The engine compartment of every air-cooled Volkswagen is closed off from the outside world so that no heated air reaches the engine compartment from below.
The space between the engine plate and the bodywork is closed with rubber. Due to the heat of the engine, these rubbers are often dried out and/or cracked and will have to be renewed at each restoration.
Most rubbers are available in two qualities. The A-quality is the same as the original with a perfect fit, the right rubber compound and equal durability. B-quality rubbers are an economical solution. Their composition is different from that of the original, so they are stiffer and dry and tear more quickly.
For the rubbers for the Volkswagen Bus from 8/1971 to 7/1979 inclusive, there is a difference in the type of material, quality A is identical to the original and quality B is made of foam rubber of a lower quality. Quality A foam rubber is more wear-resistant than quality B rubber and therefore lasts longer, but it is more difficult to shape and therefore does not connect well to sheet metal parts.
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