The door striker plates of the Karmann Ghia until 7.1963 are mostly made of plastic, which can be torn quite quickly. This tearing is due to the minimum clearance with which the door can be adjusted.
If the door is properly hung and the locking mechanism falls securely into the door latch, there is no problem. However, if the door is raised or lowered by the locking device, too much force is applied to the locking device. Plastic cannot cope with this. When assembling or restoring the bodywork, it is therefore important that the bodywork is properly reinforced at the doors so that they close perfectly afterwards and that a minimum adjustment is necessary.
For many Karmann Ghia, the door striker plates must be replaced, if they are not torn by a poorly attached door, it is the plastic that shows cracks.
These replacement door striker plates are similar to the original and are not like many other reproductions universally usable left and right.
For models from 8.1959 onwards, it is recommended to replace the door centering wedges at the same time, to ensure that the door lock is brought to the correct height.
Note: This should not be considered as the solution to a poorly suspended door.
From model year 1964 the door striker plate was greatly improved and it was less vulnerable, by the last revision in model year 1972 they were finally optimal. But given the age and frequent use, these models will also have to deal with worn-in plastic, which can cause problems for the perfect closing of the door.
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