Accessories - Rear Window Shades (also known as Venetian Blinds)
For those of you that live in dry hot arid regions of the world and want to keep your T34 from wasting away in the hot sun, here’s a great accessory for you! But they’re extremely rare, and only two were ever made. Here’s the story from Steven Ayres:
“This is a rear window visor which helps keep the
car cool by deflecting sunlight away from the
interior of the car. The metal slats are fairly thick
and are welded into a fixed position. They were
manufactured in Australia by a firm that produced
them for the Type 14 and T34 Karmann Ghias as an OEM
supplier to VW Australia Ltd. Later it was
discovered there was limited demand so
production was stopped, but they're still using the
same jigs, tools, materials and methods as they did
in the '60s. So this is one case where it's just like
you're buying the parts new in the old days, not
new old stock but new NEW stock.
I bought mine as part of a larger order for a bunch of club guys here -- this is the perfect accessory for Arizona, and we got I think four for big-window Bugs, three ovals and one for a '60s Bus. They make them for any VW, including side windows for Squarebacks, and they're available in plain white or antique white. Mine was the first they'd ever done for a Type 34, and it's a pretty tight fit but they planned to do future ones a bit smaller. It works very well, keeping out a lot of the heat buildup that we otherwise get in the T34 greenhouse without restricting the view at all. I’m very happy with my sunshade both for function & for looks.
It's a little tricky to install because it has to be fitted inside the glass frame, but by going slowly and carefully it'll pop in. Felt-covered tabs on the vertical pieces slip between the rubber and the glass. The top pieces extend and are locked into place with friction screws.”
A Genuine VW of Australia Accessory!
As of October 2006 you can find these for sale at
http://www.autocables.com.au