Car central locking and alarm for beetle 73.

Topaz Slammed & Awesome Dubber

96 posts · joined Mar 2012 · 22 Jun 2012, 11:32 pm

#909535

Hey all. 🙂
Has anyone had any experience with car centrol locking in a beetle?
I am having trouble finding sum1 who has done this before. The guy I am getting to instal the alarm, told us that we need to mount the solenoids outside the door, ie where the door card is.
This would mean a hell of a lot of fiddling around & a buldge in the door card around the solenoid.... not a pretty look! 🙁
He said that the window winds down almost to the bottom of the door leaving no room inside the door 4 the solenoid.

Thanks
Sammy

Samantha 🤪

'73 Super Beetle: Fully restored, bare metal re-spray, custom interior...lovin' it 🙂

beetleboyjeff Custom Title Time!

1,790 posts · joined Feb 2009 · 23 Jun 2012, 12:41 am

#909542

Sammy, I had mine installed at our local Autobarn, and didn't have any problems. The window glass doesn't go all the way to the edge of the door.

From your ole' mate Jeff

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 23 Jun 2012, 11:03 am

#909571

I'm with Jeff, I've done this to a 69 and it all fit inside the door cavity. I think another installer might be the way to go.

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 23 Jun 2012, 12:10 pm

#909581

I mounted my actuators a fair bit higher than Jeffs and they are still well clear of the glass when fully down.

Like Cam says, probably just a lazy installer.

SebastienPeek Custom Title Time!

1,657 posts · joined May 2011 · 23 Jun 2012, 9:33 pm

#909661

So far mine are all inside the door, without an extra piece for mounting.
Will get photos at some point, probably when it's all done.

But yeah, lazy installer, can all be done very easily, just takes time.

The sold one, '73 VW 1303 - Zelda
The project, '74 VW 1303 - Gretl

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

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 23 Jun 2012, 9:45 pm

#909666

Topaz wrote:Hey all. 🙂
Has anyone had any experience with car centrol locking in a beetle?
I am having trouble finding sum1 who has done this before. The guy I am getting to instal the alarm, told us that we need to mount the solenoids outside the door, ie where the door card is.
This would mean a hell of a lot of fiddling around & a buldge in the door card around the solenoid.... not a pretty look! 🙁
He said that the window winds down almost to the bottom of the door leaving no room inside the door 4 the solenoid.

Thanks
Sammy

He must be an idiot Sammy..
no one mounts them outside the door????
probably never ever seen the inside of a VW door before
lots of room there...
and hasn't taken any notice where the glass actually ends up when its down.???

I have had mine in the cupboard for a few years now.. lol
only have the remote alarm fitted now..

LEE

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

bnicho Wolfsburg Wizard

436 posts · joined Feb 2009 · 23 Jul 2012, 10:20 am

#914078

I'm about to complete this mod to my 74 Super and with the help of the photos in this thread I have made up the brackets to hold the solenoids in the doors.

The only bit left to do really is to wire up the solenoids. Any tips on running the wires through the A-pillars? I can't easily get access to the back of the pillars from under the dash, so do I have to run the wires through from the front "boot"?

Cheers,
Brett.

Brett Nicholson
Melbourne, Victoria
1974 VW Superbug L - Olive 😎
1971 Morris Mini Moke - Mopoke
1966 Austin Mini - Audrey
1965 Morris Mini Traveller - Trixie
2007 Land Rover Freelander 2
2009 Nissan Pathfinder

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 23 Jul 2012, 12:39 pm

#914089

Hi Brett,

You can just see with mine I run the wires through the door and pillar into the boot through rubber grommets.
There is plenty of holes through the back of the dash area to bring them back into the car.

I tried running the wires in corrigated loom tube but there's just not enough room when the door is shut for it.
been setup like this for over 10 years now and no problems, even when I had bent hinges on the drivers side

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 23 Jul 2012, 1:59 pm

#914094

Hi

As for getting the wire from the car to inside the doo.

You need to drill a hole in the door and the A pillar to take a grommet to hold plastic tube and to carry the wire, then use an oversized grommet on either side so that the plastic tube is gripped on one side and slides through the grommet on the other side.

Steve

beetleboyjeff Custom Title Time!

1,790 posts · joined Feb 2009 · 23 Jul 2012, 5:03 pm

#914121

1303Steve wrote:Hi

As for getting the wire from the car to inside the doo.

You need to drill a hole in the door and the A pillar to take a grommet to hold plastic tube and to carry the wire, then use an oversized grommet on either side so that the plastic tube is gripped on one side and slides through the grommet on the other side.

Steve

Like this.

From your ole' mate Jeff

bnicho Wolfsburg Wizard

436 posts · joined Feb 2009 · 23 Jul 2012, 9:54 pm

#914181

Thanks again guys. That's given me a few ideas.

Cheers.

Brett Nicholson
Melbourne, Victoria
1974 VW Superbug L - Olive 😎
1971 Morris Mini Moke - Mopoke
1966 Austin Mini - Audrey
1965 Morris Mini Traveller - Trixie
2007 Land Rover Freelander 2
2009 Nissan Pathfinder

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

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 24 Jul 2012, 12:00 am

#914198

Hi
this is how I did it but only for the door speakers
will either have to do more or make the one larger
the steel is very thick there , took a long time to drill thru.

the cable is fixed at one end so the cable just slides back and forth.. can't remember which end is fixed??
maybe in the door..

haven't fitted the remote locking yet
just remote alarm..

LEE

I do have a locking ignition lock I got from the USA to fit one day also..

centre starter switch has the locking function
the cutout in the steering shaft should already have the steering lock cutout... Lee.

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