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What are heater channels?

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RevHard335 Learner Dubber

7 posts · joined Jan 2012 ·

#992232
This is probably gonna seem like a very unintelligent question for people in the know, but this has been bothering me for a long time now.

Beetle restorers are like, omg check the heater channels, make sure the heater channels are not rusty, heater channels are a big job to fix if they're rusty, heater channels heater channels omg omg. It's always the first words spoken but they never say WHAT they are and what the purpose of them is!

I'm going to be buying my first Beetle in a few weeks, so it's pretty important that I get this info downpat before any money changes hands. So any general points of what to look for when buying a used Beetle would be very helpful while you guys are around! I'm thinking of a 60's Baja because they seem like very cool and fun cars.

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#992235
they are the channels that run along the bottom of the doors on the pan.
they run from front to back one each side.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
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donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#992236
They're called heater channels because they channel the heated air into the cabin for cold frogs. I think they are an integral part of the strength of the pan / vehicle.
I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

RevHard335 Learner Dubber

7 posts · joined Jan 2012 ·

#992237
barls wrote:they are the channels that run along the bottom of the doors on the pan.
they run from front to back one each side.
Okay, they serve any purpose or are they part of the frame structure?

RevHard335 Learner Dubber

7 posts · joined Jan 2012 ·

#992238
donn wrote:They're called heater channels because they channel the heated air into the cabin for cold frogs. I think they are an integral part of the strength of the pan / vehicle.
Oh righto, that makes things a little clearer now lol

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#992252
Yes they are structural

Water gets in usually from the A pillar uner the hood
The A pillar rots out and breaks away at the base near the bottom door hinge

Water also pools on the bottom of this channel and slowly rots the base away

Can sometimes be hard to see the full extent of damage as it is covered on the boot by the pan
As effectively it is what the pan attaches to
Futue te ipsum!!!

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#992253
Hopefully my phone skills work here

https://www.google.com.au/search?site=&source=hp&ei=AOSLU9iLIcrs8AXe-YCIBw&q=vw+heater+channel+repair&oq=vw+heater+channel&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.1.0l5.2069.12135.0.16396.18.18.0.7.7.3.761.9463.2-2j0j9j3j4.18.0....0...1c.1.45.mobile-gws-hp..6.12.3423.0.nu4PhwPSCrQ#facrc=_&imgrc=Ao4jgq-nUb7eFM%253A%3Bundefined%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.greenchilli.org%252Fvw_images%252FDSC01563.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.greenchilli.org%252Fvw_page2new.html%3B640%3B480
Futue te ipsum!!!

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#992254
Just google "VW heater channel repair " and look at what comes up
Futue te ipsum!!!

Canni. Wolfsburg Wizard

471 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#992292
My tip is just to look underneath everything.. cars often look nice and shiny on top but look under the carpet, under the rear seat, get on the ground and check the pan, the battery tray area, open the doors and look at the bottom of them. Check under the boot liner in front and underneath the spare tire. Rust = $$$$ especially if you aren't doing the repair yourself, don't be fooled it IS worse than what it appears to be. I was also told to take a magnet and it quickly showed underneath a nice shiny fresh paint job was a lot of bog!

Good luck!
Heidi - 1960 White Beetle
'65 Kiwi Ghia

vlad01 Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,270 posts · joined Jun 2010 ·

#992308
if you can get a paint thickness gauge, even better!

71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE

mactaylor Custom Title Time!

1,005 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#992369
The old run your fingers underneath the heater channel, and if they come out bloody, dont buy it!
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