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DJPJMJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2014
Posts: 39
Location: Wilmington
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 Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 10:03 am Post subject: Back seat strap'79 |
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What does the strap in the back seat hook to for holding the back seat down? That reddish piece of hardware in the photo has something to do with I guess, but the strap doesn't reach. I guess I'm missing a piece. Anyone know?
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2wagonhos
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2012
Posts: 9
Location: Santa Cruz California
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:43 pm Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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I believe that is used to hold the seat back down when you fold it forward.
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On The Hunt For a 1979 Beetle Convertible, silver/black. No mods please. |
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DJPJMJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2014
Posts: 39
Location: Wilmington
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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| Thanks, I wonder what I'm missing though, as there is nothing to hook the strap to. The hook falls a good 3 or 4 inches short of that red metal part on the bottom. |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 1393
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 7:05 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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Here's a link to the owner's manual for 1979 model: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/79bug.php
Page 21 shows the instructions for how the back seat hold down strap works:
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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DJPJMJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2014
Posts: 39
Location: Wilmington
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:20 pm Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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| Thanks for that. Something is wrong here, my cable end doesn't look like that, or have anywhere to hook to. Funny because it looks original. If anyone has a pic of this area from a '79 with a working latch, it would be much appreciated. Minor detail but bugging me. |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 1393
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 1:05 pm Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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Yeah, on regular "hard top" Beetles there is a metal support rail that runs underneath the bottom front end of the lower seat cushion -- if you pull out the lower seat cushion, it's easy to see. The hook on the hold down strap fits into the upper lip on that metal rail. Not sure how convertibles are configured in that area, though -- ?? In your pic, the front of the lower seat cushion looks different than what I've seen in other Beetles -- possibly like it's 2 separate pieces or something - ??
In any case, I'd recommend you pull up/out the lower seat cushion (and maybe consider removing the lower kick panels too, if necessary) to see if that gives you better visibility of what that strap hook is supposed to connect to. Pretty sure you'll be able to figure it out if you poke around a bit more -- good luck! 
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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BMFBMF
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2020
Posts: 358
Location: Swtzerland
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 10:05 pm Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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| baldessariclan wrote: |
| The hook on the hold down strap fits into the upper lip on that metal rail. |
Interesting, does this mean that you can only use the strap if the bottom seat cushion is not in situ?
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-----Slava Ukraini-----
1971 Stock South African Beetle 1300 : My mom's european "Thin Chick" spec. Completely stock with torsion bar front, swingaxle rear, smooth hubs, single MC, 40 mm shoes, 31PICT3 carb and 5 bolt drums all round, currently Running a 1976 SF:AS engine with the original SF:AD engine overhauled in a box, waiting to go back in one day. |
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DJPJMJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2014
Posts: 39
Location: Wilmington
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 6:15 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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I don't think so, the manual says " Do not drive with the rear seat cushion removed and the backrest folded down." I don't see a place to hook to with the cushion removed anyway. Took a detailed pic of that folded piece of metal at the bottom of the seat last night, maybe a smaller mating strap or hook is supposed to be there.
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 1393
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 6:43 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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| BMFBMF wrote: |
| baldessariclan wrote: |
| The hook on the hold down strap fits into the upper lip on that metal rail. |
Interesting, does this mean that you can only use the strap if the bottom seat cushion is not in situ? |
No, you can slip that hook (on end of the strap) right into and out of that rail lip with the lower seat cushion in place -- no need to remove it. The lip at top of the metal rail sits higher than lower frame of the seat cushion, so you just need to press in a little bit on the unsupported vinyl face of the cushion to get the hook in and out. Bit hard to visualize, but easy in practice once you've done it a time or two.
Here's a pic from the gallery, showing the strap hook in the rail (at yellow arrow):
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 1393
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 7:00 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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| DJPJMJ wrote: |
I don't think so, the manual says " Do not drive with the rear seat cushion removed and the backrest folded down." I don't see a place to hook to with the cushion removed anyway. Took a detailed pic of that folded piece of metal at the bottom of the seat last night, maybe a smaller mating strap or hook is supposed to be there.
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Yes, that's where the hold down strap hook should fit on your car -- lip of the hook on the strap should face forward to mate with that red bracket.
It sort of looks (in your original pic) like you have a hook on end of that strap, but the lip on it may have been bent out somewhat(?). You might want to try "beating it back into shape", or replace it with another. And if the strap is too short, then you'd likely want to replace it as well -- they're often pretty much "rotted out" from sun exposure over the years.
Here's a pic of the hook (on the right) that came with the straps on older cars. Think they used a simplified hook and strap setup in later models (once again, kind of like what's shown in your original pic):
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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DJPJMJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2014
Posts: 39
Location: Wilmington
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| Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 5:31 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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| Thanks for all that but no luck. You can kinda hook in to the metal tab with the hook, but only if I disconnect the strap so it reaches. The strap would need to be a good 10" longer to reach. Weird, can't imagine it shrunk that much and pretty sure it's original. Strap I have is a little under 30". |
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DJPJMJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2014
Posts: 39
Location: Wilmington
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| Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2024 4:58 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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There you go I guess it hooks in like in the pic, seems to work. My problem is my strap is only 30" and doesn't reach. Wolfsburg West replacement is 42", guess I need a new one, or lengthen my existing one.
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meranda
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2015
Posts: 288
Location: Melbourne Australia
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 3:43 am Post subject: Re: Back seat strap'79 |
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Here is back parcel tray photo,it's the same as I have on my 71 Super
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