JBugs Video Series

1971 VW Super Beetle - Door Installation & Assembly:

Body Exterior

Video Overview:

The re-assembly of our 1971 Super Beetle continues and in this video we will get the doors bolted back to the body. Then we will install all the latches, catches, levers and glass components to get the door completely assembled. Follow along as our tech covers the installation and the assembly!

Door installation: 0:55
Door latch & release rod installation: 2:08
Lock pull & collar installation: 2:42
Inside door lever installation: 2:50
Door catch installation: 3:07
Window regulator installation: 3:35
Door check rod installation: 4:09
Door seal installation: 4:24
Felt channel brace installation: 5:49
Outside window scraper installation: 6:15
Felt channel clips installation: 6:30
Vent wing installation: 6:45
Felt channel installation: 7:24
Inside scraper installation: 8:22


Video Tips:

Tools used in this video:

1/4” Drive Ratchet
1/4” Socket Driver
1/4” Drive 10mm Socket
1/4” Drive Allen Driver
Phillips Screwdriver
Small Flat Blade Screwdriver
Impact Driver with #3 Philips Bits
Brass Hammer
Rubber Mallet
Chisel & Punches
Large Flat Blade Screwdriver
Side Cutters
Trim Tools
Masking Tape

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Chemicals Used:

Spray Glue
Silicone Spray Lube
Weather-strip Adhesive

Video Transcript:

Hi! Sam here with JBugs.com
In our last video, we disassembled and rebuilt our vent wing assemblies. 
Now that they are, we can get them installed, along with the rest of the parts, on our door. Before we get them back in place though, we need to get our doors back to the body.
That starts with the door hinges opened up and aligned with the door 
and we carefully set the door hinges in place at the front of the door jam. 
Then, while propping up the door with a foot, 
a few door jam screws are threaded into the top and the bottom hinges to make sure the door doesn't fall off or scratch any paint. Taping off the door jam opening beforehand can help protect the paint while getting the door fit.
The remaining screws are threaded in and with the door hinges in the center position, as they are adjustable, an upper and lower screw are tightened. 
We close the door carefully to check the alignment of the door gaps and the body lines. The hinges are adjusted in or out and up or down, as necessary, to get the gaps and more importantly the body lines as even as possible. Tweaking the top of the door one way or the other while holding the bottom of the door can help to even out the fit of the door to the body.
Once we're happy with the fit of the door, 
all of the door jam screws are tightened and then we install the door hinge screw caps at the top and bottom door jam holes. While we're here, we'll install the door check rod seal as well. Next, we'll get the door latch mechanism and release rod installed.
After making sure the latch is in the closed position, we install the mechanism into the door, 
the lever rod is inserted through the parallelogram opening, set into the mechanism, and a spring clip slides in place to hold it. Then, the mechanism is set into the opening at the back of the door. 
We line up the door lock pull rod with the opening at the top of the door, 
and the three screws for the mechanism are threaded in and tightened down.
We install the door lock pull collar into the door and then thread on the door lock pull to test the operation. 
To help prevent rattles, we glue-in a piece of foam around and behind the lever rod before installing the door release lever. The lever is bolted in place and another piece of foam is glued in place as a sound and wind buffer around the lever.
Next, we screw in the door catch at the B-pillar, and tighten the screws just enough to hold it in place, so we can test the alignment. 
After some testing and adjustment, we get the catch in place, and hold the door closed and aligned with the body. Once we do, we can open the door and tighten the door fully. We'll temporarily install the outside door handle since we'll be pulling it off later when we color sand the car so that we can test the operation of the latch and the key.
The next piece to go back on our door is the new window regulator. 
After spraying some silicone spray lube into the regulator track, the regulator is set into the door from the bottom. Once the window crank post is in place at its opening, we install the two bolts the hold the regulator there. 
Then, we make sure the track and the upright brace are both set behind the window opening, closer to the inside of the car, 
and we install the bolt in the upright window brace, at the regulator there. We won't install the bolt at the bottom until the glass is in place.
A new check rod stop is slid over the check rod, the rod is inserted into the guide, and the assembly is bolted in place on the door jam. 
We can't connect the rod into the mount on the A-pillar until we get the door seal installed, so we'll get to it next.
We orient the door seal at the three corners and install the top back and the bottom front corner first. 
We work the rubber into place, between the two, pulling the rubber a bit to thin it out before pressing it into place. Working along the seal and into the channel works best. A trim tool can be used afterwards to make sure the seal is set properly.
Once the seal is in place past the door check rod, the check rod is attached to the mount at the body with a pin, and the clip can be installed. 
Back to the door seal, [while] working along the bottom, we'll demonstrate a common mistake that is made while installing the seals.
If you were to simply install the seal from one corner to the next, when you get to the end, you'll have too much rubber. 
So, install the corners first and then work the rubber into place from there. A trim tool helps to finish up pressing the rubber into place. 
The same method applies to the back of the door seal, but here we first stretch the seal to get it in place behind the door latch, 
and then the remaining portions at the top and bottom are installed.
Note that we don't use weatherstrip adhesive. 
You can, but we recommend getting the seal installed first then glue the seal in its sections, otherwise, things could get very messy. 
Another thing we'll note is that the German door seals have a powdery coating and appear gray in color. 
The coating helps the door seals wear in so don't wash or scrub it off.
Next, we'll install the felt channel brace with the felt channel clip already installed. 
There is another clip at the top edge that will hold the brace at the top side. So, after the brace is set in place into the door, we tap it in place so that it lines up with the channel at the top, and bolt it in place at the bottom. Then, we drop the roll-up glass into the door opening from the top opening and gently set it in place at the bottom of the door.
Now, we'll install the outside scraper and after carefully getting it into the window opening at the bottom, 
we work the back and upper edges into the door, and then we finish by pressing the bottom edge and the clips there, in place into the door. 
The remainder of the outside scraper is held in place with five felt channel clips. 
They are installed by setting them in place, at the three holes at the top and the two holes at the back, and the clips are seated with a mallet and a punch.
The next thing to go into the door will be the vent wing assembly after we install a new felt channel. 
So, we run a bead of weatherstrip adhesive down the back edge of the vent wing, we trim the new felt channel to length and apply glue down the back of it as well. 
Once the glue is tacked up, we press the felt channel into place. 
Then we run the back edge of a pair of side cutters, up the felt channel, to seat it in place.
Now, we can set the vent wing assembly into the door, bottom edge first, and then tap it forward into the door opening and install the lower bolt. 
The screw at the top of the vent wing is installed and then we can install the long felt channel. Through the window opening at the back of the door, the felt channel is shaped to bend at the top of the door, and butted up against the vent wing window at the front edge. 
From there, we work the felt into the groove at the window opening, pressing it into the felt channel clips working from the vent wing window across the top of the door. 
We further shape the felt to the bend at the door, down the backside, and into the felt channel brace inside the door.
Now, we can move the roll-up window into the felt channels and push it all the way up. 
Then, we roll the window regulator up, with a handle we've temporarily installed, up to the bottom of the sash at the bottom of the class. We make sure the holes for the glass are lined up with a punch and then we line up and bolt in the regulator at the bottom of the door.
The two bolts that hold the regulator to the window sash are installed and we roll down the window so we can install the inside scraper. 
While rolling down the window we can see a common issue that occurs with new scrapers. 
The rubber gets stuck to the glass and pulls inside the door. 
So, once the window is down, we spray the rubber with silicone spray lube and roll the window up and down again to spread the silicone out. 
It will take a bit for the scrapers to wear in but the silicone spray will definitely help.
The inside scraper is the last piece to install and after it is set into the window opening, 
a trim tool is used behind each of the clips to help snap it into place. Some more silicone spray on the rubber scrapers keeps them from sticking to the glass and we roll the window up and down to make sure everything operates as it should. 
With that, we can close the door on this video. 
The assembly is the same for both doors and with them complete, we can get onto our next step, installing the padded dashboard.
Thanks for watching! 
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