Late-model Brazil doors on an Oval?

I've got a half-crazy idea and I'm looking for comments/advice. My Oval has - of course - the old-style door latches that tend to pop open at inopportune times, like flat-chat overtaking a truck, or when hard on the brakes in the twisties... I have replaced all mechanisms etc with new, but still it happens. Is it possible for me to find (in Aus) and fit late-model, small-window doors shells from a Brazil car (fitted as standard with the more secure, 68-on door latches) and do a cut and shut on my B-pillars to fit the complete later-model (68-on) door latch mechanisms?
Comments...nn[ Edited on 2-8-2005 by VWCOOL ]nn[ Edited on 6-8-2005 by VWCOOL ]nn[ Edited on 9-8-2005 by VWCOOL ]

what year model is your oval?

Do 1500's have bigger windows in the doors?nn[ Edited on 02 August 2005 by MikeM ]

MikeM wrote:Do 1500's have bigger windows in the doors?nn[ Edited on 02 August 2005 by MikeM ]

My car is a 56 I think... the doors are the later-, non-ribbed doors with the common 60s-style latch... that pop open sometimes
:cussing
1500s had larger windows than Oval/60s cars. Mexican cars kept pre-68 small glass size but used 1500-style, 'burstproof' latch

EDIT: I meant to say Braziilan retained small-windows, not Mexican

[ Edited on 12-11-2006 by VWCOOL ]

It wont work late mexican cars had the same doors as our cars did from 1968
late brazilian ones should work because their cars had the same turret as our 67 and earlier cars
be aware that the rest of the world got the bigger windows in 64/65 except australia brazil
H & M Fermans in sydney brought brazilian bodys in during the late 80s the might be worth trying
* if youre body isnt straight the doors will not close well any how

They will fit but the window level will be different and the chrome strip also

zjm wrote:It wont work late mexican cars had the same doors as our cars did from 1968
late brazilian ones should work because their cars had the same turret as our 67 and earlier cars
be aware that the rest of the world got the bigger windows in 64/65 except australia brazil
H & M Fermans in sydney brought brazilian bodys in during the late 80s the might be worth trying
* if youre body isnt straight the doors will not close well any how

Ooops! I got Brazil and Mexico mixed up... it was Brazil that kept the 'small' windows!

So, what are my chances of finding Brazil late-model small window doors and making them fit my Oval?!nn[ Edited on 4-8-2005 by VWCOOL ]

wouldnt you be better off modifying your oval doors to accomodate later latches? if your gonna mod a door anyway 🙂

killakornkobb wrote:wouldnt you be better off modifying your oval doors to accomodate later latches? if your gonna mod a door anyway 🙂

I have to modify the B pillar, but I'd rather just bolt-on the Brazil doors... far easier than modify the doors I have

you have u2u vwcool

I got very confused with all of this.............
I take it You are after a 1968> brazillian door with small glass and "Late model" door catches....

Have You already changed the door pillar catches already to the late type...

I know the early 56>early 60.?? doors had just an up and down catch which opened very easily....
Then there was the striker on the late 1960 >beetle and on the 68 > Beetle....

That is 3 x different lock types and striker plates...

the later two striker plates may be interchangeable....
I know of Baja Beetle My Sons Wife Had was a 1964 body with 1968> doors..... or was it the other way round?? Memory not too good....
So how that works I don't know.....

Best of Luck..

Lee Noonan

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

heya fella,

why not just replace the standard latch's with "bears claws" ones?


would be the easy way to do iti and it would retain your original doors and look..while providing much needed safty they are the style of hinge mainly used when fitting suicide doors.... machine 7 in the uk make them... sure other places do to


steff..........................

yo dude its been done... thats what i have on my car... propper locks that never ever pop open.

alex

Alex... Yeehaha! Any problems? Is the glass and window winder std 56-68 stuff? I assume the door latrch mechanism is standard 68-on? etc

DubCrazy... What are these Claws you speak of?

I'm kind of interested in this too, although I want to keep early doors and door handles/hardware in my '58.

here's some stuff I found on bear claw latches, there is one that is meant to be good for VW's because of it's small size
http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/latches_plus.html

Thanks Che... they look like a great idea... But I would prefer to use the 'factory' method.

VWCOOL wrote:Alex... Yeehaha! Any problems? Is the glass and window winder std 56-68 stuff? I assume the door latch mechanism is standard 68-on? etc

Alex..?

Does the VW importers Fermans still exist?

yep there just down the road from me.

Where's that exactly? I can't find address in google or White pages etc. Want to go there today if I get time

The bears claw lock looks very similar in the way it connects... to the 68 on door locks...
Round shaft on door jamb...
and lever with groove that holds the shaft....
and turns and locks on the shaft...

H & M Ferman
the number I have is 95332722
I don't know how old the card is...
I have bought stuff from them many years ago....

Those doors have the early glass and early line in the door but just different door handles outside
and different lock , I'm not sure what handle or latch they use inside on the door..

Lee

Okay, I'm ressurecting this idea in anticipation of a make-over/respray early in 2007 (I hope!) Can anyone tell me if late latch mechanisms (mounted inside the door) can be operated by early (Oval style) door levers?