Anyone know where I can get a set of heater channels for an early 1955 Oval ? I've been in touch with Barclay at Status who said he could get them, but that was in August and he's still waiting for his delivery.

Anyone know who reproduces them ?

---

Hi Chris,

I got a pair for an oval I had, correct profile etc. I got them from BBT, I met the delivery driver at a service station on the M25, I think they drive somewhere up north as well when they come over.

Cheers
Kev

:roll: :roll: :roll: Looks like a trip to Birmingham,eh! Chris.
I'll come and hold your hand. :lol:

Hi,

Any new ones you purchase will be different than what the factory put in there to begin with. Will they fit? yes they will. The most significant change will be the heater outlet location.
If you are going for 100% accurate you'll have to cut and weld and move the outlet and change the grill style.
If you want to do this, I have a link for instructions for this modification. Just let me know and I'll send it along.

Dave

---

Looks like it's a trip to see the bank manager first... :shock:

Or what was that guys e-mail address offering loans in the chat forum.... :lol:

---

Have you priced them.How much?
What about Jules@KK.

Too cheap if anything :shock: bet you never thought you'd hear me say that !!

Just wonder about the quality for the price he quoted. The phrase, 'You get what you pay for' springs to mind. :? I only want to restore the car once, and as I plan on keeping it I don't want to throw parts on it that will rust away in a couple of years. That's not to say the parts offered are not good quality.

Jules, if you're browsing, either give me a price or drop me an e-mail please. :wink:

---

I think the BBT ones are IGP Brazilian, they aren't the best quality but they were the only ones I could find with the right shape round the A post etc.

Wolf does some nice bottom sections if the rest of yours can be repaired ?

Or maybe try to get some rust free cuts from the US, I think the shape is correct right up to 67, its just the heater outlet that differs.

Makes you wonder why people are making really nice bus panels now (Gerson etc) but no one is offering good quality early heater channels, think how many you would sell. If only I had the metal working skills. I do have an NOS channel someone could copy mind you, just looking for the other side to match for my cabrio (one day) :wink:

Cheers
Kev

When I needed to repair the front and rear ends of my 50, I went to Heritage and they got a cheap black painted one, and a nice grey painted one out on the desk for me to compare, there was absolutely no competition, the quality and weight was miles out on the cheap black one (Brazil I think?).
The price difference was huge, I am sure the cheap black one was something like 1/4 of the price of the grey one! :shock: I bought the grey one as I refused to have any of that cheap black metal in my car, as you say, it was 'too cheap'!
I think the grey one was just over £100 ( well over a year ago, so I wonder if they are still available?) I only cut mine up for pieces of profile steel, but if you were going to fit it complete the front and rear end were fine, but then you would need to make a curve to replace the flattened (later) 68on?? :shock: centre section and of course the heater vent will be wrong, but it is do-able. ( I think I still have the middle bit here somewhere I will take a pic of it tommorrow if I can find it)

Having compared both side by side, make sure you only buy 'grey' painted channel regardless of price if you have the choice.

I also bought a grey complete 68- (I think) front bulkhead, just so I could cut the bottom 2inches off. And it fitted perfectly even though it was made for a beetle model 18+ years more modern!

---

Yes I would repair your existing ones if it is at all possible too.

We have a couple nos too, but not for sale, as I know one thing in life is for certain, other old vehicles will come and go, but we will always own some beetles 😃

---

How feasable would it be to cut some from a scrapper ? Provided of course that their in good condition. Just a thought.

Kev,

What year and side is your NOS one ? Just thinking, that if I can talk someone into making them it may be worth getting a few done. And are the pair just a mirror image of each other ?

---

Hi Chris,

Sorry haven't been online much lately, only just seen this.

I would have thought you may be able to get 60's channels from a scrapper in the US, maybe post an ad on the samba or ask FBI etc ?

I think the channel I have is for the right side I would have to dig it out, you would be welcome to borrow it if someone would copy it, like I said before I'm surprised someone hasn't started making them already. I guess the tooling is very difficult / expensive ? I am sure they are symetrical, the channel I have is Aug 56 onwards up to 67 I think.

Cheers
Kev

Hi Chris

I have just bought a channel from cip.1 in america, and it is a good copy. The pressing is correct on the bottom plate and the profile is correct inside (round). There are no fish gills in it so you would have to graft in some originals. It is made in brazil but it is far better panel than avaliable over here. I got a pair from Status and they were really rubbish and had to send them back:evil: .

Mick,
Thanks for the info. I'll look them up on t'internet and have a look. Have you fitted them yet ? Just wondering what they're like once fitted and any problems fitting them.
Chris

---

sorry, I took these pics ages ago and forgot to post them.
This is the one I cut up for repair metal for my split, it's a Mexico one, not Brazil, so I would have to guess that the cheapo black ones are the Brazil ones?

---

by the way, these bits are a bit rusty looking now only as they have been sitting outside in my garden for well over a year.

---

1303 Parts :roll:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

---

:lol:
cheeky blighter!

At least my car is driving and on the road :lol:

---

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

---

:D
Look my car is only a common old 50 not a Heb so I am allowed to use '03 parts anyway :wink: :lol:

:beer:

Chris, cutting from a donor is almost zero likely. Its the 1st place for rust on just about every beetle. We have a 60 rustfree shell for sale but we are not cutting it up! 😳 and I think £1500 will make for very expensive channels! :shock: :lol:

---