Install C Arm Rests on a T5 Door

[Paul Ahnell]

I want to install C arm rests on my '60 T5 doors. I'm looking for a simple solution to fab (buy?) and attach the receivers on the door for the plates on the arm rest. Would appreciate the dimensions required to correctly locate the receivers. See attached.

C Door arm rest retainers.pdf

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[C J Murray]

Armrests were an option on your car. They just didn't have the finger holes.

[Doug McDonnell]

That would require 4 different measurements per armrest. If you have the C armrests and hardware you could do the locations pretty easy and would just need dimensions of the door rectangular receivers. Note on my old dooryard how armrest screws are offset. I assume you want the door pull function of the C armrest ?

[Geoff Fleming]

Keep in mind that the armrest clamps that fit on the back face of the panel, fit into brackets welded on the door frame. This arrangement allows the armrest to be used as a door pull without eventually distorting the panel.
You can certainly fit the armrests and use them without the brackets , however.

[Doug McDonnell]

I just stole this picture from BAT that shows location on passengers door which is obviously a C door on this 62 car. As Geoff said you can fit C armrests without the door receivers but you would then not be able to use them as door pulls.

[Doug McDonnell]

Each door receiver bracket is 24mm high and 32mm long and inside measurement is 28mm.Measurements do NOT include the "wings" attached to the door As you can see the brackets are NOT at the same height if one were to measure from door top or door bottom. The top of the front bracket measures 25mm from the bottom of the hole to the top of the bracket. Distance between the 2 brackets is 7 15/16 inches. And the bottom of the back bracket is flush with the large trapezoidal opening. Hope this helps. Picture is a drivers door.

[Glen Getchell]

With all due respect, I must disagree with Doug as far as using the door the arm rests as a door pull. In theory he is correct; however, I have had my C coupe for 20 years now, and it has a B door with no hooks for the arm rest, and I have never had an issue using the arm rest to pull the door shut. In fact I almost have to question if the hooks do anything when you are using a undamaged structurally sound C interior panel.

With that said, I put a new passenger door on my race car prior to it's days as strictly a track car and I added the hooks to that door to accomodate the C armrest hooks (why I felt the need to do that when the other car does not have them or seem to need them is lost to the ages).

One way you can install hooks (which is just a piece of metal with four bends) is to semi install the door panel by hanging it and making sure the screw holes line. You can put something that will transfer a mark on the door panel hook to the door. This will tell you where you need to weld your catch hooks on the door. You can also lift the panel up and visually make sure your marks are in the right place. Then make the catch hook with a strip of metal bent four times to replicate what you see in Doug's photos of the C door (make them a little longer to give a better chance for fitment). Now tack weld them in place and install the door panel. If it doesn't fit, bust the welds and repeat. If it it fits, make a permenant weld.

Keep in mind you must have the hooks on the back of your door panel for any of this to work. And if you are modifying B panels, most likely your welded catch hooks will only work on your modified B panels. If you are using C panels, then your hooks will probably work with all C panels.

But you might want to just add the arm rest to your panel and install it to see if you even need the hooks.

Glen
64Cx2

[Glen Getchell]

Here is a photo of the home made hooks I made to fit a factory C door panel.

[Paul Ahnell]

Thank you all for your suggestions, dimensions and photos. I think I'll try Glen's suggestion of just foregoing the door hooks and see how that works out. I do have the stock door pulls on both Driver and Pax sides and the interior panels look to be in good shape. I'll report results.

[Geoff Fleming]

Foregoing the hooks will not result in any catastrophe, in fact, my C car also has a replacement driver's door from a B, so no hooks.
My relatively early C had the late style armrests and also the metal door pulls as found on the earlier series, (#215961-Karmann). Wonder if they were requested by the original owner or simply installed at the factory in addition to the armrests?

[Trevor Gates]

I prefer the armrests without the finger pull indentation. Very comfortable to rest your left elbow on while cruising on the freeway holding the steering wheel. When Jack had the interior put together for Craig’s T5 Coupe; he had Craig sit in the car and position the arm rest at the most comfortable position for Craig, not the factory location. Turned out killer!