Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:06:51 -0500
Reply-To: Jeff Lincoln <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff Lincoln <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Driver's side grab handle
In-Reply-To: <3554C0F9-FC9F-47E1-8663-DF3406329418@comcast.net>
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Here it be Tom in all its Unca Joel glory:
*ayup. but here's how you do it ...*
**
*grab handles: this is a bit more tricky. i wanted a pull-up handle
(like is already on the passenger side) (to clarify Joel and are a speaking
of the same thing grab handle/pull up handle - same in this case) for the
driver ... on the
a-pillar. well, it turns out you have to be real careful when you
drill holes into the drivers a-pillar: there is a big bundle of wires
running inside. so what you do is this: take the grab handle
completely off the passenger side, so there is nothing but holes in
the metal visible. the last little plastic 'packing' comes out if you
wiggle it front to back while pulling on it. don't pry it with anything
... you will scratch the paint. now get some wide masking tape and
smooth it down on the a-pillar, covering the holes where the handle
was. mark where the holes are (for the grab handle) and also mark
where the edge of the a-pillar is (the corner edge ... the a-pillar
cross section is kind of a square). also measure down from the edge
of the headliner to the topmost hole ... to help make sure that the
two handles are pretty much the same distance down from the roof.*
*now peel of the masking tape, invert it and move it over to the
drivers side. measure that same arbitrary distance from the headliner,
mark it on the a-pillar, and put the edge of the hole mark here,
aligning the edge marks with the a-pillar 'corner' again. check it out
as to distance from the roof, see if the holes look 'right' as to the
amount of metal between the holes and the windshield seal. then drill
a small hole into the top most hole ... DO NOT LET THE DRILL BIT GO
DEEP INTO THE HOLE. drill slowly if you can. using a coat hanger
(or some such), poke around in this hole to push the wire bundle back
out of the way. now drill the other hole. be careful. when you get
all the little holes drilled, you should be able to see the bundle of
wires ... push it out of the way while you re-drill the holes with
the proper size bigger bit ... 7/16ths or 1/2 inch. check the holes on
the passenger side to be sure. messy, cause there will be
shavings all over the console pod and steering column, etc. i used a
large magnet to clean up afterward ... a sheet or some such cover
would probably be a better idea.*
*when you get all the holes drilled, you might want to put some paint
on the edges of the new holes ... just for rusts sake. let it dry,
then put the new 'packing' in (hint: since the other one is disassembled,
you forgot which way the things went. there IS a top one and a bottom
one. the smaller end goes up on the top, and down on the bottom). then
just put on the new handle and screws ... and you can go back and
put on the old one, too.*
*i also added another handle to the sliding door: i got one of the
handle to match the one on the b-pillar (in front of the sliding door)
... and put it on the door itself, but i didn't use the little plastic
'packing' that adapts the handle to the curvature of the b-pillar.
i just added the handle to the front 'pillar' of the sliding door,
up high enough to miss the body handle (so you don't mash your hand)
... works great for the middle or rear seat person to close the
sliding door. now they have something to grab hold of.*
*i also added two more of these type grab handles in the low overhead
side above the rear seat ... like the one that is over the left middle
seat. i figured that the rear seat people needed some Oh-My-God bars
also :) the handles also come in very handy for hanging things on.
i stretched a clothes hanger bar between then, and secured it with a
long bungie cord (stretched from one side to the other, and kinda
wrapped around the pole*
*i also put the camper hanger straps (which, by the way, are exactly
the same ones as used to be in the beetles!) in place of the little
round coat hanger 'knobs) ... the little black things on the c-pillar
(behind the sliding door, and in the same place on the opposite side
of the bus) mostly, i did this cause i wound up using the overhead
grab handles to hold the clothes bar.*
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