cup hloder mod. for early NBs

[bugshop]

I am one of those people who seems to always have a drink with me almost everywhere I go.
And when I go to a fast food drive through I always "go large, upsize, king size or biggie" my drink.


Well, I drove my new to me 01 for the first time today and the first thing I saw that I didn't like was the
placement of the factory cup holders. So I thought I'd take a little time and see if I could come up with a simple but very functional mod.
It is a little intrusive to the passengers leg room but much less so than dumping a full 32oz drink on them

The beauty of this mod is that you do not have to modify your stock console and requires no tools what so ever to install.
All you have to do is twist the existing stock cup holder 1/4 turn to remove it.
Place the new cup holder around the raised cup holder socket and reinstall the stock cup holder. See the video at the end of this post.
Also as long as the passenger seat is tracked back to what I would call it's "normal position" the seat
doesn't hit the new cupholder when flipped fwd. to gain access to rear seat.
It is made of a very sturdy material called Kydex, that is a strong 1/8" thick plastic (acrylic-polyvinyl chloride alloy)
so you don't have to worry about your passenger bumping into it and knocking it off.


Stock inadequate cup holders



stock inadequate cup holders with a 20 oz drink bottle



This is what I've come up with



And a few shots with a 12 oz can, 20 oz bottle and assorted fast food cups, 20 oz, 32 oz, 42 oz, and the big boy 44 oz.

12 oz can

20 oz bottle

20 oz cup

32 oz cup

42 oz

and the Big Boy 44 oz


And a very short video to show how quick and easy it is to install and remove the new cup holder.

R&R VIDEO




I will build the new cup holder and cover in vinyl that is close to your stock VW interior color for $40.00 Shipped to anywhere in the US.
Shipping outside the US would be based on your location.
I can also cover them in custom vinyl colors to match your custom interior color.

[Tim Bramble]

VERY nice! I want one. Can you tell us how you did it?

[Volkswoman]

Excellent! I need that too!

[scarabY2k]

That is too cool! Where were you 8 years and about 3 spilled drinks ago!!

I'm sure you'd sell a few of those bad boys!

[Beetlescott]

What tools are required? If it's a secret recipe, it's ok, I was just wondering. If you are selling them, I would be interested. Very cool mod.

[Fowvay]

Yup I'd buy it... NOW

[Toad]

Did it really take 12 years for someone to think of this???

I mean, i usually drove alone, dind't have an armrest, and had long arms, so i just used my rear cupholder... but anyway, this truly deserves

[bugshop]

Originally Posted by Toad

Did it really take 12 years for someone to think of this???

I mean, i usually drove alone, dind't have an armrest, and had long arms, so i just used my rear cupholder... but anyway, this truly deserves

Thank you

[dmbluebeetle]

I would invert the shelf that the can sits on. it would give you your depth without losing the strength.

[bugshop]

Originally Posted by dmbluebeetle

I would invert the shelf that the can sits on. it would give you your depth without losing the strength.

Yeah, thats kinda what I was thinking. I actually had it inverted when I mocked it up the first time but didn't like the way it looked through the hole I am looking at other options for that brace like slotting the sides and bonding it together. Plus that would work better with the double cup holder option.
I'm also thinking about enclosing it to give it a little more of a finished look but leaving enough of a gap for the sweat to drain out.

[bugshop]

OK, I have a question for you guys who know more about these NBs than me.
Could someone tell me or direct me to where I can find info. on what changes were made to the consoles over the years. Mainly the ones prior to when VW realized this problem and came up with a better console. What years and models used the same console as the one I have in my 2001

[Fl_bug]

Originally Posted by bugshop

OK, I have a question for you guys who know more about these NBs than me.
Could someone tell me or direct me to where I can find info. on what changes were made to the consoles over the years. Mainly the ones prior to when VW realized this problem and came up with a better console. What years and models used the same console as the one I have in my 2001

All beetles from 1998 to 2001 used those cupholders you have pictured above.


Midway through 2001 (2001.5 models) until 2005, had the 2 cupholders that slid to the side.



From 2006 until present (2010 for future posts looking back) they use a different design, but the cupholders from the 98-01 can be used for additional cupholders under the dash, in addition to the standard ones near the e-brake.

[bugshop]

Thanks for the info. and the pics. this will come in handy. I like the newest one.

[huck731]

what type of material is Kydex?? I have never heard of it but seeing as I work in a machine shop, I am sure I can get my hands on some so I can do this mod. You sir deserve a medal.

[bugshop]

Here is a Wiki. def. of what Kydex is. Kydex - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride alloy that is used to make all kinds of rigid plastic products. We use it at work to form aricraft interior panels and you see it used for holsters and knife sheaths.

Being in the machine shop enviroment you may be better off using sheet metal.

[scarabY2k]

By the looks of the clean corner bends, some heat was used to achieve the clean corners i.e. a head gun- am I correct?

[bugshop]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

By the looks of the clean corner bends, some heat was used to achieve the clean corners i.e. a head gun- am I correct?

Nope, I used a sheet metal brake.

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by bugshop

Nope, I used a sheet metal brake.

Well then

So being that i'm sheet metal brakeless, can the bends be achieved by placing the material on a straight edge, applying heat to the corner and bending? If not, how can the average Joe (or Joan) achieve such clean corners/edges?

[bugshop]

I spent a little time today working on a little cleaner and slightly smaller one. I have it mocked up now and will fabricate it tomorrow.
I don't really see how I can make a two cup version that would be usable and still be able to track the seat fwd to access the rear seat.

I also made a video of how easy it it to R&R if I can figure out how to load it.

[bugshop]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

Well then

So being that i'm sheet metal brakeless, can the bends be achieved by placing the material on a straight edge, applying heat to the corner and bending? If not, how can the average Joe (or Joan) achieve such clean corners/edges?

LOL Well that may be a little tricky. You could bend this product fairly well without heat but heat will help. The problem is that Kydex is designed to be heated and vacuum formed so too much heat and it kinda goes limp LOL