In 2010 we started focusing on the need in the Air-Cooled VW market for a more refined classification of Air-Cooled VW parts. As we talked with customers and listened to feedback, we realized that by offering multiple levels of products, we could educate our customers and provide better service to the enthusiast market. This led to the February 2011 acquisition of OE VeeDub out of Lake George, Colorado.
Richard Davies, former OE VeeDub owner and well respected expert in the Air-Cooled VW enthusiast market, has joined our team at Mid America Motorworks to continue to implement our classification program (see below) throughout our website and catalogs.
With the diverse quality levels in the market, but with no clear distinction of the relationship of price to quality, we felt it was important to start classifying products by quality levels - OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), REP (Reproduction/Replacement) and VAL (Value Line). We are excited to provide these new levels to our customers and look forward to serving your Air-Cooled VW needs!
- OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer. The product is manufactured by the same company that made it for Volkswagen to assemble into your vehicle. Some examples people are familiar with are: Bosch electrical items, FAG and SKF bearings, TRW steering parts, Boge and Sachs shock absorbers, LUK and Sachs clutches, Febi Bilstein steering, suspension and engine parts, Kolbenschmidt engine bearings, Mahle pistons, Cofap engine parts and dampers.
Examples of OEM Use: Top quality restoration, show car or a very original car. - REP - Reproduction Part. A reproduction of the original part. Made to fit, work, look and finish as the original.
Examples of REP Use: Daily Driver - VAL - Value Line.Parts that are made to service and replacement standards. Finish may differ from OEM part, but will perform as intended.
Examples of VAL Use: Student Run Around
OEM Seals Compared to REP Seals
The OEM seal is a softer compound so your door will close with the well known "Thunk" that it made when it came off the production line. You will see from the images that the REP (Reproduction) seal is not quite as accurate in the detailing where the ends plug into the door. You will also see that the OEM seal has no trim marks on it, as it was left to cool before being removed from the mold, resulting in a cleaner finish. The REP (Reproduction) Seal will fit just fine. We would recommend it for a daily driver. If you have a really nice bug or a show car we would recommend the OEM product.
FAQ: "Your OEM seals are gray, my original seals are black. Why is this?"
A: When your bug was new the door seals were gray. They turn dark over time. Some aftermarket seals are black, others are gray so I would be careful not to order just on the color in the picture.
Quality Search Filter
When you do a search on our site for parts, you will see on the left hand side a drill down of the current search. Here you select how you want to fine-tune your results by Price Range, Vehicle Model, Quality Level, etc. When you select Quality Level, on the product page you will be able to select the quality level of the specific part that you prefer.
