On 31 Dec 2004 at 13:32, JordanVw@AOL.COM <JordanVw@AOL.COM> wrote:

> In a message dated 12/30/04 5:48:13 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> felder@KNOLOGY.NET writes:
>
>
> > My 83 Westy has this "feature."
> >
> > The deal on the rear handle is that someone buckled into the rear
> > seatbelt can close the door with just a tug, without having to get
> > unbuckled and go forward. It gets used a lot when my grandaughter or
> > mother, neither of whom can close the big old door very well from the
> > inside, get in and out of the car. The rear passenger can push the door
> > almost closed at the front, then pull in on the handle to good
> > mechanical advantage.
> >
> > You can't get the "running start" from the inside that you can outside
> > the car.
>
> so i guess it was up till 84 then...

It gets a bit more interesting: I just removed the knob which bolts to the door - it does
not have a VW part # on it anywhere. And the holes in the door are definitely *not*
drilled at the factory - there is bare metal showing where it was drilled after painting.
The hole in the door panel looks original though. Perhaps this was an item added by
the dealer in the US & Canada? A picture of the "stub" is posted here:

http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesel/82_Diesel_Westy/pics1/PC311839.html

--
Shawn Wright
I.T. Manager
Shawnigan Lake School