different in the 69.
I can knock up some adaptor brackets if thats all thats needed. I prefer not to put other holes in the guards or body tho (i think the towel rails had upper and lower supports ?)
Thanks in advance gurus,
Aaron

Hi Aaron
I saw a locals [next town] 69 beetle on Saturday with towel rail bumpers on.. it looked very good...

He had the brackets made up by His Son who is a fitter/machinist .. You can Now buy the adaptor brackets..

You just use the 69 bumper brackets and just lengthen and narrow the piece going behind the old bumpers..
or
just use a flat piece of steel going thru the guards and narrow it and bend it 90 degrees to be bolted to the bumper using the original bracket pieces..

no cutting of the car is needed..

You can now buy the over rider stay bars and the rubber grommets that fit into the guards..

You will find that the stay bars aren't fitted to many cars with towel rail bumpers as they haven't been available for many years...

cheers

LEE

these are the bumpers now on the 69 beetle... lol

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Azamagnum Learner Dubber

10 posts · joined Jun 2010 · 6 Sep 2011, 9:47 pm

#860696

Thanks for that guys,
do you see any problems with the boot and bonnet lids clearing the upper rail ?
I guess yu make the adaptor brackets have a larger stand off length ?
cheers,
Aaron

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Sep 2011, 11:07 pm

#860714

the front bonnet goes nearly straight up so shouldn't be a problem , they may also be shorter?

You may need to adjust the rear length as You said as in the USA they actually had a different rear bumper for the 67 models so the squared off rear engine lid wouldn't hit the top bars....

LEE

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---