Westy hatch lock

[creationblue]

So it’s bothered me for years what the black knob is on the inside of the hatch lock on my ‘70 Westy, it doesn’t turn slide or pull so tonight I got around to investigating….

After a degrease and a soaking in WD40 I worked out that when the door latch is shut the knob slides up and down

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The mystery is that the knob locks and unlocks the mechanism from the inside and now mine actually works. There is a bar that needs pulling to open the hatch and maybe they could have made a handle for this but maybe ran out of budget? Now I need to modify my ply cover with an access hole reach it

 

[milfredo]

Where is the white knob from? I never knew you could lock from the inside!

 

[creationblue]

It’s a black knob with white over spray lol, maybe a Westy fitment I don’t know

 

[static]

Let me contribute in my usual way: by adding to the confusion.

My ‘71 Westy didn’t have one, but my friend’s ‘70 Westy did.

 

[Mikek]

My 69 Westy has one

 

[ozziedog]

Could this be a specific model distinction or destination distinction? Like a Helsinki might have one but an Oxford or a Malaga might not but it may have been available as a dealer extra perhaps. Knobs for the Americans perhaps?
Don’t think mine even has the lever because mine was originally a U.K. panel van so way down on the list of accessories and extras possibly zero. Wally and Clem are perhaps the only peeps with that much knowledge of specifics that I can think of. I don’t think Wally has posted in a while though.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,, might keep my eyes open for one though.

 

[static]

“Knobs for the Americans”

Ahem. We’re not all knobs. Most, but not all.

 

[Clem]

From what I have read it was an option for Westys between 1968 and 1971. People state it was discontinued for safety reasons - kids opening and falling out? - but that seems to be assumption rather than fact.

 

[ozziedog]

“Knobs for the Americans”

Ahem. We’re not all knobs. Most, but not all.

That was not what I was saying but the loose implication was there as you’ve spotted lol. What the main thing was that the American market dictated lots of things to VW as they were such a large groups of valuable customers. I also believe that the American market was probably if not definitely the main catalyst for the larger rear tail lights and the eventual introduction of raised front indicators and silly things Like brakes and stuff.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,bugger all for the Brits