You're just going to make 'block off plates'  or 'end plates' .........
You can do a better job than VW did easily. 
Mainly one across the bottom, and some on the sides.  I think there are
separate upper and lower ones for the side plates.  
Does you head light grill have black cardboard block off pieces on each end,
just inboard of each headlight ? 
An air-cooled might not have that feature as part of the headlight grill.
If you see little tits on your grill, but no black cardboard, those little
tits are what the cardboard sits on, or plugs onto on. 
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
neil N
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 9:02 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Radiator cardboard and its replacement

Thanks Evan.

That sounds like a great solution for me.

No issues with this material being subjected to heat from the rad?

(being an "air head" I just don't know how hot it gets up there!)

If anyone has pics, or can let me study their Vanagon, I"d appreciate
it. I have a small idea of what's required, but sadly nothing to make
the new pieces from or for that matter exactly how they're positioned.

Maybe there's some useful images in my Bentley I could peruse......

Thanks again,

Neil.

On Feb 17, 2008 6:12 PM, Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
>   Hey Neil especially, and anybody else who might care -
>
>   I recently replaced all of the fiber-based cardboard air deflectors in
my '85 with plastic "cardboard" stuff. It is used in making shipping
dividers, and has the same structure as corrugated cardboard, but is made of
some kind of styrene. It is mostly immune to automotive solvents, tho I
would not use it to make a gas tank!
>
>   I used the originals as templates, and traced out their shapes on the
sheet of board. I cut the stuff with a big pair of scissors. I then used a
hole-punch to put holes in the places I was going to attach it at, using
zip-ties and screws.
>
>   This stuff was easy to put in, easy to work with, cheap, won't degrade
like the fiber-board stuff, and most important for you and your question,
all went in without removing anything except the old pieces. Except the
grill. And dropping the spare tire down.
>
>   (delays in replies are due to digest accessability...  ...by me, that
is!)
>

--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - "Jaco"

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/