Quarterlights

[fastygaz]

Hi all, I'm stripping my quarterlights for painting and I was wondering if there were any tips on the best way to remove and more importantly reinstall the glass?!
I've got new upright and frame seals coming, it's just actually taking the glass out that's causing me some concern!!
Any help gratefully received as always!!
Gaz

[broady_6]

Ive done this before. the way I did it was squirt wd40 in between the glass and the frame. Make sure the glass is still dry and clean then hold the glass vertical, frameless side facing down. Then tap the top of the frame on the edge of a bench or other hard surface and it should slowly come apart. If you want to shoot over tomorrow I can help

[fastygaz]

Cheers broadmeister, I will nip round tomorrow afternoon if that's alright with you?!
It's about time I got round to see the fasty's progress anyway!!
Gaz

[Editor]

I removed a Beetle quarterlight glass to replace the catch - a bit nerve-racking, but it did all go OK. The frame is flexible to some extent. When I restored the Fastback quarterlights I didn't remove the glass from the frames, just cleaned them up well and masked the rubber and glass carefully. You have to remove the pivot rivet, but they are available, and are set by a squeeze rivetter. Remember the fibre washer!

[Marko]

where can I find a pivot rivet or 2? if I ever get round to replacing the rubbers I'll need a least one as one is missing!!

[Editor]

They're not the commonest item, and tiny! The parts book says N 13 661 2 and B 4x8, which I would take as 4mm x 8 long.
I used a pop rivet and tapped out the mandrel so it couldn't rust. That saved the odd one i have being needed!

They're listed here:- http://www.deimosaircooled.com/products ... n-13-661-2
Probably means they can be got through VW.

I've seen a rubber cut to go round without disturbing the rivet - it's probably possible to make an almost invisible mend.

Edited to UK website.

[jmarkha1]

I think Heritage sell them - if not I have about 2 with fibre washers if you get stuck

where can I find a pivot rivet or 2? if I ever get round to replacing the rubbers I'll need a least one as one is missing!!

[Marko]

I'm guessing you need a special tool to compress them in?

[jmarkha1]

Yes - that put me off after spending hours polishing and painting. I used an M5 stainless dome head allen bolt and nyloc.

[broady_6]

i expect they are solid rivets and just need the hammer style rivet tool

[Editor]

I believe you use a squeeze rivetter - safer than hammer and dolly.

Personally I'd go for the aluminium pop rivet with mandrel remains removed. You could put some filler in the hole and a bit of silver wheel paint on top if the hole bothered you.

[fastygaz]

Thanks for all the replies and thanks for the help yesterday broady...shame it could've gone slightly better 'eh?!
I'll probably go for a pop rivet and bang the tail out once I've got everything cleaned up and painted...I can live with a hole!!
Gaz

[Chino]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I thought better than a new one

I'll be doing this process in the next week or so, my passenger quarterlight latch is broken. I have a replacement ready to go on, I just wondered on a few bits:

1) Which seals would I ideally want to replace whilst doing this?
2) Will I need any spares to attach the latch, it looks like they're riveted in from the bottom?

Thanks for your help!

[Marko]

I'm replacing mine soon too and have a spare "early" pair ready to go in, you could have had my complete unit if I'd have known (just needs new seals).

main seals are about £50 a pair and unless shot I wouldn't swap them but the upright ones are cheap enough to buy, these are the ones that the actual window closes against. it's quite a big job to take the whole unit out so expect a bit of frustration if you do so!

[Chino]

I can see this is going to be a fun job isn't it? Are they similar to beetle quarters? I'm off to dub freeze Sunday so might hit up the auto jumble.

[Editor]

To replace them, I think you can pull down the main window fabric channel for a few inches, simply remove the screws holding the divider top and bottom and the top hinge screws, and loosen the clamping bracket (I think you only need to loosen them). The quarter-light comes out with the seal and its frame, tilted outwards (and a bit back?).

I don't think you have to pull anything else apart.

The hinge has to have the rivet removed to replace the seal, as the part of the hinge that screws to the door is too big to go through the slit in the seal. Rivets are available (discussed on an earlier thread), but I simply used an aluminium pop-rivet and drove out the steel mandrel remains to stop rust appearing.

The new catch does need rivetting, which will need the glass taken out. I did it on an old Beetle, but it would save a lot of worry to get a secondhand quarter-light. ISTR the glass pulled out reasonably easily, and I pressed it back in using a B&D workmate vice.

A Beetle quarter-light is not the same (Type 3 has a vertical back, not the sloping version on the '65-on Beetle).

[Chino]

OK, I may look into sourcing a full quarter light. Just to check, my drivers side has a silver latch without the black circular part on, would this be an early latch?

[Marko]

Yes it is an early latch, later ones have the black round knobs..

[Chino]

OK so I need one with an early latch to match. Looks like someone has swapped mine previously for some reason or another.

[Editor]

The early silver latches were fitted up to '67; black knob type from '68. If yours have been swapped anyway, I guess you're locked into the same type.