Date:         Tue, 11 Oct 94 14:22:11 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         rapalmer@eos.ncsu.edu
Subject:      Re:  those cab separators

> What's the purpose of those "cab separators" or whatchamacallit panels
> behind the 2 front seats? They would be in my way if I wanted to install
> nicer and probably bigger seats, wouldn't they?
> 
> Can I just saw them off or would that compromise structural integrity?
> 
Someone kindly (?) did that to my '67 before I got it, so it is now a
walk through of sorts... I know those were stopped in I think '77, since
my '78 didn't have them. The main purpose fir them, I think, is so in a
rear-end collision, the seat won't snap backwards. I read a book
strongly disparaging the safety of Beetles (called The Small Wonder -
Small on Safety I think), and it told of how in rear-end collisions,
seats would snap backwards, and passengers could fly out the back
window. This was documented for Beetles. Of course, the short chapter on
buses said almost exactly "Get 'em off the road - they're totally
unsafe"
Oh well, off I drive to die horribly someday... :)
Richard