Air-Cooled VW Parts: Just Kampers Answers Your Questions

We know a lot of you have questions about parts and accessories for your air-cooled Volkswagen, so we’ve put together this guide to give you the answers you need.

We’ve taken a list of some of your most frequently asked questions, and written out answers to each of them to help you understand more about your air-cooled VW and the parts you need to keep it running beautifully.

Just Kampers has been part of the VW community since 1989, and we now stock over 10,000 parts and accessories for classic and modern Volkswagens, so we’ve picked up a huge amount of information and experience over the last few decades!

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• How do I identify the correct parts for my specific air-cooled VW model and year?

• How can I make sure I’m ordering the right parts for my air-cooled VW?

• How can I tell if a part is genuine or a reproduction?

• What are the differences between OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and aftermarket parts?

• Where can I find replacement parts for my air-cooled VW?

• Are original parts still available for air-cooled VW models?

• Can you still get parts for air-cooled Volkswagens?

• How can I find rare or hard-to-find parts for my air-cooled VW?

• What are the best sources for aftermarket parts for air-cooled VWs?

• Can I use parts from other VW models on my air-cooled VW?

• Which parts are most prone to wear and need regular replacement?

• How do I know if a part needs replacement or can be repaired?

• Are there any specific tools needed to replace parts on an air-cooled VW?

• How difficult is it to install common replacement parts on an air-cooled VW?

How do I identify the correct parts for my specific air-cooled VW model and year?

There are a few different ways to make sure you know exactly which part you’re looking at, or that you’re about to order the correct part for your air-cooled Volkswagen. Here’s a quick guide to three of the easiest ways to identify the parts on your air-cooled VW.

Using VW Part Numbers
The first way is to use the Volkswagen part number system, which will let you identify the part you need and then quickly find it either online or in a service manual.

We’ve written a whole blog about how these VW part numbers work, but in essence, each of the essential parts on your air-cooled Volkswagen has a 9-digit code, which tells you which vehicle the part is for, and which area of your vehicle it’s for. For example, a brake component for the VW T2 Bay, or a gearbox part for your VW Beetle.

You’ll be able to see the part number stamped onto the body of a lot of your air-cooled Volkswagen’s parts, and can then search online or here at justkampers.com to find replacements if needed.

Using a Service Manual

Another good place to start is to invest in a service manual which includes parts diagrams of your vehicle, like the Robert Bentley manual or John Muir’s Idiots Guide to Keeping Your Volkswagen Alive.

If you know where the part you’re trying to identify is located, then you can use the diagrams in these books to find out what it is and what it’s called because most will have a corresponding chart or list of the VW part numbers which we discussed above.

Ask for Help!

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help, especially if you’re new to the Volkswagen community. The JK Team are here to help, and will answer any questions you might have about what parts you need, or what a particular part is. You may need to send us a photo so that we can be sure we’re offering you the right advice, but we’ll always do our best to get you an answer as quickly as we can.

You can email us at sales@justkampers.co.uk, call us on 01256 86 22 88, or use the live chat feature on our website.

How can I make sure I’m ordering the right parts for my air-cooled VW?

If you’re shopping here at Just Kampers for air-cooled VW parts, then we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to ensure you’re ordering the correct part for your vehicle.

It’s important that you know the year in which your vehicle was manufactured (which is generally the same year that it was registered in, but not always!) as this is the main way to narrow down exactly which part you need.

Once you know the make, model, and year of your vehicle, it’s pretty easy to ensure you’re ordering the correct part for it by checking the product title, product description, and vehicle compatibility section on the product page.

Some parts will require you to know a bit more about your vehicle, such as brake and wheel components, but this can be easily checked by taking a look at your wheels or brakes and doing some measurements.

We’ve written a separate article about getting the correct wheels for your Beetle, so click here to read JK's Guide to Finding Wheels to Fit Your VW Beetle

How can I tell if a part is genuine or a reproduction?

We can’t speak for anywhere else, but here at Just Kampers we’ve labelled all our of genuine Volkswagen parts with a label in the top right corner of the image, so you can see at a glance whether a part is produced by Volkswagen.

What are the differences between OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and aftermarket parts?

This depends a lot on what the product is, and who it’s been created by. It’s a difficult question to answer, but we’ll do our best!

You might find that an aftermarket part uses the same materials and processes as the OEM part from Volkswagen did, like our Preservation Parts panels that we make here at JK HQ.

Volkswagen stopped creating these panels themselves, and at the time we were struggling to find a supply of panels which we were happy with, so we spoke to the team in the unit next to ours and worked together to create a range of metal body panels to the same specifications as the originals.

Other aftermarket parts may be very different from the originals, in terms of material or quality, but also have a lower price.

The differences between the two can be as simple as an OEM part being slightly easier to fit, or not needing as much fettling or adjustment to install, or an aftermarket part may be made with materials which require more time, care, and attention to keep them looking and working their best.

Sometimes you’ll be happy with a cheaper part which may be slightly lower quality than the original so that you can get your air-cooled VW back on the road as quickly as possible, and other times you may want to spend more time researching the differences between an aftermarket part and an OEM one, to make sure you’re happy with it before you purchase it.

Where can I find replacement parts for my air-cooled VW?

Perhaps unsurprisingly we'd suggest taking a look at the huge range of different air-cooled VW parts we’ve got in stock here at Just Kampers!

Obviously we’re a bit biased, but we're not the only ones who'd recommend buying your Volkswagen parts and accessories from Just Kampers – we're rated Excellent on Trustpilot, with tens of thousands of reviews from verified customers. 

We’ve spent years searching for the best parts and accessories for both air-cooled VWs and their more modern water-cooled counterparts, and making sure we can offer them to you at a great price, too.

Are original parts still available for air-cooled VW models?

You can still find original parts made by Volkswagen for your air-cooled VW, and the number of different parts will vary depending on the model and year of your VW.

Brand new original parts are still being created by Volkswagen, but there aren’t a huge number of them and they tend to be smaller components like air filters or fuel tank senders.

You’ll also find that a whole load of original Volkswagen parts are available at places like VW swap meets at shows and events, as well as being found online or in VW Owners Clubs.

If you’re set on finding original parts for your air-cooled Volkswagen, you’ll generally be able to do so, but it may take more time and cost more money than getting an aftermarket part.

Can you still get parts for air-cooled Volkswagens?

You can absolutely still get air-cooled Volkswagen parts! Classic VWs like the T2 Splitscreen are iconic, while the VW Beetle is one of the absolute best-selling vehicles of all time, so there’s still a lot of them on the road.

The fact that air-cooled VWs are still so popular means that it’s still pretty easy to get parts for them.

We stock a huge range of different parts and accessories for air-cooled Volkswagens (as well as for more modern water-cooled VWs) which are brand new and created by leading manufacturers from around the world.

On top of this, we also create a lot of metal body panels for air-cooled Volkswagens ourselves, which form part of our Preservation Parts range. These panels are made in Odiham, Hampshire, in the unit next to Just Kampers HQ.

If you’re after original, second-hand parts and accessories then there’s still plenty of them around. You’ll often need to head to a Volkswagen show or swap meet to find them, but they’re out there.

How can I find rare or hard-to-find parts for my air-cooled VW?

If you’re looking for a very specific, rare, or obscure part for your air-cooled Volkswagen, then we’d suggest attending events like the Midlands Air-Cooled Swap Meet, Slough Swap Meet, or any other VW show which will be featuring a swap meet.

You may need to be patient, but if you’re scouring the tables at enough swap meets, and chatting to the people who are selling the parts, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for eventually.

The VW community in the UK is a pretty friendly place, and people are usually more than happy to help you track down what you’re looking for as long as you’re polite and accept that the rare or obscure part you’re after may command a steep price since it’s so hard to find.

What are the best sources for aftermarket parts for air-cooled VWs?

We’d recommend that you start here, at Just Kampers! We’ve got a huge range of aftermarket parts and accessories for air-cooled VWs, with more being added all the time.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for at justkampers.com, then you could always get in touch with the JK Team and they’ll be able to suggest some other places to look.

VW shows and events are another great source of second-hand aftermarket parts, as well as making friends in your local VW Owners’ Club and asking around there. You never know who might have exactly what you need tucked away at the back of their garage!

Can I use parts from other VW models on my air-cooled VW?

The short answer to whether you can use parts from different Volkswagens on your air-cooled VW is yes, and the long answer is… sort of?

Volkswagen used a lot of the same parts and components across different air-cooled VWs, so you’re likely to see a lot of parts which fit both the Beetle and T2 Bay, for example. You could say that in a sense this means you can fit Beetle parts to your T2 Bay and vice versa, but you won’t be able to bolt any old part from one air-cooled Volkswagen onto a different one.

Some people will look at fitting a larger engine from a different VW to their campervan or Beetle, or an engine from a different vehicle entirely!

While it’s generally easier to swap to a larger air-cooled Volkswagen engine, you’re not limited only to these. For example, fitting a Subaru engine to a classic VW is a pretty popular way to get some more go out of your classic.

If you’ve got questions about whether you could use a specific part from a different VW on your air-cooled Volkswagen, then you can always get in touch with the JK Team and we’ll do our best to let you know!

Which parts are most prone to wear and need regular replacement?

This is a question with a long answer, but we’ll do our best to quickly explain which air-cooled Volkswagen parts are most likely to get worn and need replacement.

As well as the obvious things like tyres and wiper blades, there are a few components on your VW’s air-cooled engine which you’ll want to check regularly, including the spark plugs, V-Belt, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, fuel hose, and all wiring.

We’ve written an article on how to maintain your classic Volkswagen, including which parts you’ll need to look at, and how often.

How do I know if a part needs replacement or can be repaired?

There are thousands of parts which make up your air-cooled Volkswagen, and some of them can be repaired just fine, while others will need to be replaced to ensure your VW is still safe to drive.

Vital safety elements like seat belts, parts which pose a fire risk like fuel hoses, or essential engine components like V-belts should be replaced as soon as you spot any damage or issues. It’s not worth the risk involved in trying to repair them.

On the other hand, you may find that repairing things like damaged or dented body panels is easier than you might think. We’ve got a how-to video to show you the way to do it, and all you’ll need is a few tools and quite a lot of patience!

Ultimately, there’s not really a set of definitive rules to follow when it comes to replacing most parts. There are essential things like engine and brake parts that you’ll need to replace immediately, and others like window seals or dented panels which you may be able to repair.

If in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution and speak to a local VW specialist who can advise you on what might need to be replaced, or whether they can repair them.

Are there any specific tools needed to replace parts on an air-cooled VW?

You can probably get by without them, but there are a lot of tools which have been developed to make replacing parts on your air-cooled VW a lot easier!

Some of them may seem a bit ridiculous at first, like the VW Hub Cap Puller Tool which helps you pop the hub caps off your Volkswagen’s wheels without damaging them, but they can save you a huge amount of time and help you avoid ruining your hub caps while you’re working in your wheels and brakes.

Others are generally considered a must-have by a lot of air-cooled VW owners, like the 'C' Spanner Tool which lets you hold the dynamo and alternator pulley in place while you tighten or loosen the nut on it. You can use a screwdriver instead of the ‘C’ spanner, but it’ll likely take longer, and you risk causing some real harm to your engine.

Here are a few other super helpful tools which will make working on your air-cooled Volkswagen easier, faster, and less stressful: 

How difficult is it to install common replacement parts on an air-cooled VW?

Generally speaking, fitting replacement parts to your air-cooled Volkswagen is really simple. As well as being fairly simple mechanically, classic VWs were built to be easy to work on – it was a recurring theme in Volkswagen’s adverts for the Beetle.

If you’ve got the tools, time, and confidence to take on the work yourself, you’ll likely find that simple jobs like changing the V-Belt through to more involved tasks like running a full engine service on your T2 Bay or replacing a wing panel on your Beetle are a lot more straight forward than you might have assumed.

The service manuals which we referenced earlier are an incredibly helpful tool if you’re looking to install a replacement part on your air-cooled VW by yourself, as they’re full of invaluable information.

You can also check out our YouTube channel, which is full of how-to videos to guide you through everything from applying cavity wax to protect your vehicle from the elements, all the way through to upgrading your VW to disc brakes.